The 2013 Nestbox Diary

1 August - On a very warm, cloudless day there were at least fifteen Swifts overhead from time to time, and there were a few screaming passes low between the houses.

Here is the webcam view at just before 7am, before they started to head out for the day.

Once they had left there was little activity seen in the boxes during the day, apart from  feathers  brought into SW(up) during the morning. The two birds from that box were the first to return this evening, shortly after 9pm, and at 9.15pm one of the pair from SW(ri) arrived, but that was the last Swift to return tonight.

It looks as though the season could be finally drawing to a close.

2 August - A quiet day in the skies overhead,

but tonight we have the three Swifts roosting once more, the pair from SW(up) arriving for before 9pm, with the bird in SW(ri) arriving by 9.15pm.

3 August - And then there were two!

 This morning the Swift in SW(ri) left the box at 7.05am, nearly two hours before the pair in SW(up) headed out, and tonight SW(ri) remains empty.

The remaining pair returned at 8.53/8.59pm, having stayed away all day.

4 August - SW(up) is occupied again tonight.

The pair left that box at 8.14am, and after that I neither saw nor heard any Swifts all day, until the pair returned at 8.46pm.

5 August - After the Swift pair had a long 'lay in' they left just before 9.15am,

and they were back in the box by around 8.45pm.

During the day I saw just one group of four Swifts that seemed to be heading south over us rather than hunting insects.

6 August - On a bright day the pair brought bits in for their nest and are still here tonight.

After the pair left the box around 8.20am there were two visits during the day. The first, at 10.55am, was to bring in some feathers, while the second, at 12.33pm was to deliver what looks like fine straw.

That second delivery was a bit of a surprise as there was hardly a breeze all day, and not even the clouds appeared to be moving very quickly.

Tonight the pair were back in the box by 8.45pm.

7 August - And then they were gone.

It was 8.14am when the pair of Swifts in SW(up) made their way to the exit and left the box in quick succession on what was a bright, sunny morning.

There were no visits during the day and tonight the boxes are all empty for the first time since 7 May. 

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