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The Swifts are Back

donutsmrsdonutsmrs Posts: 479
in Wildlife gardening

I heard my first scream of swifts today. I have been looking towards the sky for a few days now, knowing that they will soon be back and today I was rewarded with that lovely sound. I always feel that it is the sound of summer even if the weather thinks otherwise. But who cares, because I love watching them and hearing them and I will be doing the swift count for the RSPB later on in the summer. image

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,158

    They're pretty good those swifts. haven't seen any yet. Seen the swallows though



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,850

    At our last house in central Norwich we were woken by the scream of swifts every summer morning - we miss them here as we don't have the sort of roofs they nest in.

    Nutcutlet, when we were with you on Monday I noticed housemartins swooping low after insects over  the rapefield behind your garden image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,158

    They're here then, that's good. I probably thought they were swallows.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • wildgirl12wildgirl12 Posts: 7

    We had a swift at HART Wildlife Rescuse based in Alton, I believe it was caught by a cat, perhaps it had been grounded for some reason. Its been a bad year for wildlife so far. The long cold weather has had a negative impact on our willdife, especially on hibernating wildlife.

    I do love seeing the first signs of summer though image swallows are my favorite!

  • donutsmrsdonutsmrs Posts: 479

    Thank you for all your commenst. Its lovely that some of you are seeing swallows, I never see them here which is a shame. The swifts know it is nearly summer, shame the weather doesn'timage

  • TootsietimTootsietim Posts: 178

    The swifts finally arrived here in Norwich today in good numbers. We've had the odd one or two for a few days but today I had the very real pleasure of watching around forty or so screaming over our heads at work. As the sky turned dull and the clouds threatened rain, they flew lower and lower until they were skimming the rooftops.

    Eventually my manager decided that I had spent long enough standing still staring into space and suggested tht I might like to carry on working.  Spoilsport. 

    p.s.  If there is anything in reincarnation, and if you get a choice, then I am coming back as a swift.

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