The Black Rabbit's Page

Day 158 - 25th July 2010. Day 93 of occupation.

• This (unique, I hope) SWIFT update post should put you in the picture re our family of swifts, which we (and you?) have been watching all summer, until that rather untimely computer incident on the 16th July here, put pay to any live web feed of our growing family.
• On the 18th July…

Day 126. 23rd June 2010 (Day 61 of occupation).

• The swifts are getting very large now - the largest is almost adult in appearance!
• The heat continues - both swiftlets are panting constantly under the hot tiles and are very often out of camera reach - perched in the entrance tunnel.
• We (my wife and I) still have the fledging date prediction to be 26th July (my wife) or 28th July (me) - I now think they'll leave WELL before that!

Day 119. 16th June 2010 (Day 54 of occupation).

• The two swiftlets are finally looking like little prehistoric birds now and the larger of the two (if not both) has finally opened its eyes after a week of having them tightly shut.
• There is a clear difference in size between the two chicks - I know one hatched on 6th June (the larger chick I assume) - I can only assume the smaller chick hatched a day or so later.
• Both parents are leaving the nest…

Day 109. 6th June 2010. (Day 44 of occupation)

• I'm pretty sure AT LEAST one of the two incubated eggs hatched today (if not both). My wife guessed the exact date!
• It looks that way because I saw a broken egg at the bottom of the screen a few minutes ago, and the male returned with what looked like a huge bolus of flies for his other half to feed to something....
• We have a FAMILY!!!
• (And my wife deserves a prize for her predicting…