Swift update

I wrote about the swift boxes in October and now have photos of the swift boxes in situ. (Up under the eaves are the prefabricated house martin nests too, with some evidence of occupation.)

I have taken some of the following from the October post…

The swift boxes are made from white recycled plastic and are sited high up on the house in a roughly northerly direction… that is out of direct sunlight and in a place that has a free area of airspace in front of it. (This place turns out to be on my right as I type, on a wall I can view from the office window, which is great: if I ever have nesting swifts, I may actually be able to see them, flitting in and out!) You can see the ones I chose here: called ‘Fulcris’ http://www.londons-swifts.org.uk/Shopping!.htm

As you may know swifts are in danger, with (excuse the pun) swiftly declining numbers, largely due they think to loss of habitat. They like to nest in small crevices in old buildings, and as old buildings are gentrified and insulated and modernised all these crevices are lost.
I know that there are already swifts in our village: some in old buildings with old crevices and some in nest boxes. A new ideal way to encourage them is this: when you have building work done install an internal next box, with a small opening such as this: Ibstock Brick: and Schweler bricks.
http://www.londons-swifts.org.uk/Shopping!.htm

Once the nest boxes are installed attracting the birds is the next thing. Apparently the fledglings from the nests this year investigate for future nesting sites for their return from foreign parts the following year – and to attract them it is advisable to play swift song from a CD with a mike hanging out of the nearest window. This is what I hope to do this year. Once a nest site is found the birds return year after year.

If you are interested here another link: http://www.swift-conservation.org/