i was beginning to wonder if the Swifts were going to return this year as normally they are back in the roof first week in May.
We have had over flying birds for the last couple of weeks and sometimes they would gather high up over Yeovil and then move on.But this morning all is well! three Swifts screaming around the apex and another already installed in the nest site of our house in Grove avenue, Yeovil.

Pair already with 3 eggs in a nestbox with camera near Chard.
These birds returned on 25th April & were straight into their nestbox.

The Swifts in my roof are normally ensconced by the first week in May (between the 1st and the 8th). This year it was the 15th. Swift numbers also seem to still be low.

We arrived back from Camargue on Sunday evening and there were thousands upon thousands of Swifts there; impossible to estimate numbers with any accuracy. I wonder if they are feeding up before continuing a Northerly migration?

A few quiet hours spent at Greylake yesterday afternoon, however, approx. 5/6 swifts seen heading north across the reserve at 4.30pm. Plenty of warblers, buntings and several pairs of goldfinches observed on the track to the viewing area, no beardies or yellow wags though.

First Swift chick hatched this morning, in nestbox with camera, near Chard (2 more eggs to hatch)