Alpine Swift - a "lifer"

Tuesday 21st March 2023

West Rise Marsh near Eastbourne, Sussex

Reports started coming in from 08.00 today of Alpine Swifts flying over West Rise Marsh.  As I was committed to voluntary work at Weir Wood Reservoir till lunchtime it was not possible to go down until 14.00.  Fortunately positive reports were still coming in.  Martin picked me up from my home.

We parked up at the car park on Sevenoaks Road and headed off looking for the swifts.

• At the corner of Sidcup Close and Sevenoaks Road we spotted our first swift.  
• Not long after a second one appeared. 
• Just as we were agreeing on 2 swifts, a 3rd showed up. 

We spent a good 30 minutes or so watching the swifts flying around - sometimes distant but frequently directly overhead with their pure white belly clearly showing.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

A great afternoon - met up with some nice, fellow, birders including Liz Costa a BHA legend for her work organising transport to and from the Amex Stadium.

 20/03/2023

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Major Alpine Swift influx hits Britain and Ireland

Britain and Ireland is currently experiencing a major influx of Alpine Swift, with birds reported from more than 60 locations during the past week.

The influx began on Monday 13th with an extraordinary group of seven over Dungarvan, Co Waterford – the biggest flock ever recorded in Ireland. After another bird in Cheshire on 14th, further new individuals appeared in Co Cork, Cornwall and Gloucestershire on 15th, as suitable departure conditions in northern Iberia and a 'funnel' of south-westerly winds produced a large-scale arrival of common summer migrants across Britain and Ireland, with Sand Martin and Northern Wheatear appearing in particularly good numbers.

The mild conditions and southerly airflow continued throughout the week and into the weekend. From Thursday (16th) onwards, reports of Alpine Swift began to come in from a wide range of locations. Naturally, most sightings have come from the south and west, but birds have reached as far north as Argyll, while Northumberland and East Yorkshire have also got in on the act in north-east England.

Ireland has hosted the bulk of the sightings, with perhaps 50 different birds seen including an astonishing nine over Bray, Co Wicklow, yesterday (19th), this breaking the previous record count set in Co Waterford only six days previously. Across Britain and Ireland collectively, no fewer than 13 sites have had two to four birds, with six at Stanpit Marsh, Dorset, on 18th the standout British count.

With new birds being found daily and the winds staying in the south-west for this week at least, it's possible that many more Alpine Swifts could appear in the coming days.

An easy twitch - right on my doorstep.  My first "Lifer" of 2023 and number 365 on my UK Life List! 

2023 species count = 129