Fetch Birdwatchers
165 watchers
18 Jul
11:32am, 18 Jul 2024
5,504 posts
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J2R
We're still getting the swifts screeching over the garden here, but it's definitely the smallest regular posse I can recall. In fact, most of the time it's just 3, which I presume nest somewhere in the street.
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18 Jul
11:51am, 18 Jul 2024
5,920 posts
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paulcook
Last week I’ve had regularly more than 30 swifts flying around all day outside my window at work. I don’t know if I’ve looked higher this year but it’s the most I’ve noticed from the work flock. At home I’ve not noticed any this year though. I saw one fly into a bricknest round the corner and a couple of mornings on the walk to work they’ve been about but I’ve not actively noticed any of the flocks on my street. |
18 Jul
12:29pm, 18 Jul 2024
4,853 posts
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phal
'Our' swift group is down to about five or six - that's the biggest group I've seen together. It's usually a gang of four flying about. A few years ago we were easily at about 15. However, I'm waiting to see if we get the mass groupings we've seen over on the big green space near us before they are due to fly home. We've seen one trying to find holes in the roof of houses near us, and we think we've spotted where one is nesting one street over. I'd love to put swift boxes up, but they're not cheap and you're meant to put a few together, aren't you?
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18 Jul
12:41pm, 18 Jul 2024
5,505 posts
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J2R
I hadn't thought of putting up a swift box or boxes until this year, phal, but it's definitely on the cards for next year. I would say, though, that the reason for this year's drop in numbers is presumably not to do with absence of nesting sites locally because there really haven't been any changes here. On top of that, I think new builds now are probably in general rather more swift aware than they were a few years back, so theoretically there are probably more suitable sites now. I suspect insect numbers, here or somewhere on the migration route, is probably what's determined this year's drop.
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18 Jul
12:45pm, 18 Jul 2024
4,854 posts
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phal
I agree about the lack of insects - our budleja hasn’t seen a butterfly and it’s blooming like nobody’s business. There’s a noticeable lack of insects on an evening when we’re over in the long grass fields as well, even when sunny and dry. The garden’s been quiet too, and we try and plant for insects… Just been too wet and cold 😔 |
18 Jul
1:32pm, 18 Jul 2024
4,512 posts
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jacdaw
New builds really aren't at all swift aware! And lots of older houses have had nesting spaces blocked up in the name of improvements. Same for bats. So nest sites are down. This year is terrible for insects, but swift numbers are reflecting poor insect numbers in previous years (not this year), and very much, fewer nest sites. Swift boxes start at about £40 each, and the more you fit the better. And you need to play swift calls to attractv them. The previous government (Gove!) promised to guarantee the installation of swift bricks in new builds... but then didn't (see here: hannahbournetaylor.com ). Good ideas on how to make your own, here: bristolswifts.co.uk Other suggestions to improve things are never to use pesticides in your garden, and buy organic produce when you can. Unfortunately we don't really know what is going on in their wintering grounds, which could be having the same, or greater, impact. |
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18 Jul
1:41pm, 18 Jul 2024
4,855 posts
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phal
Thanks for the links @jdawayinamanger
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18 Jul
1:52pm, 18 Jul 2024
5,506 posts
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J2R
That's slightly disappointing about new builds, @jacdaw , I had the impression things were different. My point about nest sites, though, is that in previous years there were clearly far more swifts nesting in my street than this year, but to the best of my knowledge nothing has been done in the last year to reduce the availability of sites, no roofing work or whatever that I've been aware of. Availability of nesting sites clearly is a factor in concentrations of population, though. I mentioned a trip to Lavenham in Suffolk a few weeks ago, with all its really old buildings containing lots of little cavities for swifts to use, and there were loads of swifts flying around, it almost reminded me of being in southern Europe. |
18 Jul
2:21pm, 18 Jul 2024
3,218 posts
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RunningRonnie
I thought they made a rule that new builds need to contain Swift bricks now, is that wrong?
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18 Jul
2:31pm, 18 Jul 2024
4,513 posts
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jacdaw
It was debated, but then... rspb.org.uk cieem.net theguardian.com More info about bricks and boxes here: swift-conservation.org |
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