Swift Half SWIFTS update - 18th May 2011

• After posting a small bit of text on my images website (where my swift videos reside) suggesting I'd keep recording in-nest footage, but not upload any clips until any hatching occurred - what a day the nest has had today - so I've uploaded clip numbers nineteen and twenty now!
• At around 1000hrs this morning, an interloper swift arrived in the nest - I assume whilst the male was away and the female was taking her turn to incubate.
• There followed a SEVEN HOUR BATTLE in the nest - with both swifts (our female I think, at first - and the interloper male I think) - tussling all over the nest and locked together in combat - ALL DAY!
• Our male swift did return pretty quickly, but it still took him over six hours to get rid of the intruder - and by that time, two of the three eggs had been knocked out of the "incubation bowl" that the swifts had built for themselves.
• Now, as I type, the intruder has gone (I watched it go from outside) and both adults are "re-discovering" themselves - but as it stands, unless they (or I) pop two eggs back into the "bowl", only one egg will be incubated from now on....
• An incredible day - but all is not lost.... yet.