Statistics for 2010
This year the first swifts were spotted around the Museum tower on 24th April. Details of nesting pairs and their chicks will be updated here through the summer months.
See below for the week by week diary.
- 2nd May 2010
11 nest boxes are now occupied. - 8th May 2010
Only 6 nest boxes occupied. The weather is very cold. - 15th May 2010
10 nest boxes are occupied, and there are 2 eggs. - 22nd May 2010
There are 39 nests, and 21 eggs. - 23rd May 2010
36 eggs today! - 29th May 2010
There are 50 nests occupied and 28 eggs visible. But many of the birds are sitting tight! - 5th June 2010
There are 53 nests occupied and 24 eggs visible. There are 2 young visible, and many birds are sitting. - 12th June 2010
There are 51 nests occupied and 25 young. 19 eggs are visible. - 19th June 2010
There are 44 active nests, 13 eggs, and 61 young are visible.
- 26th June 2010
There are 53 active nests, 10 eggs, and 81 young and 6 dead. - 3rd/4th July 2010
15 young and 23 adults ringed. - 10th July 2010
There are 40 active nests with 76 young and 0 eggs. 56 birds were ringed, and 31 adults identified.
- 17th July 2010
There are 32 active nests with 66 young and 2 eggs. A sparrow hawk was observed around the tower, and six orphan chicks were removed to a 'care home'. - 24th July 2010
There are 22 active nests, 31 young and 0 eggs. Many young have fledged in the last week. - 31st July 2010
There are only 7 young left.
- 7th August 2010
Found 14 young dead, probably due to their parents being taken by the sparrow hawk. 2 young left in one box.
This year the swifts left for Africa much earlier than usual. They were all gone by 21st August. This is due to the good weather and the plentiful insects. 17 adults and 68 young have been ringed.
The average numbers of young swifts ringed each year over the last 40 years are:
- 1963-1972 36.7
- 1973-1982 70.4
- 1983-1992 100.0
- 1993-2002 99.2
