Zentralschweiz. Short visit (1 Viewer)

I was in Switzerland last week on a short visit which wasn't really bird related but I saw a few interesting bits and pieces.

Saturday March 20th, River Reuss (AG) near Root. 4 Common Swift, 6 Goosander, 2 Red Kite, 2 pairs of displaying Buzzard and other individuals.
Also 2 Great Egret in a field on way back to Luzern. Not sure of exact location but in Luzern rather than Aargau.

Friday March 19th, Reussdelta (UR) near Fluelen. 5 Eider, 2 pairs of displaying Buzzard, 1 Red Kite and lots of Goosanders.

There seemed to be displaying Buzzards every time I looked up.

Nothing earth shattering seen but a couple of nice day trips

A shattering record of Common Swifts! These birds are very, very early. To see some in April is rare already but March is very unusual. Good record (you're sure that they weren't Pallids?)

André

wintibird said:

A shattering record of Common Swifts! These birds are very, very early. To see some in April is rare already but March is very unusual. Good record (you're sure that they weren't Pallids?)

André

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That early! I thought they were a bit early but I don't know anything about the normal arrival dates of migrants in Switzerland. What is the usual arrival date?

I had been hoping they might be Alpine Swifts at first but couldn't see anything to suggest that. They were hawking insects quite high up above the river. I didn't even look at them for that long. I just made sure thay didn't look especially large to rule out Alpine which I've never seen.
Tom.

Most Common Swifts arrive from mid April to the beginning of May. Records from the first half of April are considered early, records from the end of March very early. Common Swifts seen before the 15th of March have to be reported to the Swiss Rarity Committee and are rarely accepted (due to possible confusion with Pallid Swifts).
Pallid Swifts arrive earlier but are only rarely recorded north of the Alps (there is only one small colony in southern Switzerland).
Alpine Swifts regularly arrive this early, the first ones are usually seen mid March.

Greetings from Switzerland
André