Tuesday, 14 May 2024

Swifts are very special birds, quite unlike any other.  For many of us, the sight and sound of a party of swifts flying at great speed over our towns and villages is the epitome of a perfect hot summer’s day.

Swifts spend almost all of their lives in the air, only coming to land in order to build a feather-lined nest and bring up a family.

They spend the winter in Africa and arrive back in Scotland in May, announcing their return to breeding sites with their spectacular flight displays and high-pitched calls.

Swifts mostly choose to nest in buildings, especially old houses and churches, where there are suitable cavities.

By August, they have reared their young and are already on their way back south … leaving us, their hosts, to eagerly await their return next spring.  It is almost as if they bring summer with them.  Let us hope they bring us a good summer this year!

Sadly, Swifts have declined in UK by over 50% in just 20 years, and are now classed as a Red Listed Species.  So many species are suffering a steady decline, it is hardly surprising that Swifts are among their number.

But for swifts, another factor is compounding their plight: there are fewer and fewer places to nest.

The good news is that Swifts are one of the few endangered species that individuals and communities can really help, either by creating access to existing cavities or installing nest boxes.

Communities around the world are discovering they can help swifts by incorporating nesting cavities into new buildings and putting up next-boxes.

The biodiversity group, working alongside Boleskine Environmental Network and led by Errogie residents, are putting together a project to encourage swifts to establish more breeding colonies in the strath.

With the support of the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust and a band of enthusiastic volunteers a pilot project is set to be incubated  in Errogie.

So, what’s the plan?   

The first stage of this project is to build and install a few specially-designed nest boxes on buildings in Errogie.

One of the most promising candidates is the Errogie Church.  There is already a small swift colony in Errogie, at The Old School, only a stone’s throw from the Church, and it is anticipated that this attractive old building will also prove attractive to swifts.  

Swifts readily take to externally-fitted nest-boxes made in a variety of materials.

With the support of the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust, the project will run a workshop to help members of the community build a number of  nest-boxes.  Some of these will be installed on the Church.  The remainder will be offered to householders in the strath who are interested in hosting a family of swifts.

Swifts are attracted to existing breeding colonies, so a small speaker will be placed near the boxes to play the right sounds.  This will encourage prospecting swifts to investigate the boxes and hopefully, in the course of time, take up residence.

There are many other suitable locations in the strath, and the project would like to help other house-holders set up their own swift boxes.  The project will be able to advise on the best places to site them and share knowledge and resources to help you support nature in a direct way.

If you interested in helping the project in any way, do please get in touch with Sarah at sarah@sfctrust.org.uk of John at johnparrottca@gmail.com.

A few facts about swifts:

Swifts feed, drink, sleep and mate on the wing!

Swifts are the fastest birds in level flight, reaching an impressive 70mph!

Swifts are masters of the air, but there is a downside…

If Swifts should be so unfortunate as to alight on the ground, they are unable to take off again

Swifts are summer visitors to the UK; they spend their winters in Africa, migrating 3,400 miles TWICE every year … re-fuelling along the way

Swifts typically return to the same nesting site each year, where they renovate their nests, lay and incubate their eggs and raise two young

Swift chicks have to learn to fly as they emerge from the nest, before they reach the ground!

Look out for a talk about the Swift Project at Errogie Church on the 15th June 2024.  There will also be a screening of  Why Not Scotland? a film about how, right across Europe, nature is making a dramatic recovery - could Scotland be next?

Popcorn, drinks and an informative evening open to all!

2026

February (2 stories)

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