Jim
Ringleader
Our Swifts always arrive and leave late. This year we have around 20 recently hatched birds from I think about half a dozen pairs. It seems the older birds are preparing the young ones for their long flight to Africa, South of the Sahara in about two weeks time.
The training is relentless, the birds are chased around and around our very large yard, they stop in just two places, back in their nest areas or on a 50m telephone line strung across the yard. The young only stop for a few seconds literally fighting for breath before an adult flies down the line and shoos them of for another 100 laps, soon their flying becomes very jerky and they stop again. A minutes rest and off they are chased. The flights are so fast, zooming in and out of pillars, up and down walls, not are they called Swifts for nothing. A fascinating way to spend a half an hour
The training is relentless, the birds are chased around and around our very large yard, they stop in just two places, back in their nest areas or on a 50m telephone line strung across the yard. The young only stop for a few seconds literally fighting for breath before an adult flies down the line and shoos them of for another 100 laps, soon their flying becomes very jerky and they stop again. A minutes rest and off they are chased. The flights are so fast, zooming in and out of pillars, up and down walls, not are they called Swifts for nothing. A fascinating way to spend a half an hour