Swift Rescue

[Sybille Weber]

In this hot weather temperatures under the roof where our two pairs of swifts have their nests must be incredible. It is a common thing for young swifts to fall out of the nest in their search for fresh air and cooler surroundings. In previous years we had been lucky as this had never happened, but yesterday in the early evening we suddenly saw a very young swift dangling from a branch of the little birch tree that had planted itself on my parents' balcony many years ago. The little bird was really lucky for the little tree had caught it halfway and prevented it from crashing onto the ground. I carefully took the bird out of the tree and held it in my hands for a while until it had recovered from the shock. We then put it on a soft cloth in a cardboard box where it quickly regained life again and even drank drops of water from our fingers.
We then phoned the German Swift Association in Frankfurt for advice on what to do, and they gave us the address of a swift station only 12 miles from here who were experienced in raising young swifts and returning them to the wild. The lady at the swift station checked our bird and found it to be fit and wellfed. She thinks it will have good chances to grow and lead a normal swift life. She thought the bird to be approximately two weeks old, and said it would have required another four weeks in the nest before it would have been old enough to leave the nest.
Good to know that it seems to be in capable hands now, although I feel sorry for the parents who may miss there young one, but it is impossible to reach the nest and put it back, and the lady in the swift station said that even if it had been possible the little bird would probably try to get out again in the heat, and the next fall might be fatal. So the swift station was the only solution really. How glad we are that we have such a station nearby.
We now check the roof and balcony regularly as there are still many young ones up there, and it might happen again.

Does anyone else here on the forum have swift nests under their roof?

[Linda]

we had one attached to our double glazed window and the concrete window frame last year...couldnt open the window...awful place realll as too near for the cats...but they were successful...that was last year. This year we have one under the roof in the place they nest each year but its on the cool side of the house so not hot for them.

The barns can get very hot but so far no problems there except we have noticed fewer birds this year...and hardly any chatter where normally we hear them constantly.

[Janet Swan]

Well done, Sybille, on rescuing the baby swift. He has a good chance of life now and I feel that his parents' won't miss him as they still have some young in the nest.

I have a sadder tale to tell. This morning, I looked out of my (partly glass) back door to see the most beautiful Mistle Thrush lying on its back on the patio. It looked perfect and the markings were so lovely. But it was dead. When I checked the glass in the door, I saw a few feathers sticking to it. Yes, the poor creature had flown into it and must have been killed instantly.

What to do? The ground in my garden is too hard and dry to dig a decent hole to bury it in, it seemed wrong to put it in the brown wheelie bin, so, carrying it in a little box I went for a walk to a nearby stream and left the poor bird under a bush there, to be part of nature. Despite being quite upset about it, I did remember to get dressed first, I hasten to add!

Janet

[gloria townsin]

Sybille well done on your rescue.......how lucky that the little one landed where you could do something for it. And Janet.....I think that is the very best you could do for your poor bird, to go back to nature is a sweet thought. Sadly we too found a dead bird among the piled up Delabole Slate, but it had to have met it's death overnight, how I don't know.......I hated seeing it laying there.
Lots of young birds around now and they often seem unsure what to do.

[jane jackson]

I did remember to get dressed first, I hasten to add!

Janet

Very sad about your mistle thrush but your last comment did make me laugh!

We have no swifts, swallows or house martins nesting on or around our home, pity really. We do see swallows flying around when we're out but not at home but we're oh so happy with our goldfinches. My friend in Berkhamsted has been feeding the birds much longer than me and was disappointed not to have any goldfinches feeding from her niger seeds but last week she saw 3 youngsters being fed the seeds by their parents so she's well happy now.

Glad your swift is in safe hands Sybile, how lucky to have the facilities to help reasonably close to you.

[pcniles]

What a wonderful rescue story, Sybille. That was one lucky baby swift, to have fallen in a tree near you. I'm happy to hear that the people at the swift station believed she has a good chance of surviving. I agree with Janet (J) that it is fortunate to have such good organizations available to advise and help in situations like that.

It sounds like your 'swifts' are similar to our swallows, although I looked it up and they are not in the same order or family. Still, swallows build nests under roofs, in some of the most precarious of places.

When we lived near San Diego, CA, we often had swallows build mud nest underneath the very peak of our roof. The spring & summers months were often quite hot in this area where we lived. In the ten years we lived there, only one nest proved successful for the swallows where the eggs hatched and the baby birds were cared for until they flew off on their own. All subsequent years the nests would dry out, crack and fall with either unhatched eggs or, horribly, nestlings that were unable to survive. After a few years of witnessing this, we discouraged the swallows from nesting there, by breaking up the nests almost as soon as they'd build them. Sounds cruel but we believe it was the best thing to do.

Janet (S)... I know how you feel about finding that Mistle Thrush dead on your patio. It is always a dreadful sight. Wherever we've lived, we've had birds fly into our large windows, and some have died on impact. Just a few months ago, I found a sweet Gold Finch belly up on the back deck. Like you, I placed him out underneath a nearby bush so that he might return to nature. I think that is the best way to honor them.

[adesmith]

It must be the season for sad bird stories. Rachel found one on our patio on Friday but we know the culprit because she was still sitting over it! - Verity. I always thought that she wasnt so good at catching birds, which I was quite pleased about, but maybe this one was too slow, poorly or just unlucky.

Talking about Swallows. Do they hang about over rivers? I was watching quite a large flock of birds, swooping, diving and doing aerobatics of various kinds over the river the other day. They were diving down quite low and had V tails. I had actually noticed them a few days before as well.

[pcniles]

Very well could be swallows, Adrian. Swallows build nests out of mud and where better to find mud than along a river bank. The aerobatics you describe sounds very swallow-like too.

They are beautiful birds, aren't they?

Yesterday morning, I was seated here in the living room when a bird crashed hard into the window. I looked over in time to see the poor thing drop straight down after impact. I knew there was no way that bird would survive, and sure enough, when I went outside, he was lying there dead. I couldn't identify the type of bird he was though; very frustrating for I searched through many sources without success. I laid him out underneath the escallonia bushes and later saw that he was gone. The fox had come by earlier.

Sad, indeed. We have a lot of birds around here, but I still don't like to see one come to such an abrupt end.




Talking about Swallows. Do they hang about over rivers? I was watching quite a large flock of birds, swooping, diving and doing aerobatics of various kinds over the river the other day. They were diving down quite low and had V tails. I had actually noticed them a few days before as well.

[Kath Mulligan]

Elizabeth was sitting down by the river at Chatsworth yesterday, Adrian, taking photos of the swallows diving and swooping for insects just above the water. She's got some lovely swallow pics and will be putting some on FB tomorrow, so I will "share" them then you can seen them too.

Kath

[Annette]

We have had two birds hit the window this week, sadly the first was a young blackbird, the second was a young yellow hammer. I thought it was dead too but on closer inspection it was twitching, seeing stars no doubt !. After about 20 minutes it recovered completely and flew off.

We have lots of swallows in the stables here, two youngsters have been indoors with me just having a fly around. I love to see them and always look forward to them returning in April. It always seems very quiet in October when the last ones have gone for another year.

[Linda]

yes Adrian they would hang about water as its the perfect spot to feed on midges/gnats etc any insect that will be around water...

[adesmith]

It is a very muddy river quite a bit of the time because it is tidal. I guess it probably is quite a good place for midges and gants as well. Their aerobatics really are fascinating. They are not here tonight but I was watching tv the other day and I noticed that they were there. Suddenly I realised that I wasnt watching tv anymore! Thanks for the photos Kath :)

I saw something rather grim but strangely interesting today. I took a group of pupils to Bullace Hill, 17th century farm and as we were driving down the track leaving I noticed a large bird of prey. It had attacked a large black bird (raven?) and was flying with it in its talons. The other big black birds were swooping down to help but I doubt that they were going to be successful. We stopped the minibus and watched. It really was incredible but sent a shiver down my spine.

[adesmith]

They are here tonight actually. Just noticed them. They are flying very high up.

[Sybille Weber]

.......It sounds like your 'swifts' are similar to our swallows, although I looked it up and they are not in the same order or family. Still, swallows build nests under roofs, in some of the most precarious of places.
......................

Swifts and swallows do look similar indeed. In flight you can probably differentiate between the two by looking at their tails which are shorter in case of the swifts.
The swifts' body is a dark brown while our swallows are black and white. Swallows usually build their clay nests under roofs or on walls while swifts use gaps in buildings as their nests without doing much work on them themselves. Ours have their nests between the wooden beams under the flat roof above our bay windows. Another little one was looking out today in the extreme heat but it fortunately went back in again.
We also rescued a little swallow once, but that was years ago in Canterbury, when a cat had caught a young swallow and dropped it into the river where it got caught in the water weeds. My husband Rolf waded into the river and freed the little bird which was not yet able to fly. We couldn't make out a nest either, but as we were standing there not knowing what to do, a lady who worked at a bird hospital happened to pass by, and she was immediately prepared to take the bird along with her. She really seemed heaven-sent at that moment.

I was so sad to read about all those accidents with birds flying into window panes. If I see a dead bird my mind immediately starts working, and I can't help worrying seeing a nest full of young ones in my mind which will have to starve now. I know I shouldn't have such thoughts, but I never can help it.