"strange"...... Do They ????? (1 Viewer)

[old-mo]

We have got either a pair of swift`s or House Martin`s starting to build a nest in the appex of our roof..

Lovely to watch them hang onto the brickwork while they do what ever they do when they build a nest..

At the moment it is just a small curved feature at the bottom..

Do they start to build then emigrate and come back next year or stay till it is built..

Seems a bit late in the year to build and start a family..

 

[Viennese]

House martins commonly have two broods...

 

[Shrimp]

Either young-last years brood and too young & 'practicing', birds do this occasionally-or this is their second lot & they lost their first nest/place!
Young Swifts/Swallows grow very quickly, the later broods leave a few weeks after the adults so they have a little longer to build up their reserves of fat.
They are amazing they are young, never done the trip before and yet they find their way without any adult to show them!

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[mitzimad]

we have swift in our eaves every year sad but i actuallly start looking out for them in may make a terrible mess but i figure they were nesting here long before i bought it

 

[golly]

We had one swallows nest for the first time last year, came back this year to the same nest but sparrows were squatting in it so they built another further along the eves. The second nest is directly above the alarm box, consequently it is now covered in swallow crap, so will have to get up the ladder and clean it off when they go south again.

 

[Eeyore]

Put " Oxford University Museum of Natural History swifts" into Google and it will bring up everything you wanted to know..and much, much more, about swifts. The ones in the tower there have been documented since 1947 and have their own webcam and diary.

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[Larrynwin]

Still time this year and the nests once built are used again, we have some swifts nesting on our gable end.

 

[old-mo]

They worked like Trojans on Sunday, building a half circle about the size of a small plate and sticking out an inch or so..

And not been back since..

 

[Larrynwin]

They worked like Trojans on Sunday, building a half circle about the size of a small plate and sticking out an inch or so..

And not been back since..

Is there water / mud nearby that has dried up in the heat, that is the building material.
If it has send em to Jewsons

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[Cat53]

We have three nesting pairs on the gable end and another three pairs on the top of the burglar alarm. They have gradually increased in pairs over the last 10 years. Yes they make a mess, but it's for a few short weeks before they make the long and wonder oust trek back to Africa. I think we are so honoured to have been chosen by them and I always feel summer has come when these plucky little things return. I like the fact that maybe, just maybe they visit the Kruger.

 

[Judge Mental]

Sorry of topic Mo but what's happening regards the move?

Eddie

 

[old-mo]

Sorry of topic Mo but what's happening regards the move?

Eddie

One of the ones we went to look at, at Bagwell, maybe going through.. quickly..

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[cliffanger]

You are so lucky having house martins roosting and now you are moving! They are my favourite birds. The hotel we stay at in Corfu have nests in all the balconies and I spend hours watching babies being fed and the swifts/swallows/house martins flying around all day. We go to a pub in Herefordshire where the landlord has a nest in his eaves. His wife hates it as the birds hang their bums out and poo down the wall, she wants to knock the nest off but he says they raise babies, fly off to South Africa and then return to the same nest every year, so no way is he going to knock their house down, and I agree!

As an aside the pub is beautiful, they have a CL which is free if you eat in the pub - brilliant food - why wouldn't you!

 

[Highwayman1]

I`ve had house martins nesting for the last 5 years at mine. 2 years ago they decided to add an extension to the nest (or add a granny annex), as another nest was built on the side of theirs. All on the alarm box at the gable end. I had noticed an increase in flight activity but didn`t realise the estate was getting bigger. Unfortunately due to an age related fault in the alarm siren, the nests had to be disturbed last October, to replace it. Late in April this year the Martins returned and spent a few confused days flying onto the box, twittering away to each other, then decided (sod it ), to rebuild over the next week or so .
There are also Swallows locally and I am always amazed watching them going like crazy and chasing around after each other. I`m alive !!