Saturday 3rd July 2021
Just wanted to report seeing a pair of Swifts over Ducketts offices today. I think Ed said there were perhaps 3 pairs on his properties
Friday 2nd July 2021
It was great tonight we have had some good sightings together with some really great news. I think it best I give you the good news first!
Whilst doing a tour we managed to bump into Graham Wilson the builder at the Royal. He tells me that already birds have been seen going into one of the new built purpose made nest sites to the properties on the right as you approach the Bowling Green. He can't be sure whether they are nesters or just birds prospecting a site for the future, but its great news....... and the great news does not stop there.. He is now not going to be doing any work on the Royal Cottage frontage until well after the birds have left, so now at least the two nest on the front should be OK. He said whilst up on the scaffold the other day doing the main Royal front gutters, the birds were zooming in and out of their nest without showing any interest to the nearby human activity, so alls well there!!
Now then getting back to the nights other activity. We started off from the Memorial Hall, briefly calling at Cocking Yard and then to the rear of the Royal. There was definately plenty of collective behaviour with up to 15 birds counted at best, the activity seem to be centred high up and around the Royal, at one stage we had a 8 together screaming party chasing one another. We were also lucky to time it right with birds entering all the rear Cottage annexe sites eg: the 3 on the back and also the site on the small return, so that means all the rear Cottage sites are full up. We did check the front of the Royal but never had any birds enter their sites whilst we were present. We then progressed to the Manor House which again we could not have timed it better were we had a bird enter the site at the bottom of the Gable End (ex Starling slot), we had another birds enter about one metre across on the frontage and another bird enter the site near the drain pipe. Whilst watching from there we had a 4 overhead party but still not activity recorded for the Coaching House.
It was a great night and attended by Mary, Sue and Bryan.
Our next Swift Meeting is next Friday 9th July 2021 at 8pm at the Burton Memorial Hall (everyone welcome).