For many people in Long Ashton, the joyful sound of swifts screaming overhead is one of the key indicators that the British summer has arrived in all its glory. But, like elsewhere in the country, our swift population is declining fast so what can we do to help them?
Now that Long Ashton Parish Council has recognised its statutory duties and adopted a Biodiversity Action Plan, the LANCE Trust is helping the Council turn words into action by implementing a Three Species Initiative to help swifts, hedgehogs and brimstone butterflies. It is an initiative in which everyone within the parish can play their part.
With our current focus on swifts, the LANCE Trust has, in the last couple of months, obtained a grant from Bristol Ornithological Club to buy materials to build swift nestboxes. This grant allowed trustees to build and install thirty boxes on homes around the village and Birdwell School.
LONG ASHTON SWIFT WALK & TALK
29 June 2024, 19:45-21:00
To advertise this initiative more widely, we will hold our first Swift Walk & Talk on 29th June 2024. It fits neatly into this year’s launch of the RSPB’s Swift Awareness Week (where the Long Ashton Swift project featured on BBC Bristol - skip to 1:46:30 here!)
You may have seen some beautiful blue posters advertising the event popping up on the village noticeboards. The plan is to meet in the car park in front of Long Ashton Community Centre at 19:45, followed by a gentle stroll into Peel Park and towards the swift hotspot of Fenswood Road to marvel at the swifts flying low and fast over the houses. This gives people the chance to learn more about swifts from individuals who are informed and passionate about swifts, and to hear about how everyone can play a part in helping them thrive in our village.
For those unable to attend, here’s some more information:
What’s the problem for swifts?
Swifts are endangered and their population is less than half of what it used to be.
Swifts like to nest in the eaves of a roof, or in holes and cracks of old buildings. Old buildings are increasingly being knocked down or repaired and new/renovated buildings generally have no holes for swifts.
However, swifts don’t like leaving their old nest site and will keep flying at it, trying to get in, even if there is no longer an entrance they can use. They may hurt themselves trying to gain access.
What we’ve done so far in Long Ashton
For 2024, we have focused on installing boxes close to the known swift nesting hotspots in Fenswood Road and Rayens Cross Road in the centre of the village. We’ve also installed a few boxes adjacent to these spots to start creating a corridor linking these two areas.
It’s highly likely that swifts may not nest in a nest box straight away. Sometimes, young swifts - before they are ready to have babies - will have a look at nest boxes and bump in to them to check them out. Because of this behaviour, they've gained the sweet nickname of 'bangers'. The bangers often come back the following year and use the nest box they previously scoped out.
Interestingly, you can encourage swifts to find your new nest boxes by playing a sound recording of swifts near to your nest box. Contact us if you need any further information.
We hope that, this winter, we can build more boxes to expand the project further across the village.
Swift inspiration
The Long Ashton Swift Project was inspired by the great work that Bristol Swifts and Clevedon Swifts have been doing on their own swift box projects alongside online sites such as Action for Swifts.
Wonderful books such as Swifts and Us by Sarah Gibson plus Mark Cocker’s One Midsummer’s Day gave us much information and inspiration.
Many thanks are due to the Bristol Ornithological Club for their grant that has enabled us to buy materials to build the boxes installed so far in 2024. Additionally to Robbins Timber Supplies for a generous discount on their materials, and to the trustees who have built and installed the boxes. Plus, of course, those who have co-ordinated this project in rapid time. Last but not least, special thanks to Rob from Gordano Tree Care for helping us install the extra high boxes at Birdwell School.
We have given swift talks to Birdwell School's Eco-Council and Long Ashton Brownies, who even helped make their own swift boxes as well as designing posters and writing poems about swifts!
We have plans for more swift walks and talks around the village during the summer as well as one special event with details still to come.
What else can be done to give swifts the best chance?
Leave existing nest sites alone.
Tell the Long Ashton Swift Project about any known swift nesting sites.
When repairing buildings, make sure new nest sites are provided.
Ensure swift bricks are factored into any new building developments or extensions.
Put up nest boxes on buildings without swifts already nesting on them.
Provide habitat for insects which are swifts' food.
To finish, some swift trivia...
The swift is black all over, with a small, pale patch on its throat.
Looking a bit like a boomerang when in the air, they are very sociable and can often be spotted in groups wheeling over roofs and calling to each other with high-pitched screams.
They are larger than swallows and martins (which have white undersides) and, unlike them, does not perch on wires, buildings or trees.
They eat, drink, preen, sleep and mate while flying!
Our swifts leave Africa in late April/May and fly 5000 miles to the UK to raise their young.
They return to the exact same nest site each year.
Once a chick has fledged it doesn’t land again until its ready to breed - up to 3 years later!
They fly back to Africa, from Long Ashton, at the end of July.
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