Arriving in early May from Africa, the swift is one of the last migrants to arrive back in the UK, and they will be gone again by mid-August. Our first sighting in the area was on 26 April this year, with sightings on the reserve from 9 May onwards.
Keep an eye high in the sky at this time of year and you may spot this blackish-brown bird with bow shaped wings returning.
Although they have a shorter body than swallows, swifts make up for it with their longer, curved wings giving them their distinctive crescent shape in flight.
Their flight is rapid and fluctuating, followed by long glides. Swifts are known to feed on around 300 different species of insects and spiders. This means that swifts probably eat more creatures than any other British bird (wow!). In fine weather, swifts can be hard to spot as they feed high in the sky, but during bad weather, swifts can often be seen low over water, so this is a good time to get good views of them.
Swifts nest in old buildings with suitable cavities to nest in. They build a nest with a shallow cup of grass they gather on the wing, and cement together with saliva. They lay 2-3 eggs which are incubated for almost 3 weeks. Young then remain in the nest for one to two months depending on the weather. Young are then independent as soon as they leave the nest. They do not breed until their fourth year.
Even though swifts are born in Britain, they spend only one third of their lives in here. Arriving in May and leaving in August - I recommend you get out there and see these amazing birds whilst you can!