First Day Out of the Nest

Picking up courage to fly

This morning I thought there had been a terrible accident- the long tunnel part of the nest had fallen to the ground and the birds inside looked very still. But all was well. It was the adult birds themselves who had opened up the nest. Query: are they swallows or swifts?

More bird anxiety this evening. Heard a noise coming from inside the metal chimney piece leading from the chimney down to the old cylindrical cast-iron wood-burning stove. It sounded like desperate fluttering. Nothing visible from the top, after lifting the lids. Tapped the metal tubing. More fluttering. Opened the bottom door of the stove - there it was, one very frightened bird. It flew straight at me, and then from room to room. It couldn't get out because most of the windows are covered by window screens, to keep out mosquitoes etc. I closed all doors, and managed to guide it to the one window which has no screen, and it escaped, unhurt.