Monday 30 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 30th May

  • Well.... its taken some time (and apologies for the lack of updates over the last few days, but until I had something to report, I thought I'd not report) but at last, this morning at almost exactly 0730hrs, we have the first egg laid (of the second batch to be laid in the roof)  -and I've captured the moment on video once more (clip number twenty-six on my website).
  • This "first egg is laid exactly three weeks after the original "first egg" was laid - so we are effectively now three weeks behind schedule.
  • To summarise what has happened so far - in video links...
  • April 23rd -  our first swift back ( a male ) roosts in the roof.
  • April 29th - a female arrives and roosts with the male.
  • May 3rd  - a third swift enters the roof and is ejected quickly.
  • May 8th- I video our pair mating in the nest space.
  • May 9th - first egg laid.
  • May 11th - second egg laid ( moment captured on film)
  • May 13th - third egg laid.
  • May 18th - interloper breaks in. Seven hour stuggle between females. Original female bails out.
  • May 19th - All three original eggs either kicked out of nest deliberately or accidentally.
  • May 24th  - After an experiment by me - swifts reject replaced eggs in nest - one of these swifts is not from the original pair - proven.
  • May 30th - First egg of second batch laid (original male, new female).
  • Now if we get no further battles, and a little better weather, this pair should lay either two or three eggs, today, Wednesday 1st June and Friday 3rd June (maybe) at around 0800hrs each day.
  • These eggs (if there are three) should hatch twenty days later (approx) on 19th June, 21st June and maybe the 23rd June.
  • If all three eggs hatch and all are raised to fledge successfully, then each should fledge on around the 31st July, the 2nd and the 4th August - IF all goes to plan like I say - and there are no more applecarts upset.
  • Anyway - good news indeed  - this nest space has been a real soap opera already, but it looks now like we WILL finally get to see a family raise some young....

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 25th May 2011

  • Early this morning, I uploaded clip number twenty-five onto my website, showing one of our swifts ejecting an egg from the nest - the result of an experiment I conducted after speaking to a world-reknowned expert on my favourite birds.
  • I'll publish some of his findings (after over 40 years of research into swifts) tomorrow possibly - but in a nutshell....
  • The seven hour fight we had in our roof was undoubtedly between two birds of the same sex.
  • Fights like this are rare after eggs have been laid  -  but thats what happened in our roof.
  • The intruding bird (be it male or female - I think female) fought with the same sex bird in our roof - whilst our other sex original bird seemed indifferent - this is quite normal.
  • The original, indifferent, non fighter in our roof waits until the fight is over - and if their original mate is victorious, the pair re-bonds. If the intruder is victorious - a new pair (probably breeding pair) will establish itself between the victorious intruder and the original, indifferent non-fighter.
  • I was of the opinion that in our case, the intruder lost out - but I couldn't be sure - I was also of the tentative opinion (more and more so) that we had at least one new swift in our roof - this seems to be the case now.
  • It is Erich and my opinion now, that our original female fought with an intruding female - and the intruder won. The bird I saw leave the nest at the end of the fight looks like it was our original female now (though I suppose it could have been our original male).
  • A new pair has established itself in our roof then - one of the original birds and the victorious intruder.
  • The eggs were deliberately rejected (not accidentally flicked out of the way during the fight) and to prove that I went into the nest space yesterday (when both birds were out)  found and replaced an egg.
  • If our original pair were still together, the egg would probably be incubated. If not, it would probably be rejected.
  • The clip clearly shows one of our roosting swifts reject an old egg by picking it up in its mouth - I assume this is the victorious intruding female (or male).
  • Erich (the expert) thinks that our "new pair" (original and intruder) should lay a clutch of their own in a few days - but I'm not 100% convinced of that just yet. That would mean a little more courtship than I've seen -and certainly more mating- which I've NOT seen with the "new pair".
  • What I have seen though is a little courtship and mutual preening and a lot of nest-building.
  • Will we get another set of eggs from our "new pair"? I hope so, but they have less then ten days to finish laying any eggs - or they and we will run out of time to successfully fledge any young (and us to film any successful fledglings).
  • So..... thats the story of our roof so far and I will have to relabel my youtube clips accordingly!
  • What has happened to our original swift that lost the fight? Who knows? But we still have a half dozen or so swifts screaming around the house at dusk. Maybe she (or he) is one of them?
  • Is the victorious intruder actually one of last year's original pair and has simply reclaimed her (his?) territory? Who knows? Will we get any more eggs? Not unless these two birds get busy and quickly!
  • Watch this space grapple fans...

Monday 23 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 23rd May 2011

  • Just a quick note to say I'm back from my pal's stag weekend in Wales - and after climbing one of the highest peaks in the Brecon Beacons in driving rain - and drinking rather a lot, I'm very tired!
  • We still have two swifts in the roof - but no mating, no eggs (other than the two kicked out of the nest) and no fighting at present - all very confusing.
  • I've uploaded clip number twenty-four onto my images site, which records very nice views of both our "new", unproductive as yet swifts.

Friday 20 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - Friday 20th May 2011 (one more)

  • I've just uploaded clip number twenty-three to the website, proving that two birds did indeed roost on two eggs last night.
  • Thats the good news.
  • The bad news is that early this morning (before 0600hrs) there was abnormal behaviour in and around the nest again (very unlike our original pair) and once again, those two eggs have been flicked well out of place and out of view of the camera.
  • We have three swifts in the sky outside and one in the roof - but no eggs on show.
  • This makes me think that we do indeed have a "new pair" of birds which are now in charge of the roof- and makes me a little more hopeful that this pair might lay eggs of their own? Last year, the first egg was laid on 19th May, so we certainly still have time....
  • But, if these fights continue, we may not get a successful brood from any pair....
  • I have to go to Wales now, but Anna will keep an eye on the roof and fill me in when I return - I wonder what I will return to.....?
  • One thing is for sure though - I won't be intervening again, as I rather think that at least one of aour adults is deliberately getting rid of the original eggs - maybe with a view to laying some herself...
  • Until Monday, grapple fans, when I hope to provide a large update, full of good news and new eggs!

Swift Half SWIFT update - Friday 20th May 2011

  • Now I'm confused.
  • There was a lot of activity in the roof again, before 0600hrs yesterday (when I started recording) and after 1200hrs, when I stopped recording.
  • The eggs were all over the place again, the actual swifts appeared very different to the original pair (smaller, even greyer, more energetic -certainly faster on their feet) - and there was a whole lot more nesting material brought into the nest - this time all bits of dry grass.
  • My guess is we have four birds fighting over one nest space, but thats exactly what that is - a guess.
  • After deliberately not intervening the day before yesterday (the right decision as my expert friends kindly let me know) I'm afraid I had to take my opportunity very quickly after 1500hrs today (when I returned from work) to get into the roof, find and replace two of the three eggs (the third was split open - very sad) and last night, both swifts roosted as normal.
  • I have absolutey no idea what is going on now - and I'm not utterly convinced the swifts do either....
  • The pair do seem less "at lease" with each other than the original pair - either that or with all the fighting in the nest over the past two days, they are the same pair, but a little more stressed out - and they are displaying that!
  • There are always between 4 and 7 swifts around the house at roosting time now - and I really am far from convinced the pair we have now in the box even laid these eggs. They just look different and behave very differently.
  • Anyway, bottom line is, for now, we still have two swifts (whether they're the same swifts or not as originally in the roof?) and at the moment two eggs, being brooded rather inconsistently.
  • I have no idea whether those eggs will stay in situ, and if they do, hatch.
  • I have no idea whether we'll get any more eggs, because yes indeed our two swifts in the box now are a new pair?
  • I have no idea whether one of the birds we have in the roof now is an original - and one is a new bird, thats thrown the original out?!
  • Time will tell I suppose, but if there are any experts out there who can shed some light on this - please let me know what your opinion of all this is....
  • New clips uploaded here.
  • By the way - I'm afraid this is where the clips will stop until Monday - I'm away in the Brecon beacons all weekend for a stag weekend that I'm best man to.
  • Can you wait that long for an update? What on earth will I return to in the nest come Monday?
  • Until Monday then....

Wednesday 18 May 2011

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.

Saturday 14 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 14th May 2011

  • Just a quick post to confirm that our swifts did indeed lay their third and final egg yesterday, on Friday 13th May - sometime around lunchtime I think.
  • Both parents are now taking turns to incubate all three eggs (unlike last year when they ignored one egg*) and the latest clip (clip 18) I've uploaded, shows the male taking his turn to keep the eggs warm. He leaves the roof at the end of the clip and the female returns to the eggs about ten minutes later, to do her bit.
  • Generally now, there is always one swift in the roof, incubating all three eggs.
  • * Quite often, depending on the weather, swifts will lay 2 or 3 eggs and occasionally abandon one of the eggs - as has happened last year in our roof. Sometimes this is by accident - there's not a lot of space in a swift nest and those wings are very long (and the birds are not very agile, grounded) - which means an odd egg may get accidentally kicked or flicked out of the "incubation chamber". Occasionally though, the swifts seem to make a deliberate "decision" to only incubate two of the three eggs  - this "decision" seems to be governed by the weather and availability of prey. Very sensible, our swifts!
  • I (and you now!) can tell the difference between the adult male swift and the adult female swift in my clips, by the rather handy fact that the aduly female has picked up a few white splodges on the ends of both long wings. I don't know what the splodges are, but it makes telling the adults apart very easy!
  • In clip 18, you'll not see any white wing dots or splodges - this is the male. I'll try and get a clip of the female tomorrow - so you can see the difference.
  • So..... we have our three eggs - laid on the 9th, 11th and 13th May.
  • If all three are incubated and go "full term", we can expect hatching to happen on the 29th May, 31st May and 2nd June (pretty-well exactly, but a little dependent on the weather of course).
  • Watch this space!

Thursday 12 May 2011

Swift Half update - 12th May 2011

  • I've not posted a "Swift Half update" (garden) for a while, because of all the swifts activity in the roof, so here's a brief run-down.
  • We've now had two broad-bodied chaser dragonflies emerge from our pond - the second of which emerged yesterday - and spotted by eagle-eyed Anna (at this time of year all I can see is swifts!)
  • Both have been female  - and I'm rather ashamed to say that Conker, our smallest hen has eaten both of them...
  • The blackbird nest in the front garden was down to one fledgling until the other day (I have no idea what happened to the others). That bird fledged and in common with all blackbirds (and wrens and robins it seems) fluttered to the ground, found cover and hid for two days. I've locked the cats in for a couple of days until it found its wings, which I think it has now - so the cats are out again. The photos of the fledgling and parent on this post can all be viewed large by clicking twice (as can any photo on this blog).
  • All the plants seem to be doing well - the evening primrose, the valerian, the wild flowers, the buddleja, the chives (all flowered), the sunflowers (about 6" tall now) and the lavender - but the pulmonaria has withered and died for some reason.
  • Today was "starling fledge day" - lots of starlings seem to fledge on the same day each year and being gregarious, tend to flock in noisy numbers as soon as they leave the nest. Last year "starling day" was on 25th May - so even the starlings are a fortnight early this year!

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 11th May 2011

  • As I hoped - the second (of three I think) egg was laid this morning at about 0920hrs BST.
  • The seventeenth clip I've just uploaded onto my images site has recorded the actual moment.
  • For the first 25 seconds or so, you'll see the female at the back of the nest-space, appearing to *cough* strain at stool.
  • Then on about 32-33 seconds she lifts her belly off the floor of the nest, about a cm, and deposits said egg gently onto the floor. If you turn your computer's volume up to maximum, you'll hear the egg drop to the floor (as well as see it).
  • I haven't uploaded a long clip today - but I do note that the male was present at the laying (keeping out of the way in the entrance to the nest with a cigar no doubt) and the female brooded both eggs for a few minutes after laying (in fact she's been back a few times since also).
  • I certainly don't expect another egg tomorrow (Thursday) but I'm hoping for a third and final egg on Friday.
  • Each (if each is incubated - only two were last year) will take about 19-20 days before they hatch (expect wee swifts right at the end of May.... and watch this space!)

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 10th May 2011

  • As described below, our pair laid their first egg yesterday morning (whilst I had the DVD recorder turned off!) This is a whole ten days earlier than last year.
  • The mating of the night before clearly did the trick!
  • The sixteenth video I've uploaded to my images site shows the singular egg at the back right of the nest space, about 10 hours after it was laid as the pair come back to the nest to roost again.
  • Swifts tend to lay one egg every other day, to produce a maximum clutch (generally) of 2-3 eggs only. This is rather like birds of prey, rather than, say, blue tits, which lay pretty well all dozen (or so) of their eggs over a day or two. They brood each egg at night right away also, unlike many other small birds.
  • Swifts (and birds of prey) therefore hatch their eggs on different days, producing different sized young - a clear survival mechanism just in case food supply dwindles whilst chicks are still being fed in the nest.
  • The clip shows both adults entering the nest space at about 2030hrs to roost. The female enters first and the male enters shortly afterwards - and tries to spend the first couple of minutes in the nest, mating with his hen. She seems to be having none of it though - does not present her cloaca to him - and instead screams her indignation at the poor chap.
  • Its as if she is shouting at him to "BE CAREFUL YOU MUPPET!!!" "THERE'S A FRAGILE EGG IN HERE!"
  • I write this on 10th May at around 1630hrs - both adults (and one egg still) are in the nest - and have mated a few minutes ago.
  • Odds on another egg being laid around 0900hrs tomorrow morning - and this time I'll be recording!

Monday 9 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 9th May 2011

  • I've been after the clip I've just uploaded to my images site (clip number fifteen) for some time now.
  • I've only recently discovered swifts mate on the nest as well as in the air and I've been fortunate enough now to record mating in our roof!
  • The pair roosted shortly after 2000hrs last night (it can vary a lot at present, mainly I suspect due to weather and availability of prey) and after a little mutual preening, they mated four times in about nine minutes.
  • Swifts like most birds, mate by pressing their cloacae (or vents) together in what is known as a cloacal kiss - it doesn't last long - enough time for sperm to be transferred from cock to hen.
  • I'm very pleased I've managed to record this moment - its one thing to film swifts in the nest (never normally seen, unlike almost all other birds), but to record mating behaviour also - well thats  just a bonus!
  • EDIT - I've just checked the roof - our first egg was laid this morning (as they always tend to be). I wasn't recording at the time - giving the DVD recorder a morning off - but I'll get the next egg to be laid - I expect that not tomorrow, but the next day....

Sunday 8 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 8th May 2011

  • I've not blogged about our pair of swifts for some time now but I'm just blogging now to say all is fine in our roof - the pair are still together, but bringing in less feathers than before the "fight" of seven days ago (see last update).
  • Many more swifts have arrived in the country last week, after a spanish plume weather system (hot southerly wind from Spain and Portugal - the result of a battle between high pressure to the east of the UK and low to the west), meant that there was no blocking wind to their arrival from the continent.
  • We now have 4-6 swifts regularly feeding above Swift Half - only two of which are our pair of course.
  • We have had heavy rain for the past two nights (first time in about three months) but we are still sunny and dry during the day and look to be that way for this week at least.
  • If this good weather continues, we could have our first egg as early as Thursday or Friday this week, but probably a few days after that. Last year the first egg was laid on 19th May, although we do seem to be on course for a laying up to a week earlier than that this year...
  • I have uploaded video fourteen on my "images website", a clip that was recorded a week ago - showing both adults bringing feathers back to the nest site...
  • I will upload maybe one or two more videos (only) before we get our first egg (hopefully!)

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Swift Half SWIFTS update - 3rd May 2011

  • Significant activity in the roof today - so this will be a long update!
  • I made the decision last night (Monday 2nd May) to only record activity in the nest for the time being at least, between 0600hrs and 0900hrs in the morning (when our pair are most likely to mate) and then again in the evening (when they tend to come "home between 1730 and 1930 hrs, with feathers for the nest). A mistake I think!
  • At 0850 hrs this morning, a third (adult) swift flew straight into the nest space - and caused mass scuffles and screams in the nest (see my latest video update HERE).
  • Many odd things about this - our pair normally have left the roof by 0845hrs at the latest - but this morning they seemed very errr.... "happy" with each other - wing fluttering like crazy, preening each other - and appearing to at least try and mate. This morning though, they certainly had not left by 0850hrs or even 0900hrs (when I stopped recording) and didnt look like they were about to leave for the day when the third bird turned up.
  • Secondly - the third bird seemed to know exactly what it was doing - coming in at about the right time for a first visit (or return?!) after an overnight migration -no shilly-shallying about outside the roof, no "banging" and "screaming" at the entrance hole (many young swifts - males often, fly in groups of "bangers", literally flying at nest-entrance holes (causing some damage sometimes) and screaming. It just flew straight in - and turned right (not left for the sparrows nest). It can't have even heard or seen the pair inside - quite often a catalyst for the "bangers" to aggressively explore the entrance. It knew where it was going.....
  • Thirdly - the third bird didn't scream and shout when it faced down the pair - it appeared to be quite confused that there were two birds already there!
  • So. What gwan?
  • Was this third bird a returning adult from last year - just a little late. (We had a significant influx of swifts over Berkshire today - the first big numbers of the season).
  • Was it the returning adult female or male, if that indeed was the case?
  • If that is the case - who are the "pair" that have been together in the roof - preening each other, bringing feathers back, and looking very much "the couple". Did we have an imposter originally?!
  • Or was this third bird, just a clued-up and cheeky "banger", just trying its luck?
  • Or was this third bird born three or four years ago, at "Swift Half" (before we lived here) and has returned to chance its luck?
  • We may (will) never know I guess. My DVD recorder automatically stopped at 0900hrs (terrible timing!) and at that point, I think there were three swifts still in the nest (watch the video and even though its difficult to make out - judge for yersels - generally when a swift leaves the nest, the strip of sunlight at the back of the nest disappears for a couple of seconds, as light is blocked by the leaving swift's body).
  • As I type this - two birds are back in the nest - but interestingly enough, neither brought feathers back (and they tend to do so (both)). Both birds are a little "screamy" tonight also - much more so than normal.
  • Are these our original pair (from the past few days). I guess so, but maybe not.
  • Is the lack of mating on camera, but certainly a few awkward attempts, proof that we did indeed have an infertile youngster originally in the nest for the past few days. (I doubt it).
  • Is the wing-fluttering I've recorded, a sign that one of our "pair" from the last few days, a young bird, instead of a sexually-active female - a young bird still behaving like a subordinate youngster?
  • So many questions and I have no answers  - if any swift "experts" are viewing this video and this blog - please let me know.
  • Anyway grapple-fans. I'll keep watching - and recording - and we'll see what happens eh?!

General (county) update - 3rd May 2011

  • Just a weather report really....
  • In March 2011, we had only 19% of our long-term average rainfall for the month.
  • In April 2011, we had only 6%.
  • The SMD (soil moisture deficit) which ranges between 0mm (happens each winter) and 125mm (the maximum it can ever go 'round here - but it rarely reaches that level) is running at about 80mm now. It should be around 27mm. (NB. SMD is the amount of rainfall needed before the ground is saturated).
  • The ground is cracked and hard. The garden grass is like a moorland - brown and crusty  -  and its only just May!
  • I hear we are expecting maybe 20mm rain over the weekend (maximum). BOY do we need it!

Swift Half update - 3rd May 2011

  • This was gonnae be a long post on the activity in the garden of "Swift Half" over the long weekend, especially yesterday, but because of this morning's activities in the swift nest - (posted above), I'll be very brief.
  • Mr.T's four (we think) robins fledged yesterday morning, early (i.e. all covered in down still) as many song birds do - especially thrushes and chats (including robins of course) and wrens.
  • All were grounded immediately in the blustery conditions - and Malu found them, or at least two of them.
  • He killed one - see photo (click twice to enlarge) and Anna and I rescued another - which we gave back to Mr.T, our neighbour, with a pot of mealworms (live).
  • Mr.T left the wee fledgling in view of its mother and soon enough she had spotted it, ushered it to safety and was feeding it our live mealworms - maybe we had a result then?
  • As for the dead fledgling - I'm afraid to say our hens ate it whole!
  • As with many lumps of meat lying around the garden (no  - not me!), when a hen finds it, be it a dead mouse, a dead bird or what have you - the "finder" shouts with "joy" - the other two hens leg it over, and we have a keystone cops scene played out all over the garden, as the "finder" runs about with its prize, chased by the other two. In this case, Trouble (our black hen) was the prize winner and gulped it down pretty-well whole.
  • Other things to note - we have our first elderflowers - three weeks earlier than last year!
  • We also have our first honeysuckle flowers - FOUR weeks earlier than last year!

Monday 2 May 2011

Swift Half update - 2nd May 2011

  • Other than the swifts, what else g'wan at "Swift Half" right now?
  • Well - our four frogs seem content enough in the pond - the two tiny frogs sit with each other (sometimes on top of each other) in the weed, during the day- at night they disappear and out come the two big dogs (sorry, frogs).
  • The newts are getting all terrestrial again - some are clambering around the rocks and logs surrounding the pond. That said, the water itself is still boiling with palmates of all shapes and sizes.
  • A female FFFB (Feather footed flower bee) has set up home in a hole in the privy - accessible via an air brick on the side - I aim to get a shot of her soon enough...
  • Our annual sighting of a garden hedgehog (seems to be only once or twice a year) occurred last night - photos accompanying this post - please click twice to enlarge. This appeared to be a young hog - born last year only and the best-looking hog I've ever seen - clean as a whistle with no appreciable ticks -  sweet little thing. Thanks to Anna for finding it, whilst I was busy being a Swift peeping Tom!
  • We have had one BBC (broad bodied chaser (dragonfly)) emerge from the pond as an adult, out of at least four. The others are exploring the shallows of the pond also, which they tend to do when they are ready to become adult -they seek warmer waters in the shallows and then climb up a reed to break out of their larval case.
  • This would be fine normally, but in this wind, I'm not sure many will be able to cling onto their reed whilst changing into their adult form. Lose their footing whilst trying to unfurl and dry out their newly-emerged wings - and plop back into the pond they'll drop - only this time to drown (as their tracheal tubes will be useless as an adult). I hope this wind drops SOON, so we can have a safe large hatch of my favourite dragonflies!

Swift Half SWIFT update - 2nd May 2011

  • I'm continuing to record footage from inside the roof in the hope of catching mating behaviour  - no luck so far but plenty of courtship!
  • Both adults are bringing back feathers for the nest, both are roosting at around 2000hrs and spending the entire night (until 0830hrs approximately) dozing, grooming each other and re-arranging the growing mess of bits of dry grass and feathers.
  • One of the birds (the female I think) occasionally flutters her wings in a "come get me fashion" but the male doesn't seem to cotton on too quick - either that or the nest-space simply isn't big enough (more on that in tomorrow's very "human" video, which might bring a wry smile to some viewers mouths!)
  • By all accounts, the first (fertile I hope) egg (if mating is successful) may be laid around 12th May, a week earlier than last week.
  • The weather here is still bone dry and sunny (almost three months now without any appreciable rain), but now with that stiff easterly becoming very strong. Can't be easy for the swifts that - and certainly not for any swifts that are yet to migrate here from the direction of the channel islands...
  • The latest three clips, as usual, can be viewed HERE.