Box 6 nearly ready to go...

Box 1 chicks are still fairly small and still don’t have their eyes open yet, but any day now. Here they are, feeling the heat a bit I think: 

 Box 6 chicks are almost fully grown and are starting to do their wing exercises and pressups. You can see here the pale edges to their flight feathers as one of them pushes down on its open wings. 

We've had no more visits from any other swifts so I think that's it for now until next year as far as getting any new residents, but we do get random swifts accompanying our own ones on flights around the house. Hopefully they'll remember us next year!
 

Box 5 returns after an absence...

Box 5  returned again on the 21^st July along with a partner and they took up residence briefly on each of the four following mornings but then after the 25^th they again disappeared and have not been seen since. Here's a short video of them:

On the 23^rd July a new pair entered Box 2 and stayed a short while, but then they also disappeared and have not returned. The new pair in Box 2: 

 Meanwhile, both sets of youngsters in Boxes 1 and 6 continue to thrive, with Box 6 chicks looking very grown up now! Below are Box 1 with a glimpse of the chicks under the parent bird:

And below are the very grown up looking Box 6 youngsters: 

 

 

 

Babies climb out of the nest

 After the excitement of a newcomer turning up in Box 5 it didn't overnight as we'd hoped but returned briefly the next day (18th July) and seemed to make itself comfortable for a couple of hours, but then disappeared again and has not been seen since.

Meanwhile, the two youngsters in Box 6 ventured out of the nest briefly until pushed back in by the parent

 and the two youngsters in Box 1 are still being brooded by the parents so are not visible at the moment.

 

Two new babies!

 

Yes! I've finally been able to make a video of Box 1 which shows that there are two young in the nest now! Hooray, at last! 

 

  

Also this morning a newcomer entered Box 5 and remained there between 08.30 and 10.00  Will it return?

They've all disappeared...

No, not our pairs, they are still with us in Boxes 1 and 6. But the day after the new pair were in Box 2, they left and didn't return. Along with all the prospectors as well, they've all inexplicably disappeared and the only swifts we are seeing right now are our own two pairs. We're still not sure if Box 1 eggs have hatched but there is what looks like half an egg shell on the floor of the box, so maybe they have, but I've not been able to get a video of a changeover as yet.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Box 6 the two youngsters are doing well, they're filling the nest now! 

 

 

Newcomers in Box 2

 Yesterday afternoon several of the prospectors tried to enter already occupied boxes and also Boxes 3 and 4 but did not persevere and one of the prospectors entered Box 2 on two occasions but did not overnight that evening. However, there were two adults in the Box 2 this morning and they seemed to be making themselves at home and getting to know each other better. 

 

The two young in Box 6 continue to thrive and are being left on their own for longer periods, and in Box 1 one adult continues to incubate, but I have a feeling that maybe the eggs are about to or have already hatched, going on the slight shuffling on the nest and slightly higher position on it. Hopefully I won’t be proved wrong….Look at the size of the nest now, it's turning into a volcano as the parents continue to bring in more feathers!

 

Lovely to have three boxes occupied now as it's a few years since we've had a picture like the one below! There is no-one in Boxes 3 and 5, those are just dark coloured feathers and bits of previous years' nests that you can see.

 

 

 

 

Feeding time in Box 6

 

More prospectors around the house today, they’re definitely having a good look! Box 1 is still incubating - we wonder if these eggs will ever hatch - maybe they’re the original ones which are well overdue by now. In Box 6 the youngsters are growing up fast, looking more like young swifts every day. Here's a video of the parent having just come in to feed them.

 

The nest is starting to get a bit crowded as the chicks grow, here the adult is trying to get into the nest and pushing the youngsters out to one side, I hope they don't actually fall out!

 

 

 

 And here is Box 1 parent off the nest, showing the two still unhatched eggs.