Swifts

Abstract

THE following facts relating to the habits of the swifts were observed by paying close attention to these remarkable birds during the past summer. For more than a month, i.e. from June 1 to July 12, we watched them here. On the fine evenings about forty of them (the males I believe), ascended high into the air at about 9 o'clock, and after wheeling about for a minute or two, screaming loudly, fled straight away, sometimes in one direction, sometimes in another. White, in the “Natural History of Selborne,” notices that: “Just before they retire whole groups of them assemble high in the air, and squeak and shoot about with wonderful rapidity.” But the most wonderful part of the proceeding is that they do not come down again that night. At all events I can show that they do not come down again before 10.30, at which time I do not think they would be able to find their nests under the eaves of the church. Between the dates above-mentioned there were only six days during which I did not see or hear the swifts ascend and fly off. Three of these days were rainy, and the swifts stayed at home, and on three other days I was not able to watch them. The churchyard adjoins the garden of this house, and numbers of swifts build in the church, which is but a few feet from where we sit out and walk about in the summer evenings.