Go to the last entry on this page ........Go to the previous entry1 June - What a miserable start to the summer month of June - low cloud, drizzle and only a brighter period around the middle of the day which boosted the temperature to a high of 14C for a short time. The conditions certainly had an effect on the Swifts in SW(LE) as they left the eggs unattended for one period of just under half an hour just after noon. Here are the day's timings -
SW(LE) - S2 out 5.38am S2 in 6.17am - WS out 6.34am WS in 7.33am - S2 out 7.38am S2 in 7.52am - WS out 9.11am; S2 out 12.07pm WS in 12.36pm (with feather) ; S2 in 3.56pm - WS out 3.59pm WS in 7.47pm - 7.49pm S2 out and finally - S2 in 7.52pm SW(UP) - S1 out 5.44am S1 in 6.45am - S2 out 6.55am S2 in 7.21am - S1 out 7.50am S1 in 8.40am - S2 out 9.52am S2 in 1.01pm - S1 out 1.05pm S1 in 4.01pm - S2 out 4.30pm S2 in 6.55pm - S1 out 7.59pm S1 in 8.04pm - S2 out 8.10pm and finally - S2 in 8.17pm
2 June - If yesterday was miserable, today couldn't have been more different, with bright, mainly blue skies, a slight breeze and feeling much warmer than the official 21C registered at Farnborough. First, the day's timings - SW(LE) - WS out 4.53am WS in 4.55am - S2 out 7.33am S2 in 10.11am - WS out 10.13am WS in 11.35am - S2 out 11.38am S2 in 1.06pm - WS out 1.09pm (feather brought in) WS in 2.31pm - S2 out 2.36pm (fern? brought in) S2 in 4.17pm - WS out 4.21pm (fern? brought in) WS in 4.58pm - WS out 5.08pm (fern or other plant material? brought in) (no change-over) WS in 6.15pm - S2 out 6.19pm ; WS out 8.50pm (eggs left unattended) S2 in 8.58pm ; WS in 9.27pm
SW(UP) - S1 out 7.14am S1 in 9.42am - S2 out 9.45am S2 in 11.35am - S1 out 11.37am S1 in 1pm - S2 out 1.06pm S2 in 3pm - S1 out 3.05pm S1 in 3.54pm - S2 out 3.59pm S2 in 6.09pm - S1 out 6.10pm S1 in 8.36pm - S2 out 8.41pm ; S1 out 9.11pm (eggs left unattended) S1? in 9.15pm ; S2? in 9.36pm At last, both pairs seem to have followed a fairly similar pattern of incubation today which included the eggs being left unattended for a short period this evening, 8 minutes in SW(LE) and just 4 minutes in SW(UP). Sometimes when a bird returns to the box it brings something, usually a feather, to add to the nest. This afternoon the pair in SW(LE) seemed to prefer plant materials.
When White Spot arrived at 2.31pm she had a small piece of what appears to be a fern frond in her beak,
and when it partner returned at 4.17pm it brought in what looks even more like a fern frond, as well as a small feather.
3 June - A high of 22C as the good weather continues, although the breeze from the north -east was stronger during the afternoon. Today's timings - SW(LE) - WS out 5.06am WS in 5.15am - WS out 6.00am WS in 6.55am - S2 out 7.02am S2 in 9.22am - WS out 9.26am WS in 10.31am - S2 out 10.35am S2 in 11.55am - WS out 11.58am WS in 1.07pm - S2 out 1.22pm (feather brought in) S2 in 4.29pm - WS out 4.34pm WS in 9.05pm - S2 out 9.12pm and finally, S2 in 9.13pm
SW(UP) - S1 out 5.53am S1 in 6.32am - S2 out 6.38am S2 in 7.54am - S1 out 7.56am S1 in 10.27am - S2 out 10.30am S2 in 11.59am - S1 out 12.03pm S1 in 12.38pm - S2 out 12.48pm S2 in 1.17pm - S1 out 1.31pm S1 in 2.14pm - S2 out 2.18pm S2 in 5.15pm - S1 out 5.22pm S1 in 7pm - S2 out 7.07pm ; S1 out 8.56pm (eggs left unattended for 5 min) S1? in 9.01pm ; S2 in 9.39pm
4 June - As the slight breeze swung round to the south and then the south south-west, the temperature reached 26C this afternoon. Today's timings - SW(LE) - WS out 6.41am WS in 8.57am - S2 out 9.23am S2 in 11.58am - WS out 12.03pm WS in 12.34pm - WS out 12.48pm (feather brought in - no change-over) WS in 1.27pm - S2 out 1.39pm (feather brought in) S2 in 2.48pm - WS out 2.54pm (feather brought in) WS in 3.06pm - S2 out 3.14pm (feather brought in) S2 in 3.42pm - WS out 3.49pm (leaf? brought in) WS in 4.11pm - S2 out 4.14pm (leaf? brought in) S2 in 4.57pm - WS out 5.03pm (straw brought in) WS in 8.57pm - S2 out 9pm And finally, S2 in 9.33pm
SW(UP) - S1 out 6.45am S1 in 8.25am - S2 out 8.29am S2 in 10.05am - S1 out 10.06am S1 in 10.52am - S2 out 10.59am ; S1 out 11.21am S1? in 11.57am ; S2? in 1.28pm - S1 out 1.40pm S1 in 2.12 pm - S2 out 2.42pm S2 in 3.36pm - S1 out 3.40pm S1 in 5.40pm - S2 out 5.49pm S2 in 7.55pm - S1 out 8.01pm and finally, S1 in 9.34pm
While my monitoring of the Swifts will continue, family commitments mean that there will be no further diary entries for the time being. I continue to record activity in the nests, and the webcam will continue. When I am able to restart the diary I intend to 'catch up' in some detail, especially regarding the development of the chicks that hatch. The eggs in SW(UP) should hatch around 9 June, while those in SW(LE) are due around four days later, around 13 June.
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