About
Swifts have declined dramatically in recent years (by about a third since 1995). They are an iconic bird of our towns and villages and a welcome harbinger of summer. At least part of the reason for this decline is the loss of nesting locations in the nooks and crannies of our buildings, due to tighter building construction, renovation of old buildings and more energy efficient design.
Shropshire is blessed with a relatively plentiful Swift population compared to many other counties and we want to keep it that way or improve on the record.
To this end, the SACWG is conducting an annual survey of Swift numbers and breeding locations in our area. This involves looking for various types of evidence, such as birds going to nests in the evening from May onwards, young being fed slightly later in the year, display activities such as “screaming parties” and counts of numbers of Swifts in favoured locations.
The data collected will be shared with the Shropshire Council Ecological database, the Shropshire Ornithological Society and other appropriate organisations, and will be used by SACWG and others to monitor planning applications and building activity. The survey will provide a baseline for future surveys to monitor trends.
GETTING INVOLVED
If you would like to get involved with the Swifts in the Strettons project or would like to discuss the installation of swift boxes or house martin cups on your home please contact Julie Cowley
Survey findings
Swift Reports
The findings of the current and previous surveys have been made available in reports. Specific addresses of buildings on which confirmed nesting was found are excluded from this report but are available on a “need to know” basis on request.
Our results also contributed to the records of the Shropshire Swift Group whose January 2016 newsletter can be read here.
