Masters of the Sky

For me the best time of year has arrived... 

The common swifts are returning.

Their arrival brings summer to me. 

Little lifts me as much as this mysterious bird ♥︎

My heart jumps when I hear their sound.

Their speed is phenomanal.

It reminds me of a poem by Robert Frost:

The Master Speed

No speed of wind or water rushing by

But you have speed far greater.

You can climb back up a stream of radiance to the sky,

and back through history the stream of time.

And you were given this swiftness, not for haste

nor chiefly that you may go where you will,

but in the rush of everything to waste,

that you may have the power of standing still--

off any still or moving thing you say.

Two such as you with such a master speed

From one another once you agreed

that life is only life forevermore

together wing to wing and oar to oar.

Swifts

These photo's were taken in the neighbourhood we used to live.

Besides our (nr 10) neighbours we miss the swifts.
You can read my previous blogpost about the swifts here.

Swift

great photo via iberianature

This is my favourite bird! 

Wednesday I mentioned the common swifts (Apus apus). 

In our previous neighbourhood lived a big colony of swifts.

We had 7 pairs coming back, to their nests on our house, to breed each year!

These birds arrive late april after a long journey from Africa and they leave early August.

Three times I helped an adult bird after they had fallen to the ground.

 I just carefully picked up the bird, feeling it's very sharp claws,
(after making sure the bird wasn't wounded) I walked
to a wide open space with maximum wind.
Then just holding my hand up high so the bird could use the wind to fly away.
It instantly took off :-)

It worked and it was a great feeling being able to help such an incredible bird.

Normally these birds never touch the ground.

Their claws are fit to hang on to a cliff or wall but it's a badly design to walk around.

Two times we found a youngster who had fallen out of the nest.

So we took them to the bird shelter. It's not a bird you can easily take care of.
They have a special diet and need to be kept warm.

I must warn you, these birds really changed my life.......

I often hear them on the background of a film and I recognise them
even when I'm walking in a very crowded shopping street.

The sounds they make, just lift my spirits!

In the village where we live now there is just a small group of swifts.

We have a special nestbox on our house and we're planning to make several extra nestboxes.

We use a soundbox to lure the passing swifts.

We have had some interest but no habitants yet :-(

You can find more information at wikipedia and BBC.

Video's here and here.