Summer is the perfect season to photograph colorful birds.
Common swift
The swift arrives in the UK in April and leaves again in September to winter in Africa. A late spring arrival, the swift is an almost entirely aerial bird. It is sooty brown except for a white chin and underwing which looks pale in the sun. The slender tail and scythe-like wings form a bow and arrow shape when it is in the air. It flies fast and high with deep wing beats interspersed with soaring glides, and emits a screeching whistle as it dashes about in groups.
The swift’s small legs and forward-pointing toes means it can hang on to a rough surface but is unable to grip a perch, so look out for it flying over open spaces, woodland, water, and roofs.
Swifts nest in holes hidden under the eaves of old buildings, chimneys, and smokestacks. They produce 1 brood a season and juveniles can be seen from late May.
The swift arrives in the UK in April and leaves again in September to winter in Africa. A late spring arrival, the swift is an almost entirely aerial bird. It is sooty brown except for a white chin and underwing which looks pale in the sun. The slender tail and scythe-like wings form a bow and arrow shape when it is in the air. It flies fast and high with deep wing beats interspersed with soaring glides, and emits a screeching whistle as it dashes about in groups.
The swift’s small legs and forward-pointing toes means it can hang on to a rough surface but is unable to grip a perch, so look out for it flying over open spaces, woodland, water, and roofs.
Swifts nest in holes hidden under the eaves of old buildings, chimneys, and smokestacks. They produce 1 brood a season and juveniles can be seen from late May.
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05 June 2022
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