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I observed five Alpine Swifts flying above and around the church of The Most Holy Redeemer in Bray, Co. Wicklow, this evening, March 21st, 2023, between 6.05pm and 6.45pm.
From 6.30pm they were attempting to roost on and in the bell tower, and were flying relatively low. The two lower sets of openings are glazed, and the birds flew into the glass repeatedly but not at speed and didn’t appear to injure themselves at all. One bird eventually settled on the outside of the bell tower and directly under a decorative stone feature which afforded it excellent shelter from the rain. Another bird settled higher up on a glazed window ledge. The others disappeared from sight. None seemed interested in entering through the unglazed windows at the top of the bell tower where the bell is located. I heard one loud call from a bird that seemed frustrated at failing to settle after several attempts!
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