Swifts need our help

cameramonkey · 25-05-2012 4:00pm

talking about swifts on RTE radio 1 now.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/mooneygoeswild/

ZX7R · 26-05-2012 10:29am

I was just after been sitting in the garden looking at the swifts flying in and out of my neighbours shead when suddenly the swifts started to attack a finch that was feeding at there bird table ,i found this strange is it normal for swifts to do this

swifts need our help! · 27-05-2012 6:05pm

ZX swifts do not fly in and out of sheds. You must have seen a swallow

Mark

ZX7R · 27-05-2012 10:24pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

ZX swifts do not fly in and out of sheds. You must have seen a swallow

Mark

Yes You are right,they were swallows it was still strang to see them attack the other bird

swifts need our help! · 09-06-2012 6:33pm

The last couple of weeks has been terrible for swifts. Hopefully when the weather warms up they will be back in good numbers.

swifts need our help! · 21-06-2012 7:47pm

Anyone had swifts look at your nest boxes?

News from up here is 3 people who put up boxes last year have got at least one swift in to a box. One person has swifts using all four nest boxes he put up last year.

Mark

cubix · 21-06-2012 9:09pm

None as yet, had two chasing each other between the houses making the screeching noise very late the last couple of nights (nearly dark)
The pair of house martin cups at the front of the house, dont think they have had a look in. We have plenty of pairs nesting around the estate and some have even started building new ones not to far from the cups which is a bit strange.

wildlifeboy · 25-06-2012 11:24am

I found one in the garden last night. the dog chased it into the pond. not sure what happened but i think it may have flown into a window. i put it in a box in the shed and covered it. I left it for 2 hours and when i came back i put it up in my had and it flew off, circled twice and flew away. it probably just had a headache.

swifts need our help! · 25-06-2012 3:01pm

well done. Swifts can and do take off from the ground but it needs to be free from clutter. Starlings can ground swifts and of course swift on swift fights.

Mark

swifts need our help! · 25-06-2012 11:39pm

swifts are more exciting than any soap! This is from my swift diary. The attached photo shows the nest boxes.

Mark

June 23rd
much activity at the gable this afternoon.
A swift was in under eave box 2 (27/6/11)
A swift was in under eave box 4 (28/6/11)
10.15pm
A swift spends a few minutes in under eave box 4 screaming at screaming parties.
A swift repeatedly tries to enter under eave box 1. This could be a new bird
Good screaming sessions this evening

June 24th
a swift is back in under eave box 2 for over an hour.

June 25th
A swift arrives in under eave box 2 at 09.58 and stays inside until 10.50am.
A swift arrives in under eave box 3 at 11.30am and leaves at 12.47pm
A swift enters under eave box 1 at 11.32am and leaves at 12.47pm. A new bird! This box has never been used.
A swift enters under eave box 3 at 14.05
A swift was in either box 6/7/8 or 9. I saw it leave.

The birds in under eaves boxes 1 and 2 fly like a pair and bang the gable boxes together. At 16.52 they enter their own boxes and peep at each other. Box 2 had a mate in 2011
The swift in box 2 left at 17.24 - 1.5 hours.
The swift in box 1 left at 18.02 - 2 hours 10 minutes

At 22.10 two swifts arrive at the under eave boxes. One bird enters box 3 but the bird following clings to the entrance for several seconds. It leaves and after several approaches in enters box 4. Both birds start screaming head to head but divided by the nest box wall. Going by their voices they are a male and female.

At 22.28 the swift in box four leaves. At 22.50 swift in box three leaves. At 22.40 a swift arrives in box 1. It's nervous and sits under the camera. It leaves the box 22.50.

None of the under eave swifts stay in their boxes for the night.

swifts need our help! · 26-06-2012 3:32pm

The diary is here http://saveourswifts.co.uk/diary2012.htm

Traonach · 26-06-2012 5:20pm

Still no luck with me. No activity at my nest boxes:(:(. Might there still be a chance I might get a pair this year.

swifts need our help! · 26-06-2012 5:29pm

are you playing the CD loud every day?

wildlifeboy · 27-06-2012 8:18am

is it too late for swifts to nest? i think the one i rescued is going into a hole in the eaves of our house. hopefully she will nest there and not fly into any more windows.

swifts need our help! · 27-06-2012 3:56pm

It's not too late for them to nest. I've had swifts lay at the end of June

swifts need our help! · 29-06-2012 6:05pm

two new love birds. My new swifts may be nest hopping to see what nest box they like. These may be the same two that were in number 8 nest box yesterday. Sorry no audio. The beak movement is screaming at screaming swifts passing by outside

Mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXuuhUa1j78

swifts need our help! · 29-06-2012 6:55pm

chick gets fed

cant get the video to show so her's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Slo_QJuu60

Traonach · 29-06-2012 7:31pm

http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u49/BTO_299_16-17Swifts.pdf

As we begin to unravel the secrets of more of our birds with the use of various types
of tags, Graham Appleton reports on the fascinating results being revealed by tagged

individuals of one of our most enigmatic birds: the Swift.

swifts need our help! · 01-07-2012 5:41pm

some activity at the gable this afternoon
http://youtu.be/ph-MO4M0H2k

swifts need our help! · 01-07-2012 5:52pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-MO4M0H2k

swifts need our help! · 22-07-2012 2:00pm

The final countdown has begun - sadly.

There are reports of 1000s of swifts heading south over bird observatories in England.

It's been a poor year for many - lack of swifts, eggs rejected, chicks dying, adults abandoning nests.

5 of 8 swift chicks have fledged from my boxes. One was found dead and two were grounded due to dirty primary feathers.

whyulittle · 22-07-2012 8:00pm

Such odd looking birds I always find!

swifts need our help! · 22-07-2012 11:46pm

gorgeous birds if you ever get the chance to have one in the hand.

How can a small bird fly so fast, fly from west Africa is 5.5 days ....

baaba maal · 23-07-2012 11:40pm

Hi

just back from two weeks near Bordeaux with a few questions/observations (some may be obvious but bear with me, I'm ignorant but curious!)
The ratio of swifts to swallows seems to be completely reversed between Ireland and southwestern France- to the point that I would see a single swallow every 2-3 days there, and in that time would see literally dozens of swifts. Is there a known reason for the geographical preference of each?
The above article on the migration within Africa was a fascinating insight btw. I also only read today that swifts are more closely related to hummingbirds than swallows- wow:o who'd a thunk?

Secondly, our swallows seem to feed at a relatively low altitude compared with swifts- do we know much about their diets other than it consists of "flying insects". Given the apparent altitude difference when feeding, are the two species avoiding direct competition (this based on an assumption that flying insects will also fly at different heights).

Finally, is Ireland the farthest extent of the swift's range or do some make it to Iceland- wiki doesn't show it but admits the map is out of date.

Thanks for any replies......

swifts need our help! · 24-07-2012 3:25pm

The ratio of swifts to swallows seems to be completely reversed between Ireland and southwestern France- to the point that I would see a single swallow every 2-3 days there, and in that time would see literally dozens of swifts. Is there a known reason for the geographical preference of each?
I'll ask some people in Europe and post the answer

do we know much about their diets
http://saveourswifts.co.uk/analysis.htm

Given the apparent altitude difference when feeding, are the two species avoiding direct competition
yes. Swifts eat smaller insects but I dont know how the diet of swallows and house martins differ. From what I've seen House martins mostly feed higher than swallows.

Finally, is Ireland the farthest extent of the swift's range or do some make it to Iceland
According to some maps I've seen swifts are absent from the far north east of Scotland and west edge of Ireland.

Does anyone live close to the west coast? Are swifts present in your town?

baaba maal · 24-07-2012 9:46pm

Ta muchly. The dietary analysis has to go down as some seriously dedicated research!

In terms of the feeding height I hadn't really considered the difference between swallows and martins- and just thinking about it further, I think sand martins feed at a relatively low altitude (in my experience), so, in general, it might be fair to say that all four birds have slightly different dietary niches?
With distribution, I just assumed that swifts were distributed over the whole island (although saying that, I have been to Belmullet and a number of the islands off it, a number of times and have never seen a swift there).
Anyhow, thanks for ongoing info- it's a really interesting and positive thread.:)

Ulmus · 31-07-2012 3:54pm

good article in last Saturday's Irish Times by Michael Viney on swift conservation. Galway Mayo Institute of Technology got grant-aid from Agenda 21 to fund swift nest boxes at the college. Wonder if individuals would get grants for putting up swift boxes? Them Schwegler boxes cost a few bob.

four18 · 02-08-2012 9:08pm

Have not heard swifts over Dublin in 3 days, Must be all heading south !

swifts need our help! · 04-08-2012 11:36pm

Ulmus can you find the link?

Four 18 1000s have been recorded leaving the UK.

There were 19 above and around my house this evening

Ulmus · 05-08-2012 8:37pm

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0728/1224320924468.html

Hope this link works, am new to this.

Swifts need our help

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