Screaming has never been more welcome

Screaming part of Swifts (Gary Eisenhauer)

With improved weather came the Swifts, a bit later than usual but the sight of a small ‘screaming’ party brought a smile to my face. Within a couple of days, our roofspace was occupied again, judging by splashes of white on the doorstep. A bit of extra cleaning is a small price for the privilege of sharing our house with this special bird, whose feet have not touched anything solid since it left the nest late last summer. In that time, each has flown 10,000 miles, spending much of our winter in the skies high above the rainforests of central Africa.

As well as the local returnees, there were more Swifts at much higher elevation over the village and, grabbing the binoculars to watch them from the garden deckchair, I discovered that far above them dozens of House Martins were wheeling back-and-forth, scooping up tiny invertebrates. Both species seem to have got quickly to business at nest sites in villages around the Conwy Valley this week.

The warm airflow brought good numbers of Spotted Flycatchers to the Great Orme and Ynys Enlli, where Bardsey Bird Observatory staff spotted a European Red-rumped Swallow on Monday. Other visitors from the south include a Honey-buzzard over Cwm Anafon at the weekend, a Spoonbill at RSPB Cors Ddyga and a Quail was heard in the hills above Aber Valley, around 500m (1600 feet) above sea-level. A Little Gull was at Porthmadog’s Llyn Bach and another joined the breeding terns at Cemlyn lagoon, while a Little Stint was among Dunlins at Traeth Abererch, all pausing on a longer journey to the northeast. Last week’s highlights include a Bee-eater at Carmel Head and Garganey at Rhyl’s Brickfield Pond. Eggs at both Osprey nests in the Glaslyn valley should hatch this week.