Earlier today I received a call to say that someone had a juvenile House Martin in their garden. I went to collect the bird, only to find that it was in fact a juvenile Swift. It did not like being in the pet carrier as it had no vertical surfaces to which it could cling. Instead I carried it home and then took it to Liz from Forget Me Not Wildlife Rescue in Wallington. It spent the journey still clinging to my sweatshirt and after a while it fell asleep. Liz has two juvenile House Martins at present and the Swift was put in with them. It immediately settled down with its new friends and began to eat the various insects on offer. It's a bit of a stretch, but does it count as #35 by virtue of it clinging to me while I was in the garden?
The new limited edition RSPB Swift pin badge. It's very realistic isn't it?
It's a little beauty Paul so hope it does well with Liz until it can rejoin the Swift family assuming it can gain enough strength quickly to migrate this year - otherwise, I wonder what do they do with it ?
There are still a few Swifts near her. If this one does not take to the air when released, she will keep it until next year and release it when its relatives return.
Pity is is so close to the migration time but fingers crossed it could join its friends sooner rather than later. It looks pretty good so a bit more fattening up and maybe it will be ready; keep us posted when you get chance Paul.
Reckon you can have that one as garden tick seeing as you were caring enough to get the little sweetie to rehab!
The Swift is very thin, so will require fattening up, especially if it's making that long and arduous journey to Africa. It will need all the food it can get.
Just found this website with info on rearing Swifts which is quite interesting
I agree with Wendy and what a privilege to hold a Swift.
I remember that privileged feeling Gaynor, a few years back when Toby brought me one he'd found caught up in string ... kept it in cardboard box with towel hung over one side for it to cling to, uninjured so let it fly off next day from upstairs window at Bro's!
I've forwarded the link just in case there's something in there she doesn't know. Liz has reared them before.
Well done on yet another rescue, I think you can have a tick for that one.