Off Topic but joyful

[RosieA]

Feeling blue - looked out the bedroom window and joy of joys the swifts are back. Makes my heart swell - beautiful creatures. Can spend summer watching them fly in and out of their nests in my neighbours house. Summer it appears is on its way.

[sylvi]

Thank goodness for that i haven't seen any yet, i will have to go outside and have a look today.xxxx

[RosieA in reply to sylvi]

Eight so far. In their peak we had 70. Let's hope that there are less obstacles in their migration this year!!

[sylvi in reply to RosieA]

They are early aren't they or i am behind, lol, xxx

[RosieA in reply to sylvi]

We see them in May, I'm in the South West so maybe they arrive here a little earlier than elsewhere. It has also been so warm. x

[RosieA in reply to sylvi]

P.S Meant to say we have a village tally - dammed hard but good fun. Do you? They are so wonderful.

[sylvi in reply to RosieA]

I love my garden and the birds that i see even if they are only sparrows. We have a blackbird nesting in our laurel bush out front. We have buzzards which fly high above us here and we live in a village also.xxx

[Sockknitter]

We has a week's holiday in Portugal in February and witnessed the swallows making their way back to the UK. Like you, I feel my spirits lift when I see them .

A promise of summer and good times to come.

[Pippy25]

Oh that's lovely to hear, not seen any here yet but tend to see them if I'm out and about....which sadly I'm shielding.

[RosieA in reply to Pippy25]

Oh! Glad they are near you. Let's hope you either get a fly pass or are able at some point to get out to see them. x

[allanah]

Wonderful x

[dawkin_S]

How wonderful to have them nesting so close - what a beautiful sight. That's cheered me up a treat - thank you. I will look forward to seeing them swooping over the street I walk down to work, at some point in the hopefully not to distant future.

[Kerensa21]

That’s lovely Rosie; there is a guy in Hampshire who does wooden swift boxes for a £5 each to fix to eaves of house; I think you encourage them with bird song recording. My friend has them after putting some up & we live in town x

[RosieA in reply to Kerensa21]

Fantastic. We looked into this, unfortunately the highest face of our home faces the wrong way. They need quite a drop I think from the nest.

[charisma]

It is beautiful to see nature’s cycles. I love to see birds.

[RosieA in reply to charisma]

Yes and hear them too. We have noticed how bird song can really be appreciated now that car use has been reduced.

[charisma in reply to RosieA]

I was listening to this earlier.. still cannot tell which bird is which without seeing the video!

youtu.be/RHnzqKfxSQw(Not working as expected?)

[RosieA in reply to charisma]

What a fantastic video. Thank you so much. Reminds me of the starlings I used to see at my grandparents up in Newcastle. The sky would be full of them. I haven't seen one down south for years. x

[CallMeSunny in reply to RosieA]

Loved the bird video, especially that dear little nightingale right at the end.....so much energy put into his song! Quite heart warming to see and hear their different melodies...I will play it often. X

[wishbone in reply to charisma]

I'm not good with bird song, but my friend was/is excellent at identifying birds by call. We used to make a great birding team with my excellent eyesight and his tuned in hearing. His eyesight was not good at all.

[wishbone]

None with me in South Wales but they should arrive any day now. No Swallows yet either, but saw a single House Martin a week back. My ex-birding buddy heard 4 Cuckoos in the nearby hills, which is a good count as they have seriouly declined. Let's hope they are starting to recover.

[Kalimers65]

I love Swifts! When I had my worst ever flare and could barely do anything (22 years ago) I was fortunate to have a nest outside my bedroom window. Their lovely chattering kept me company through an awful 6 weeks of pain and I loved watching them come in and out of their nest. I felt honoured that they’d chosen my home. I couldn’t believe it when I came home one day when I was much much better to find that my mother had destroyed their nest ‘too much mess’. I hoped that they would come back but of course they didn’t.

[RosieA in reply to Kalimers65]

Pity about the destruction but a lovely memory of the swifts. Funnily enough I am in the midst of flare - only diagnosed in October but they now think MTX is failing as I feel absolutely dreadful after injecting and joints getting worse. So hearing the swifts gives me a little boost and hopeful thoughts that I will get through this.

[Kalimers65 in reply to RosieA]

You’re at the start of your RA journey and it’s such a shock. I was 38 when I started, I’m 67 now. I found a really super healthy diet, reflexology and yoga have helped me very much. We are all different though. I’ve also had periods of remission when I took no meds so I’ve been very lucky. This site is very informative and so supportive. We all understand and that’s wonderful when often our families or fiends sometimes don’t. Wishing you all the best Rosie.

[RosieA in reply to Kalimers65]

It is indeed a wonderful forum. I have learned a lot and have been able to ask questions when I most need a response from those in the know. I am so glad to hear that you have managed to achieve remissions during your journey.

[Kalimers65 in reply to RosieA]

I forgot to say that the blind in my bedroom is a lovely Sanderson vintage print of Swifts flying against a sky blue background. If only they could chatter!

[MadBunny]

That's marvellous!!I haven't heard any swifts round here yet- they usually return in May. Things like this really do lift your spirits. We've got lots of sparrows: they're such characters. They are nesting in several places along our terrace of houses. I've got a nest under the edge of the roof by my bedroom window and it's lovely to wake to the sound of them every morning.

[RosieA in reply to MadBunny]

How lovely. We don't have sparrows - to my knowledge. I have two pairs of robins in the garden - I love watching them pop out from their self allocated areas. It's all a delight.

[MadBunny in reply to RosieA]

Our sparrow numbers have risen quite a lot since they started nesting here about 3 years ago.Only downside-the little beggars have pulled all the flower buds off my hardy geranium! I wondered what had happened then I caught them in the act.Still-a small price to pay for the pleasure they give me.

[RosieA in reply to MadBunny]

Cheeky little things.

[wishbone]

First Swift of the year high over garden this morning.

[RosieA]

Ahh! They can't help but make you smile.

[nomoreheels]

Not seen any here yet, we're higher up the country but yes, it lifts your heart to see them. We're fighting off starlings at the mo pinching the newly sewn seed on the lawn. Our Billy has found himself a new love too but she's not up for it. It's comical watching him pursuing her, needs to get his act together if he's to succeed. Billy is our resident wood pigeon who for ages was the only one but now has friends & his lady love of course.

[RosieA]

Oh my. I do love a good pigeon nest. It's a miracle they manage to breed anything. We have a pair and their nest is generally a few twigs thrown together. Amazing. Good luck to Billy.

[nomoreheels in reply to RosieA]

Yes, rubbish aren't they?! I do hope she gives in to him, he's really being given the runaround.