Clik here to view.
Swift boxes at the BTO
When the Chris Mead library was conceived at BTO's headquarters, there had been a discussion about installing Swift boxes in recognition of everything that Chris had done in campaigning for Swifts....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rt. Hon Theresa May MP opens first ever ‘swift hotel’ at Premier Inn in...
We have previously reported on Swift nest boxes installed in the Cambridge Premier Inn. This was just one of a number of installations in Premier Inn Hotels. Seldom does such a project achieve such a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Internal Swift boxes in a difficult situation
We have had external Swift boxes on our 17th century house since 2004, with 9 pairs in 2015. Being a listed building, the scope for internal boxes is limited, with just one possible location at the top...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sedbergh Community Swift project at St Andrew’s Church
When Dick went up the church tower with Edmund at St Andrew’s, Sedbergh, his comment was that ‘this is the most difficult tower I’ve come across yet. Pity it’s your first!’ The church is a good...
View ArticleClik here to view.
"I am a Swift" now in Dutch and Greek
Since the recent adaptation and translation into French, we have now received copies in Dutch and, from Cyprus, in Greek.Click to enlargeSince we produced "I am a Swift - I am in trouble", in 2011, we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beijing Swift Project 2016
On Saturday 21st May, we undertook the next stage of the Beijing Swift Project at the Summer Palace, here in Beijing. Some of the teamWe succeeded in catching 10 birds with geolocators. 9 of these had...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Swift nest sites in the Alcázar of Segovia
When we met Javier Saez Frayssinet in Szczecin, we discussed an idea of how to transform irregular holes in walls into entrances suitable for Swifts. We, AfS, had developed a method suitable for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Swift Action Harleston - Swift mobile
We were delighted to receive this story from Harleston in Norfolk. The local group, Swift Action Harleston has come up with a great idea that could be replicated anywhere.The mobile was produced from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Swift boxes on a thatched cottage gable
There are no new ideas here, but it demonstrates that, with a little thought, Swift boxes can fit in well with the appearance of a pretty village cottage.Great Wilbraham is an attractive village just 2...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Santon Downham Church
St Mary the Virgin, Santon Downham, in Norfolk is in a very attractive setting on the edge of the village greenIt also has the easiest belfry that we have seen for installing Swift boxes. There is even...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Entrances cast in situ
When Barbara Wager, of Thorpe in Derbyshire, contacted us about how to provide Swift accommodation in a stone wall, we discussed various ideas, ending up with making entrances by casting them in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Edgecombe Flats
In 2010, Cambridge City Council, helped by AfS, installed 71 nest boxes on their properties at Edgecombe flats. In that first year, one of the residents, Peter Glass, played attraction calls from his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Birdfair 2016
After the success of Birdfair 2015, we just had to do it again. For the second time, Swift Conservation, Swifts Local Network and Action for Swifts got together to showcase Swifts, their challenges and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Manthorpe Swift Brick back story
The Manthorpe Swift Brick has been announced and is now in full production. It is well described on Manthorpe's website, so we thought it worth describing how it came about.The origins of the concept...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Swift weather vane from Andy Jarrett
Those who visited our stand at Birdfair 2016 will have noticed the new Swifts Local Network logo. This was derived from a picture of a new, commercially available, Swift weather vane made by Andy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another way of making entrances in situ
We have reported on projects that make entrances in situ, by using a former which is removed when the mortar is set (see here and here). Unless one makes many formers, one has to spend many hours...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Internal boxes in Dry Drayton
In 2015, Rowena Baxter described her project to get Swift boxes installed in Dry Drayton. This has resulted in a total of 8 out of 20 boxes occupied by Swifts in 2016. No Swifts were known to nest in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Action for Swifts wins a Marsh Award
We were rather surprised, delighted and not a little embarrassed to be given a Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology. We follow a rather distinguished set of previous winners: 2012 The BTO Cuckoo...
View ArticleJane Goodall's Video Message for Swifts
It is not often that we reblog something, but we thought this was a particularly good video clip to promote Swifts and what we can do to help them. Thank you Martine Wauters for showing us this.You can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sedburgh School makes Swift boxes
Thank you to Tanya & Edmund Hoare and Sedburgh Community Swifts for this story.Our Sedbergh Community Swifts group was delighted when the Design Technology department at Sedbergh School in Cumbria...
View Article