Friday 25 April 2009 - they're back again

A well deserved decor for seeing my first swift of the season going to a nest.

In the late afternoon I got a sms to tell me LP has spotted swifts at Phillips. It’s open skies there and you can see far. LP was working in his garden when he heard them. In his eagerness to see them he crossed the street and was almost run over by a cyclist. It’s time again to look at the sky and sense the street.
At Phillips we didn’t see anything anymore and we both eventually left. On my way home I cycled past a chipshop and the smell made me realise how hungry I am, but I left in such a hurry when I got the sms, that I forgot my purse at home. It’s all quite close together and I quickly went home. Crossing the Ring (motorway around city) I saw one swift circling above my street. Yeah!! I saw one!
When I cycled down my street I saw two more a bit further above the houses. I checked the other streets, but to no avail.
There were other people before me at the chipshop and I kept looking out at the sky, when suddenly I saw a swift low almost between the trees. My first thought was it came from Patricia’s house. It was beautiful, I could almost see it’s face with the afternoon sun on it.
It came back and I saw it flew up to Geldenaaksevest 82, a adres known to me. It flew right up to the nest and then came back and flew out of sight.
My day was already fine.
I didn’t plan to go to Apus College (Pope’s College), but I could not go either after my fantastic sighting earlier on.
When I arrived there at about 19:30 I already saw two in the sky above the college. More arrived and I counted as many as 9. I decided to stay till they either disappear in the sky or go into nestingholes. At least one will be of those nesting at Apus College.
Just after the big bell at the university library chimed for 8pm I heard the first "srie-srie" for this summer. It was a sweet sound.
They flew without haste, circling, turning and eating their bellies full. Two of them were almost playing together. One of them made a V several times but they never connected.
Finally three of them flew much lower and they start flying at the building to swerve away just before the nests. It was time for them to fly in, I did not wait in vain.
At 20:55 they came in. One flew into nestinghole B6 and two flew at nestinghole B9 - one entered but the other one turned away. He or she tried 6 times, but each time just before it must enter it turns away. I don’t know why? Is it a young bird, lured there by a older inhabitor of that nest? I did not see it again and from the nestinghole there came screams, but it did not last long.
I am happy.