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Winchester Cathedral Update 2024

Twenty Swift boxes were installed in the bell tower of Winchester Cathedral in August 2020. That was four years ago and you can read how the birds did last year here.

This September, Roger Maynard, Catharine Gale and I went with Ian the Virger to open and inspect the boxes. We found that there had been 16 pairs (up from 13 pairs last year) and in the remaining four boxes nests have already been started. This is far better than we ever anticipated back in 2020. On the schedule below, when we say ‘young reared’, this is based on a comparison of the photo taken this year with the photo of the same box last year to check that it has been occupied - shown by the amount of poo marks in the bottom of the box. So this is a best guess based on the evidence and not absolute proof. Only by having cameras in all of the boxes could we be sure of actual fledging. Maybe one day!

Swift box end of season inspection numbers for Winchester Cathedral

Box number

2021

2022

2023

2024

1

No swifts -1 small tortoiseshell

Completed nest - no young

Young fledged

Young fledged

2


No swifts - 1 small tortoiseshell


Completed nest - no young

3


Start of nest with leaves

Young fledged

Young fledged

4


One feather

6 feathers

Completed nest - no young

5


Completed nest - no young

Young fledged

Young fledged

6


2 feathers

Completed nest - no young

Young fledged

7

Feathers

Completed nest - 2 eggs thrown out

Young fledged

Young fledged - 2 eggs thrown out

8

Feathers

Completed nest - no young

Young fledged

Young fledged

9


2 feathers

1 egg laid but pushed out

Young fledged

10




Start of nest

11


1 feather

1 feather

Start of nest

12


1 feather

1 feather

Start of nest

13


1 dropping


Completed nest - no young

14


2 droppings

Half-completed nest

Half-completed nest

15


1 feather

Completed nest - no young

Completed nest - no young

16


Start of nest

Start of nest

Completed nest - 2 eggs thrown out

17


Start of nest

Young fledged - 1 small dead fledgling

Young fledged

18


Completed nest - no young

Young fledged

Young fledged

19

Occupied - half built nest

Young fledged

Young fledged

Young fledged

20

Young fledged

Young fledged

Young fledged

Young fledged

Total

1 pair bred + 1 nest complete

2 pairs bred + 5 nests complete

9 pairs bred + 3 nests complete

11 pairs bred + 5 nests complete

In two of the boxes, two eggs had been pushed out of the nests. This seems to have happened more this year due to the cool, poor weather earlier in the season. In most instances, these birds will lay another clutch and will then go on to rear young which will fledge later in the season.

Box 7 with two eggs pushed out
Box 7, with two eggs pushed out
Box 16 which also had two eggs pushed out but it appears that they did not relay
Box 16, which also had two eggs pushed out but it appears that they did not relay
Roger, Tim and Catharine inspecting boxes
Roger, Tim and Catharine

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