A swift departure

A month ago I was spending balmy evenings watching the swift colony swirl around the rear of our terrace. One particularly joyful evening saw half a dozen swifts using my guttering as a launch pad, shrieking with cacophonous glee as they dropped from the high eaves, wheeled above the backyards and returned to the guttering in a noisy, ungainly flap that betrayed the strength and bulk beneath that plumage. They’d then settle their feathers and take off again - and again. 

I assume this was our youngsters fledging, and it was thrilling and joyful to watch, albeit hard to keep track of everyone at such high speeds. 

Swifts in flight. (Photo: Keta)

Then came the rain. And the wind, and more rain. My eaves have fallen silent, though every now and then I can still spot a few swifts gliding silently high above, or hear one scream from down the road. Are these my swifts caught in a protracted, half-hearted departure? Are they a later-fledging family from a neighbour’s attic, or a whole new lot passing through? 

Who knows. But it seems that the family that have been living in my attic have turned their blunt heads towards the South and are probably winging their way through some glorious French sunshine as we speak, leaving me with a dripping, slug-infested garden and barely a feather in sight. Grrrr. 

I can’t blame my swifts for seeking drier climes (I wish I could!) but I already really miss them and their excited shrieking, the soundtrack to my summer evenings. Their departure (earlier than last year’s) brings autumn closer, even though we’re only in the second week of the school holidays. 

However, last night brought a new discovery. Braving the soggy garden with my loppers, I discovered the decomposing body of a long-eared bat lying on a brick path. Long-eared bats can fly close to the ground in pursuit of prey, and it’s possible that a neighbourhood cat had felled this one. 

I was stricken with horror at the tragic sight, but also excitement that we clearly have a long-eared bat colony in the neighbourhood. 

It seems I now have another set of aerial acrobats to entertain me on my evenings in the garden, and just the impetus I need to invest in a bat box. I just need the weather to perk up a bit…

Guess I'll be keeping an eye out for my local long-eared bats instead… (Photo: Gilles San Martin)

Have you seen much swift activity this week? Has the weather sent them off earlier than usual in your area? Have you seen any colonies fledge? Tell us all about it by logging in to comment below, or email us at the magazine.