Common Swift, Apus apus, nest box scheme 2008

[Anthony Darby]

Yes please to pics. Those nest boxes look very neat Mark.

[mark smyth]

Anthony what about your swift nest boxes?

[Anthony Darby]

Haven't noticed any activity, but then this time of year is just mad! School finishes on Friday but then I have doors, walls and ceilings to paint and then the garden needs some work and I haven't been to the allotment for weeks. At least the marking was finished last night! My class is .... could be....watching 'Supersize Me' but I'd deny it!

[arisaema]

I should have put an emphasis on "try", my patience ran out when 15 minutes windowsill perching only resulted in a flat battery and 50 shots of a birdless sky... A few very bad pics of barn swallows and mossy roof tiles below:

[mark smyth]

So, Arisaema, the swifts are nesting in the gaps where the roof tiles rise?

Anthony are you playing the CD?

[arisaema]

Yes, they've been there for as long as I can remember, it's amazing how they even manage to fly into that tiny crack. We had to lift the tiles when the new gutters were put up, they nest in the space between the first and second row.

[mark smyth]

Here are some more stills from the nest box camera

1. screaming at non breeding 'bangers' who bang their bodies against nest holes to see if the nest site is ocupied
2. both at the entrance screaming
3. kiss and cuddle
4. looking out for intruders
5. practicing nest building for 2009. In this photo the swift is glueing feathers in to place with saliva
6. everything for the nest is collected while flying

On Thursday I put up two new nest boxes. Within 25 minutes I had two birds in each box

[mark smyth]

Yesterday morning I recorded non breeding swifts at my house.

[Paul T]

Mark,

The nest box pictures are VERY cool.  Hopefully they're successful in breeding.  Given your comment about practise building for 2009, does that mean that the breeding season has already ended, or do you mean they were just juvenile birds that are still building up experience before actually breeding?

[mark smyth]

Paul, compared to birds of a similar size common swifts Apus apus dont breed until 2-5 years old but during this time they pair up. During this period they have to find a nest site and hang on to it. "The single most important part of a swifts life is finding a nest site and hanging on to it" quote from ? Modern building methods and regulations will be the end of the swift that is already in serious decline in the UK and Ireland especially Scotland.

[Paul T]

So this means that some of your tenants will breed and others won't this year?  Would love to see them successful.  Must be thrilling to be able to help something like that which is endangered.  We want updates!! 

[mark smyth]

yes in my colony and natural colonies. It is a sucessful colony already. Last year 4 pairs practised and one pair bred. This year 2 pairs are practising, 2 pairs have chicks and 1 pair might have eggs due any day.

Even if no-one comments there will be updates.

I'll be on TV in the coming months talking about swifts. A camera man is coming some day next week to do an interview

[arisaema]

Even if no-one comments there will be updates.

Yes, please continue to give us updates! This thread has been very interesting, I've always taken these birds for granted as they've lived here longer than I have.

[Anthony Darby]

Most impressed with the colony Mark, and the inside pics. Your Youtube recording is excellent.

[mark smyth]

Arisaema, what's you real name and are you a man or woman? Sorry for the probing questions.

Is the bird/s in your photos a breeder or a prospector? You are very lucky to have 6 natural nests under your roof. Like my birds yours are also at the edge of their range. Do you get screaming parties or birds flying againt the existing nest holes? You could enhance your colony with the addition of nest boxes on your gable. Are your birds nesting in the attic?