"The swifts are back!" says Iain G, standing on the doorstep looking up at the eaves. Apparently they come every year from Africa and check out this building. They must have been doing this for generations. This building, built in 1858, would have had lots of nooks and crannies for them. There may still be some but with the change of the building from a school for boys, to being empty for several years and then being converted to apartments, I reckon the swifts are probably looking for old haunts.
One website, the RSPB I think, pointed out that really these are African birds who pay us a visit to nest and raise their young. Mostly I get the impression that we tend to think of these type of birds are British, well, say, Northern Latitute, who go away for the winter.
This is an "antique swift" drawing from this site on Flickr. There is nothing about the source.
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Top photo is RSPB here.
1 comment:
In France we call them “les hirondelles” and it means that spring came back; they are bringing luck in a way, renewal. I always thought they were French birds!
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