Diary of a Swift nest

Posted by Bob Tonks:

This is the story of a Swift nest through 2010. These pictures are a small selection of many shots taken during the period the swifts were in the nest. The boxes were installed in 2007 and it was not until 2009 that swifts moved in to the box on the right and bred for the first time.




These pictures were taken in 2010.

Click on thumbnails for larger picture:

15th June 2010 - Two eggs laid about two weeks after the arrival of the swifts in the nest.

22nd June 2010 - Both the parents shared the incubation of the eggs. Here they are preening each other before changing shifts.

29th June 2010 - Shortly after hatching.

6th July 2010 - The chicks are now just one week old.

13th July 2010 - The chicks are two weeks old and looking good.

18th July 2010 - The chicks are starting to call whenever they detect that the parents are close by.

26th July 2010 - All four birds continuously move about as they wrestle for space in the nest.

28th July 2010 - The chicks are starting to preen each other as they wait for the parents to bring food.

3rd August 2010 - The young swifts have been doing their exercises. Flapping their wings and doing 'push ups'. Nearly time to fledge.

6th August 2010 Empty nest, they are all off to Africa.