Picking up from the last blog at the end of June, here are the highlights:
Box 10 – the pair here laid two eggs and bred them through to their departure on 25th and 26th July
Box 2:
The pair brooded their two (successful) eggs, which hatched on 27th June. The third egg had been damaged in the nest. The two hatchlings were ringed by BTO experts on 11th July when the chicks weighed 43.3 and 39.5 grams respectively.
Box 8 – having arrived late…
the occupants of Box 8 seem to have been involved in a menage a trois! One egg was seen on 2nd July. A day or so later, none was seen so the box was opened, when two eggs were found out of the nest. This behaviour is typical when one female removes the eggs of another! They were replaced in the nest. That same evening, another egg appeared. A few days later, it was clear that the birds were sitting on just two eggs. On Friday 24th July, the first egg hatched, but it is beginning to look like the second egg has failed.
Box 22:
A pair was established on 1st July since when nest building has taken place daily, ready for next year.
Box 27:
On 14th July, two birds were observed, since when some nest building has taken place.
Box 30:
The pair was first seen here on 4th July and again, some early-stage nest building has occurred.
Several other boxes have seen pairs in them
..including Boxes 4, 5, 7 and 24.
Other boxes to have been visited over the Summer include:
Boxes 1, 12, 17, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28 and 29. In all, 19 of the 30 boxes in the Abbey have seen swifts this year. (Last year, just 4 Boxes were visited).
The main body of swifts left over the weekend of 25th and 26th July. Some still remain, including the parents of the chicks in Boxes 2 and 8, still busily collecting food for them. The Box 2 chicks are forecast to leave around 8th – 10th July and the chick in Box 8 is likely to be here until early September.
