It´s well documented that during the Corona Virus lockdown, many of us found comfort and indeed inspiration in watching the birds that immediately surrounded us. Since the quarantine, I´ve adopted a slower pace to my own personal birding trips, choosing to spend more time standing or sitting still and connecting much more with the nature around me. Only this morning whilst I was having my cup of tea in the garden, a juvenile White Wagtail landed right beside me, chased a few insects and flew off towards the pond. A Sardinian Warbler then flitted between the low bushes next to me. Then, as I was looking out of the kitchen window, a Western Bonelli´s Warbler appeared in one of the nearby pine trees. Special moments indeed.
Sardinian Warbler
It was during a recent birding session that it occurred to me that there are some birds that have always been part of our lives and seem to accompany us wherever we are. For me, such a bird is the Common Swift. I´m often asked which is my favourite bird, and although it´s a difficult one to answer, I always have to say Common Swift. Its extreme and mysterious lifestyle, huge migration flights and sheer speed epitomise what it is to be a “wild animal”.
When my interest in birds began, as a boy of 8 years old, I lived in a terraced house in Sheffield. I would spend hours in the garden with an extremely heavy pair of binoculars and a field guide, learning and watching. The sight of the Swifts feeding on the wing always thrilled me. And when I used to play with my friends in the street (remember that?!) the screaming of the Swifts as they darted around us soon became the soundtrack to my summers. Each year, I´d eagerly watch for their return from the window of my mother´s attic.
Common Swift in flight (photo kindly provided by Stuart McQueen)
Nowadays, living in Spain, far from my childhood home, the Swifts are still around me wherever I go, and still thrill me just as much. These days I´m fortunate enough also to see their cousins, the Pallid Swift and the mighty Alpine Swift, but it´s the Common Swift that holds a special place in my heart. When I´m in the city of Valencia, that screaming call is still there, as they fly well below the roofline of the surrounding buildings, before returning to their nests in the crevices of the city´s historical facades. As I spend the summer months in our house in the hills, the Swifts are with me too. During the day, they seem to idly glide over the cereal fields and olive groves, but there is a very special moment just before dusk. I often spend this part of the day watching the birds moving around in the garden, feeding before nightfall. It´s then that the Swifts arrive in huge numbers, swooping, darting and whizzing around, feeding from the insect-rich air. More than forty years after I first discovered Swifts back in Sheffield, they´re still with me and continue to mesmerise me to this day.
Swifts in a beautiful evening sky just before dusk. (Photo by Olga Martinez Ribera)
My wife is a professional biologist and in recent years has taken part in an (official and regulated) programme of care and release of Swifts that have fallen from the nest and have been taken to a local animal rescue centre. This project was organised by the Centre for Wildlife Recuperation in the village of El Saler, an organisation that belongs to the regional government. They involved local wildlife and conservation charities in the project to care for abandoned birds during their growth period and to release them at the appropriate time and place. I´ve been lucky enough to be a part of this work, feeding the young birds at regular intervals throughout the day, watching as they grow and eventually begin to cling to the sides of the specially designed boxes that they were kept in. Then, as key behavioural changes occur and the size of the wings is deemed to be sufficient, the moment of their release arrives. This moment carries much more risk for Swifts than probably for any other bird, as if they lack the strength to fly far, and end up on the ground, death is almost certain. Fortunately, all the birds that we´ve released were in great shape, and to see them leave the hand and gain height in the clear blue sky so quickly is wonderful. To think that they´ll probably remain in flight for the next two years is nothing short of mind-blowing!
One of the successfully reared Swifts prior to its release
As I write this, I can hear the calls of Bee Eaters, the chirping of young House Sparrows, the yaffle of a Green Woodpecker and the occasional scratchy call of Crested Tit, all fabulous birds with their own characters and uniqueness. But the one that always catches my eye and my imagination is the Swift. It´s always been a part of my life. I´d love to hear from anyone who has a special bird that has always been with you. Please feel free to comment on my Facebook page by clicking here, or send me an email to ValenciaBirding@gmail.com
Written by Dave Warrington.