Good luck. Hope you get some lodgers!
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
What a perfect present. I hope it gets suitable tenants!
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Nice one lee,keep us posted won't you? All I get from my Mrs is sarcasm and 'sad old man'
Terry
cheers Terry
my photo's here
Lol turbo man. Well to be fair I did choose the present myself, and with my wife been off on maternity I have really payed for it myself aswel lol. But hey if she put from her on the label then it's a present from her!! I am 27 years old so she doesn't call me an old man, but certainly birding is not her interest!! We can't all be the same!!
Excellent.I love Swifts.Fingers crossed for you,Lee.
Nice one lee, can't beat a proper pressie. Mine this year was paving stones laid up to the feeding area, and what a difference they have made, no longer wellies at dawn:-)
Lot to learn
What a great present Lee, good luck come springtime and hope the new home is occupied with newcomers .......and your own arrival by the sounds of it - congrats in advance !
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Regards, Hazel
Thank you everyone for ur comments. And yes doggie I have heard about playing the swift call to try to attract them, I will get hold of a copy once spring arrives!! I know the chances of them nesting should increase also by putting 2-3 boxes up as they like to nest close together, but for this year at least I will just give one a try!!
Good effort Lee. Swifts need all the help they can get.
Playing the calls will be vital in order to attract them to your box. Play them as loud as you dare, with the speaker positioned as close to the entrance as possible (they'll try and locate the source of the sound). Don't get discouraged if Swifts don't respond to the calls immediately, you're trying to attract the young non breeding Swifts which are looking for a future nest place. Breeding adults won't respond. The non breeding Swifts arrive later than the adults, usually late May early June. My main advice would be not to give up on the call playing, last year I attracted a first pair in late July, just before they left. Video clip here: www.youtube.com/watch
Great Swift blog: actionforswifts.blogspot.co.uk/.../why-play-swift-cd.html
Mike
Thank you Michael. Oh wow I had no idea, so I shouldn't be hoping for actual nesting swifts this year, just a young new pair eyeing it up for next year? So the young swifts still make the journey all the way back here where they were born even though they have no intentions of breeding this year? Wow that is amazing and talk about pre planning!! Thanks again!!