Oct 2018 Dr Dick Newell on Action for Swifts

Today we had a very interesting speaker who told us about the valuable work of Action for Swifts.

http://actionforswifts.blogspot.com

This enthusistic and voluntary group work hard to help and raise awareness of the dire situation that our native swifts are in.  They can be seen as a typical marker for all wildlife across the globe is in decline.

Since 1995 the swift population has reduced in numbers by 60%.  In order to save these beautiful and unique insect eating birds (more closely related to hummingbirds than the house martins and swallows they are sometimes confused for) suitable nesting sites must be made available.  The neat modern houses now being built do not have the roof line crevases that they prefer.

This keen group can give you all sorts of ideas of how to fit nest boxes inside or outside a house.  They need to be high enough to be clear of predators, like cats, and with the correct aperture to attract the birds.  Starter nest platforms can help speed up the nesting and breeding process.  Recordings of bird calls can bring the birds in to the new sites.

Each year the birds migrate to Africa for our coldest months covering thousands of kilometres per day none stop and never need to land as they eat, drink and doze on the wing.  Indeed once fledged as a chick they may stay in the air for 3 or 4 years before they are ready to mate and breed and need a nesting site. They like to return to the site of their birth and mate for life.

Some recent projects include the Swift Tower on Logans Meadow that you may have seen.  It has been up for a few years now and is beginning to get regular families making it their home. Another is a church steeple that now has more than 20 nest boxes and local people are delighted with the graceful and acrobatic flock that frwquently sweeps around the evening sky catching insects on the wing.

Note our later start time for today.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-14017692