Swift Diary 2010

������������ Upper row 1-7, middle left & middle right, lower left & lower right ������ under eave nest boxes at the front

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�	bird 1	bird 2	egg 1	egg 2	egg 3	1st out	2nd out	3rd out	1 fledged	2 fledged	3 fledged
box1	3/5	15/5	24/5	26/5	�	due 14/6	�	�	22/7	24/7	�
box2	4/5	6/5	birds	gone	due	to	cold	wind	�	�	�
box3	3/5	14/5	birds	gone	due	to	cold	wind	�	�	�
box4	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
box5	16/5	21/05	28/5	30/05	�	due 18/6	19/6	�	30/7	�	�
box6	9/6	2nd	bird	did	not	return	this	year	�	�	�
box7	3/5	6/5	14/5	17/5	?	due 4/6	2 � 5/6	?	14/7	14/7	19/7
middle L	16/5	16/5	28/05	30/5	�	due 18/6	�	�	27/8	28th	�
middle R	�	�	birds	did	not	return	this	year	�	�	�
lower L	9/6	9/6	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
lower R	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�

under eave nest boxes

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bird 1

bird 2

egg 1

egg 2

egg 3

1st out

2nd out

3rd out

1 fledged

2 fledged

3 fledged

R – 1	30/5	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
R – 2	26/5	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
R – 3	30/5	30/5	all	boxes	no	longer	used	4 boxes��	had	practice	nests
L – 1	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
L – 2	26/5	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
L – 3	7/6	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�

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2010 Observations

(bracketed numbers are dates from the �09 season)

22^nd April

The first swifts have arrived in Northern Ireland

All cameras set up

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23rd April

First swift seen over the house

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2^nd May

Two swifts at box 7

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3^rd May

Box1 – 1st swift

Box3 – 1st swift (9/06/09)

Box7 – 1st swift (7/05/09)

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4th May

Box2 � 1st swift (9/06/09)

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6th May

box7 – 2nd bird home (9/05/09)

box6 – 1st bird back (9/06/09)

box2 – 2nd bird home (9/06/09) video

a lone bird checks the under eave nest boxes

cold northerly winds this month, so far, have disrupted normal behaviour. Since returning swifts have gone again or only come back infrequently. Box 2 and 3 abandoned

We need a west or south west wind to bring the birds back

14th May

swifts are back in good numbers

box3 – was last used on the 3rd May. A bird is back in the box tonight. There might be an egg in box 7.

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15th May

box1 – 2nd mate back in the nest

box7 – first egg (18/05/09)

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16th May

middle left box – pair back today (8/06/09) video

box5 – first bird back (?/09)

box1 – mating swifts video

good screaming parties today

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17th May

box7 –� second egg (20/05/09)

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20th May

lower left – bird seen entering this box. The seal was removed a couple of hours ago

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22nd May

Mark is interviewed on Radio Ulster�s Your Place and Mine here

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23rd May

a brilliant day of swift activity with screaming parties all day.

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24th May

box1 – first egg (23/05/09)

middle left – The birds have started making a nest using hornbeam seeds video

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26th May

box1 – second egg (25/05/09)

under eave left – middle box one swift

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May 28th

box middle left –� first egg (c.19/06/09)

box5 –� first egg (19/05/09)

many bangers/non breeders about today.

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May 29th

box5 – egg out of the nest

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May 30th

box middle left – egg out of nest

under eave right – right box one swift

under eave right – right box two swift

lower left box – one swift in today

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June 6th

box7 – two chicks seen video

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June 7th – bangers/non breeders have been about from 5.30 a.m. video

June 9th

lower left – two birds enter the box at dusk

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June 22nd

box 5 – the second chick to hatch has disappeared. Looking in the box there is no sign of it

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