2017 BURTON SWIFT RECORDS (Summary)

2017

Presumed nest site activity recorded at: 

1.  Clawthorpe Hall Offices (Messrs Ducketts) 3 pairs presumed (not confirmed) (3 pairs)
2.  Front elevation of the small cottages attached to the Post Office - 2 pairs recorded (2 pairs)
3.  Three pairs suspected within Cocking Yard.  (3 pairs)
4.  Royal Hotel rear annexe and return 4 pairs nested (4 pairs)
5.  Royal Hotel cottage front elevation 5 pairs recorded (5 pairs)
6.  The Coaching House - all elevations - no birds recorded this year.
7.  Manor House - 5 sites on Gable, and Main front and Cottage - 5 sites this year (5 pairs)

Please check out photos below which relate to the above sites.

Total nest sites which we suspect nesting 

22 nest sites in total.  Showing a decrease of nest sites this year by one site.
Young raised this year purely estimated on the low side of 2 per nest less 20% approx = 35 birds.
Breeding adults estimate at 2 per nest site - 44 birds - Chicks raised estimate 35 birds - estimated immature birds 20.  Making a estimated total birds involved with Burton Village eg: Parents, Chicks and Immatures on Recci could have been as many as 90 birds (estimated)

Arrivals and Departure dates

The first 6 birds arrived back on Friday 5th May at 1700hrs, this increased to 10 birds by 1900 on the following evening, and increased by a further 15 by 1200hrs the following day the 7th May.

The first large departure was on Sunday 6th August 2017 when the majority of birds left, this was followed by a second large departure of at least 20 birds on Friday 11th August, followed by a further 8 birds on Sunday 13th August.  The last bird seen was a single bird on territory and flying high over the Kings on the evening of 17th August 2017.

Highest number of birds counted at any one time was:

46 recorded on the Swift night on Thursday 3rd August 2017.

Observers over the 12 weeks included: 

Mary Bullimore, David Craig, Judith and Edward Ellis, Reg Hesketh, Branwen Kilburn, Hugh and Sue Miles, Jane Phillips, Angela Sumner, Bryan Yorke,

Below are photos showing the various nest sites with their histories marked in red

CLAWTHORPE HALL (Messrs Ducketts) NEST SITES MARKED IN RED

Please click over photos to enlarge

COTTAGE ON POST OFFICE ROW (below)

Cottages on the Post Office Row (Click over to enlarge)

"COCKING YARD" (below)

This is "Hangings Farm" in Cocking Yard a really good site used in all years since 2013.
We also suspect two further nest sites have been used in Cocking Yard during 2017
(Click over the photo to enlarge)

ROYAL HOTEL and REAR ANNEXE and COTTAGE (below)

Royal Hotel - Rear Annexe and showing the return (Click over to enlarge)

This is the Royal Hotel "Cottage" a low elevation showing all the nest sites.
(Click over photo to enlarge)

THE COACHING HOUSE (Below)

" The Coaching House" (Click over to enlarge)
Sadly although we cannot be sure, we never saw any sites being used on this building during 2017

"The Manor House" and the Cottage (Click over to enlarge)

Although two of the regular sites were not used this year (as far as we know) you may notice two new sites
 - one on the front by the drainpipe and also one new one on the small cottage.

Thanks to everyone who came along this year and enjoyed the Swifts and I look forward to next year when we hope the birds will be back flying above our village from the 4th May 2018

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Burton Swift Group - Thursday 10th August 2017 week

Friday 18th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2000hrs

0 Swifts

Thursday 17th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2000hrs

1 Swift - a single bird hawking the skies to the W side of the Kings.

Wednesday 16th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2000hrs

0 Swifts

Tuesday 15th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 1930hrs

0 Swifts

Monday 14th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2020hrs

0 Swifts - overcast with prolonged rain

Sunday 13th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2040hrs

3 Swifts hawking the skies over Manor House, Kings areas - very high - dry and still evening.

Saturday 12th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2030hrs

8 Swifts in the skies above Neddy Hill and the Royal very high - fine evening.

Saturday 12th August - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 0800hrs

2 Swifts over the Manor House areas also a group of 5 Martins behind the School. Again Overcast with the lightest of drizzle.

Friday 11th August 2017 - Main Street, Burton In Kendal 2000hrs

One Swift hunting high above the Memorial Hall. Very overcast threatening rain.

Thursday 10th August 2017  - Main Street, Burton In Kendal - 2000hrs to 2100hrs

We noticed Swifts straightaway really high over the Memorial Hall and that is were they remained for most of the time of our observations.  The count started with about 10 birds but quickly accelerated to teens, latter teens and a maximum of 27 birds in the sky at the same time.  Almost on the hour the birds did move slightly towards the Neddy Hill and Royal areas and by the close of our counting time it was getting pretty dark.  Though we were treated to a special treat when we were priviliged to see a bird return to its nesting site at the eaves above the right hand window jamb stone of the Royal Hotel cottage.

It was great to hear from Angela of her records over the past couple of days, and the day before she had quite a good number of birds (late teens) at 2100hrs although much earlier in the hour I had only had the single bird on my quick stroll up Main Street.  So it just goes to show that you can be there one minute and see very little, but be there half a hour later and you can get birds in double figures having come into view or returned from outward foraging.

It is quite remarkable we are getting so many birds at such a late date and selfishly superb for the observers.  We have decided to call tonight's watch the last of the year although I will try and take a "rough" count over the coming days to monitor the outgoing birds best we can.

Also we all agreed that Reg would kindly ask Tanya and Edmund Hoare of Sedbergh if they will kindly come and put on their Swift presentation at the Memorial Hall (a date to be arranged for over the Winter months. Anne Nicholls and Barry Morgan of the Burton News will be in charge of the arrangements for the Memorial Hall and details will be given in the Burton News in due course.

Observers tonight included: David Craig, Reg Hesketh, Hugh and Sue Miles, Angela Sumner and Bryan Yorke.

A Summary and final report will be issued in a couple of weeks time when all the birds have gone.

Burton Swift Group - Thursday 3rd August 2017 and week

Checking out the Swifts Wed 9th August 2017 - Main Street at 2015hrs

Just a single Swift tonight flying West over Neddy Hill. Weather Dry, blue skies etc.

A very interesting link you may wish to check out Re: Migrating Birds not being able to take into consideration the change in earlier Spring dates which we seem to be getting on account of global warming, the link is here:

To check the Migrating Birds link   PLEASE CLICK HERE 

Checking out the Swifts Tues 8th August 2017 - Main Street at 2030hrs

A lovely surprise to see 26 Swifts flying above the Memorial Hall, Neddy Hill Areas.  I still think the bulk of the Swifts may well have left us on Sunday last, but time will tell.

Checking out the Swifts Mon 7th August 2017 - Main Street at 2030hrs

Just 2 Swifts tonight, and although far too early to confirm it does look like the bulk of the Swifts may well have set off sometime during Sunday (6th August) on their long journey back to Africa. They probably went off in advance of the wet weather front we had during that day. 20 Martins observed over the Tanpits- Morewood Drive areas

Checking out the Swifts Mon 7th August 2017 - Main Street at 0900hrs

No Swifts seen over a 20 minute check up throughout Main Street, just the odd Swallow and Martin. Weather dry with blue sky (at the present)

Checking out the Swifts Sun 6th August 2017 - Main Street at 2045hrs

Not one single bird! but the weather was bad with heavy rain showers.

Checking out the Swifts Sat 5th August 2017 - Main Street at 2030hrs

Best count was 35 birds very high above Memorial Hall to Manor House with 26 at the Memorial Hall end and a further 9 over the Manor House Area

Checking out the Swifts Fri 4th August 2017 - Main Street at 2030hrs

Best count was at 26 birds with a screaming party of 8 birds.

Burton Swift Group - Thr 3rd August 2017 week - Main Street 2000hrs to 2100hrs

We met at the Memorial Hall were we witnessed lots of birds right from go with large parties screaming in the skies.  It was one of those nights were they seemed to be everywhere.

The best count tonight was 46 in the sky all at once but there could well have been more, because as we walked along Main Street towards the Manor House we saw even more parties of birds.

I don't know whether this will be the maximum count this year, but I would not be surprised if that was the case, however we will try to monitor them as the days pass and hopefully we can meet up again next week.

Tonight's observers included: Mary Bullimore, Reg Hesketh, Hugh and Sue Miles and Bryan Yorke.

The next (and probably the final of the year) Swift watch will be next Thursday 10th August 2017 - Meeting at the Memorial Hall at 2000hrs - Everyone Welcome