April 2019

So with two boxes already up from the previous year my intention was to add another four on the North East aspect of my property. So I put together my own boxes made to measure under my eaves, with each one adding a shallow 100mm diameter shallow nest. This was fashioned cutting the hole in some 12mm plywood and sticking to the box base before using wood filler to shape a shallow dish. I then added a handful of downy type feathers I collected on my travels to each box just to give any prospective birds a head start should they take up residence.

The other thing of note was the entrance holes to each box, after reading on https://www.bristolswifts.co.uk/ about the placement of the entrance holes I decide to offer two options. Four boxes had a simple front face entry holes and two had entrance holes on the underside, with all measuring 28mm x 65mm in size.

Now happy with my boxes there was one more thing I had to do to try and tip the odds in my favour, I needed to set up a system to play Swift calls as it has been proven that playing their calls helps attract and pull in prospecting birds in the area.

For me I simply took apart an old speaker I had utilising the tweeter, then attaching that to my my hi-fi and then positioning the tweeter as close to the boxes as possible. I ended up placing it in the guttering as I found it helped throw the swift calls up and out. I then played in the mornings between 7 – 10 and the evenings usually from 6 til dusk and at a volume that wasn’t too overwhelming to the neighbours 😂 it does help to get your neighbours on board. The swift calls I believe I purchased via a link on the https://www.bristolswifts.co.uk/ site.

Here We Go

Well here we go then, the start of my journey and project Swift, actually the journey started back in 2018 so I have a bit of catching up to do to get to where I am now. So over time I aim to use use this blog to document my success and failings in my attempt at creating a Swift colony an my house as well as any other interesting things I encounter on the way. I can’t quite remember what initially gave me the idea to attempt my own Swift colony but I have always had an interest in birds and wildlife from a very young age. I’ve been into birding on and off from my teens and always enjoy seeing both the common and rarer birds that present themselves to me locally or on my travels. Hopefully over the next few weeks I’ll continue to add posts to bring this page up to where I am now currently.

I’ve lived at my current home a semi detached property in Deal, Kent for about 9 years now and every year from May to August in the mornings and evenings the screeching of the local swift population can often be heard filling the sky above as they assemble together in larger parties. Nothing quite signifies summer more for me than the sight and sound of screaming Swifts, cascading over the rooftops, carrying out manoeuvres that any fighter pilot would be proud of and in some ways they are fighting for their lives. With a decline of 57% between 1995 and 2016 you can’t not see that these are a bird in need of help. Which is where we come into the equation, the common swift relys heavily on buildings for their nest sites, old buildings with cracks and crevices at a significant height they can then access to nest build. But with more old buildings being renovated and new builds being built airtight, it isn’t any wonder their numbers are in decline as more nest sites disappear.

So back in 2018 I made my first two swift boxes, I began researching and came across another blog that is https://www.bristolswifts.co.uk/ and that was my go to place for all info and templates for my swift box designs I used. A great informative site that I would recommend anyone wishing to go down their own route of establishing a swift colony.

My first box I posted on Instagram

My house has exposed rafter tails so each box has been made to fit between these and thankfully the width ranges from 360mm to 400mm, ideal size for swift boxes.

So the first two boxes I made were put up in August of 2018, now its about this time the swifts begin departing for the journey back to Africa but there was still a few birds about and I thought it can’t hurt to get them up and in view. It turned out to be a good call as I did have a couple of low level fly by’s from a few birds before they all departed, which went some way with filling me with some hope for the following year.