Flying in the rain?

[hiveabee]

One swallow? It depends is it flying to north or to south.


Yes, but one two hive owner makes a summer.


By the way. How many kilos you get that "rain honey" per hive?
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At this time of year in OUR HEMISPHERE I dearly hope they have flown North

 

[Finman]

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I have in my cottage yeard's trees 18 common swift bird homes.
They fly from any direction. Before night sleep they come together compete in flying above my cottage. 36 swifts and I would say they are mine.

Every year they bring summer to my cottage. Now 32 years.

It took 10 years me to learn, how to build those nest boxes.
Swift is a harsh guy. If bird box has starling nest, swift scrap the adult out and then kill the offsprings. Squirrel and woodpeckers eate some year allmost all youngs of the swift. Some year only two families out of 18 will survive.

 

[Finman]

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It is said that common swift cannot fly from ground. But I have made couple of experiments.

I took a swift from its cottage. I put it on ground. It took 2 seconds when the bird run with its leg and with wings and then it flew.

Another case was young bird. It jumped half metre up with help of wing and started like a missale Those swifts on ground are sick and cannot fly.

 

[The Cumbrian]

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It is said that common swift cannot fly from ground. But I have made couple of experiments.

I took a swift from its cottage. I put it on ground. It took 2 seconds when the bird run with its leg and with wings and then it flew.

Another case was young bird. It jumped half metre up with help of wing and started like a missale Those swifts on ground are sick and cannot fly.

Interesting Finman. I have found a number of grounded Swifts over the years and all have only taken flight when offered either the hand tilted until the palm is vertical or given a little toss into the air (only and inch or two 25 - 50mm)

EDIT: Both the Royal Society for the protection of Birds and (I think) the British Trust for Ornithology say Swifts become grounded due to sleeping on the wing. Only breeding birds land anywhere the rest sleep circling high on the wing. It seems some drift lower until they hit the ground.

 

[Finman]

I
EDIT: Both the Royal Society for the protection of Birds and (I think) the British Trust for Ornithology say Swifts become grounded due to sleeping on the wing.

Only breeding birds land anywhere the rest sleep circling high on the wing. It seems some drift lower until they hit the ground.

There are so much ideas on air.

I have seen when swifts go to sleep into bird box but they have not nest there. The distance between hole and bottom/nest site must be 40 cm. Otherwise swift does not make a nest but it sleeps there.

Dvelopment from egg to flying swift takes 2.5 months. They lay here 1.6 and leave Finland 15.8.

If I give a bird box 25.6 the birds leave the box in 10. September.
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One fake is that swift parents leave their chicks to the nest and go to catch food to long distance. They say that chicks go into choma. I have not met so cold and bad weather that parents do not shout in the box. They protect carefully their offspring. Otherwise thay are in danger. Even other swifts may occupy the nest. I suppose that woodpecker is the worst enemy.

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[scuttlefish]

I'm confused - are Swifts not able to fly in the rain?

 

[Finman]

I'm confused - are Swifts not able to fly in the rain?

Have you noticed that ideas either fly in the rain

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[scuttlefish]

Have you noticed that ideas either fly in the rain

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The forum makes work for idle brains...

 

[yeogi75]

knotty
mine was flying in the rain yeasterday collecting pollen
to day sunshine still collecting pollen only today they have jodpurs on
yellow and some white

 

[Finman]

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Sorry, I have not time to report what my bees do. Hopefully they do something.
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Rape field is over 1 km distance. I want to move my bees to better place.

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[yeogi75]

the rape here has been over nearly two weeks laying flat with rain

 

[jackbee]

I'm confused - are Swifts not able to fly in the rain?

yes, but only to drink water