Swifts 2026
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Fri 8 May, box #4: The swifts are arriving a bit later than usual this year. There have been sightings over the Sibfords in the last few days, and our first swift of the 2026 season arrived in its box at 7am this morning:
A second swift arrived in #1 this evening at 7.50pm:
Sat 9 May: A brief screaming party of 4 swifts around our colony this evening.
Sun 10 May: A third swift visited #3 today several times, but left at about 10.20pm and did not roost.
Mon 11 May: Three birds roosting tonight, in #1, #3, #4.
Tue 12 May: This is encouraging – our first sighting of a pair, entering #4 together at 11:20am, although only one roosted tonight:
Thu 14 May: A partner entered #3 very early in the morning at 5:18am, a few minutes after sunrise. It was great to see a visitor in #2 (empty so far) at 11:30 for 5 minutes, although it did not roost. Screaming party of five at about 2pm. Tonight we had two pairs roosting, in#3 and #4.
Sun 17 May: A swift visited #2, which has so far been empty, at about 08:30. It scrabbled around the entrance out of camera view for a couple of minutes, but then entered, had a look around and left at 08:37. Next door, the swift roosting in #1 came in at 08:55 with a partner. They squabbled a little then left separately a few minutes later, but returned together at 09:30 and stayed for 40 minutes or so. Only one roosted. Bearing in mind that we think that the #1 pair last year was probably the two swifts from #1 and #2 that were widowed in 2024 it’s possible that, this year, the #2 visitor and the #1 partner are the same bird, as unsure this year as it was last year which box to call home.
Temperature chart
This chart shows the maximum and minimum temperatures in box #2 this summer. Box #2 is usually the one that gets warmest, being inside the top west corner of the gable end.
