Re: [SLN] Digest for swiftslocalnetwork@googlegroups.com - 10 updates in 4 topics

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vanessa kane

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Apr 15, 2026, 3:45:38 AM (12 days ago) Apr 15
to swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Hello, 
I have installed Swift bricks in several schools but wondering what  would be the best times to set the calling system to attract the swifts.  Was thinking am and pm? 
Thank you in advance

On Wed, 15 Apr 2026 at 07:58, <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
helensshelfordhistory <helensshel...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 12:31AM -0700

Our group has just installed a run of boxes round our 3 villages. Having
spent several weeks surveying the sites, I had a whole different view of
the village last night when returning home at 10pm. Security lights in all
sorts of places, some of them quite blinding. Presumably nightime light is
detrimental to swifts (and other birds) and should be avoided?
How much lighting can be tolerated? Does artificial lighting actively deter
nestbox occupation? Would appreciate views on this.
Helen Harwood,
CamSwift, Cambridgeshire
Zoe Crossley <zoecr...@live.co.uk>: Apr 14 07:45AM

Light pollution is a huge problem. I do have an LED street light outside my house where we have nesting swifts. I was able to get the Taylor Wimpey the house builders to fit metal shields to the ones on my street which stop the light spreading up and to the sides as much and concentrate it downwards. It’s made a small difference and so worth trying for those if you can.
 
On 14 Apr 2026, at 08:31, helensshelfordhistory <helensshel...@gmail.com> wrote:
 

Our group has just installed a run of boxes round our 3 villages. Having spent several weeks surveying the sites, I had a whole different view of the village last night when returning home at 10pm. Security lights in all sorts of places, some of them quite blinding. Presumably nightime light is detrimental to swifts (and other birds) and should be avoided?
How much lighting can be tolerated? Does artificial lighting actively deter nestbox occupation? Would appreciate views on this.
Helen Harwood,
CamSwift, Cambridgeshire
 
 
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Helen Harwood <helensshel...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 11:02AM +0100

Hi Zoe,
Thanks for that. We will indeed. Are your swifts nesting in a box or in the
roof space? Best wishes,
Helen
 
Zoe Crossley <zoecr...@live.co.uk>: Apr 14 10:05AM

We have several pairs nesting in Peak boxes which are on the gable end so quite high up. Hope this helps.
 
On 14 Apr 2026, at 11:02, Helen Harwood <helensshel...@gmail.com> wrote:
 

Hi Zoe,
Thanks for that. We will indeed. Are your swifts nesting in a box or in the roof space? Best wishes,
Helen
 
On Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 8:45 AM Zoe Crossley <zoecr...@live.co.uk<mailto:zoecrossley@live.co.uk>> wrote:
Light pollution is a huge problem. I do have an LED street light outside my house where we have nesting swifts. I was able to get the Taylor Wimpey the house builders to fit metal shields to the ones on my street which stop the light spreading up and to the sides as much and concentrate it downwards. It’s made a small difference and so worth trying for those if you can.
 
On 14 Apr 2026, at 08:31, helensshelfordhistory <helensshel...@gmail.com<mailto:helensshelfordhistory@gmail.com>> wrote:
 

Our group has just installed a run of boxes round our 3 villages. Having spent several weeks surveying the sites, I had a whole different view of the village last night when returning home at 10pm. Security lights in all sorts of places, some of them quite blinding. Presumably nightime light is detrimental to swifts (and other birds) and should be avoided?
How much lighting can be tolerated? Does artificial lighting actively deter nestbox occupation? Would appreciate views on this.
Helen Harwood,
CamSwift, Cambridgeshire
 
 
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Carol Collins <carolwc...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 01:39PM +0100

I would agree that light pollution is a huge problem, but not I suspect not
so much for swifts as for other nocturnal/twilght species. It will
presumably depend on just when security lights etc. come on, but I think
swifts are usually high in the sky or on their nests by the time it gets
dark - I don't think they are active until the world is reasonably light?
 
Carol Collins
Hathersage, Derbyshire.
 
On Tue, 14 Apr 2026 at 11:02, Helen Harwood <helensshel...@gmail.com>
wrote:
 
Andrew Turney <andrew...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 08:16AM +0100

Hi all
We have 2 friends here in D&G who are a core part of our team .. Sarah and Steve they have worked wonders for all birds especially swifts swallows and martins … Steve has actually taken blocks of sandstone out of the gable end of a traditional farm building and carved nest places for swifts inside the blocks, made a small entrance and repositioned them in the wall … they have 19 active swift nests in the stone nests and other nest boxes
Sarah’s daughter gave them following plaque as a Christmas gift 2 years ago .. a splendid mark of all their hard work and enthusiasm.
They run self catering holiday cottages .. named swift and swallow !
It would be great if inspiration chimes with others, interestingly we have discussed what would happen to the swift nests if they ever have to leave, so the record is now marked.
Bw
Andrew
 
 
 
https://www.mcmurdoston.co.uk/
Self Catering, Dumfries
mcmurdoston.co.uk
 

 

Laurinda Luffman <Laurinda...@rspb.org.uk>: Apr 14 10:02AM

This plaque is beautiful!
 
It would be amazing if we could find a manufacturer to come up with a blue plaque which can be used anywhere i.e. without any customised wording – e.g. Swifts nest here in the spring & summer.
 
From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Andrew Turney
Sent: 14 April 2026 08:16
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [SLN] Badge of Honour in pride of place in D&G
 
Hi all
We have 2 friends here in D&G who are a core part of our team .. Sarah and Steve they have worked wonders for all birds especially swifts swallows and martins … Steve has actually taken blocks of sandstone out of the gable end of a traditional farm building and carved nest places for swifts inside the blocks, made a small entrance and repositioned them in the wall … they have 19 active swift nests in the stone nests and other nest boxes
Sarah’s daughter gave them following plaque as a Christmas gift 2 years ago .. a splendid mark of all their hard work and enthusiasm.
They run self catering holiday cottages .. named swift and swallow !
It would be great if inspiration chimes with others, interestingly we have discussed what would happen to the swift nests if they ever have to leave, so the record is now marked.
Bw
Andrew
 
 
 
[cid:image0...@01DCCBFE.46E70830]
Self Catering, Dumfries<https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/4CQ-C2kKkSjprzwtnfPT51vrx/>
mcmurdoston.co.uk<https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/4CQ-C2kKkSjprzwtnfPT51vrx/>
 
[cid:image0...@01DCCBFE.46E70830]
 
[cid:image0...@01DCCBFE.46E70830]
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Sally Pereira <sallyj...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 09:18AM +0100

The "Plaque of Honour" idea originally came from a member of our Bradwell
Swift Group called Sally Newham. Everyone I have mentioned this idea to
since has agreed it could play a vital role in helping to reduce the often
accidental loss of Swift nest sites. All too often when buildings change
hands the nooks and crannies that provide Swift nesting sites get covered
over/filled in. Last year in our small village we had 6 houses go up for
sale that we knew had Swifts nesting in them, out of 31 buildings where we
have identified that Swifts are present. In consequence, if a local Swift
Group does not exist, we can see how quickly nesting sites could be lost
and potentially Swift numbers reduced, if no alternative nesting sites are
found during the brief time they are with us each summer.
 
If local Swift Groups around the UK can identify the location of their
local Swift nest sites, and then link with the current owners and raise
awareness of their presence and how special Swifts are, but also that
the Swifts need our help, that is a good starting point. If at the same
time we can convince owners that they are the lucky ones, perhaps by giving
them one of Helen Lucy's excellent Swift booklets and Helens' beautifully
designed badge with the words on it "My Home is your Home", it is then only
a small step to subsequently encouraging them to have a special Swift
plaque that acknowledges this, and provides a lasting legacy to help
permanently protect the nest site.
 
If enough groups around the UK were willing to adopt this approach then
this combined with other actions such as Swifts bricks in all new
buildings, putting up nest boxes etc. may just help us reverse their rapid
decline - between 1995 -2023 it is estimated the UK Swift Population
declined by 68% (BTO figures).
 
Sally Pereira (Bradwell Swift Group) Derbyshire
 
Carol Collins <carolwc...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 10:30AM +0100

There is a lovely pottery in Chepstow (The Workshop Gallery) where they
specialise in producing the blue plaques for buildings where famous folk
have lived - website at: http://blue-plaques.org.uk/ The potter is Ned
Heywood and his email address is: n...@nedheywood.com <n...@nedheywood.com>
I 'n sure he said that there are other potteries also producing blue
plaques so there may be several around the country. A section of the
website is about other plaques etc., so I'm sure a swift plaque would be
possible.
Carol.
Carol Collins
Hathersage.
 
Hannah Bourne-Taylor <hannahbou...@gmail.com>: Apr 14 08:29AM +0100

In response to Helen Lucy - I think this has been an idea circulated
before, and everytime someone mentions it, there is a really positive
response - i think it's a great idea!
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Becky Ingham

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Apr 15, 2026, 4:07:58 AM (12 days ago) Apr 15
to swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Hi Vanessa

We recommend playing them between 5-7am and 5-7pm. You can play for longer but these are the key attracting times.


Best wishes

Becky

Becky Ingham

Chief Executive Officer

Action for Swifts Trading Ltd

T: +44 (0)7535 270 077

E: be...@actionforswifts.com

Website: www.actionforswifts.com 

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Mike Priaulx

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Apr 16, 2026, 1:35:12 PM (11 days ago) Apr 16
to Digest recipients
Hello Vanessa,

Regarding call system times, personally I say minimum 7:30-9:00 in both the morning and the evening (stretching to 9:30pm in mid summer), my logic for this being:

This is reasonable for neighbours.


Swifts only reliably come down low after 7:30pm (often later) in my area, which is very urban. Similarly they're rarely up early. This could be different in different types of areas though.


Also these times are easy to remember!



This has been my advice for several years and we have boxes occupied in at least 30 separate locations that I know of.


I do see some people say it's not worth playing calls in May, but from my experience e.g. a Croydon box that was occupied within 10 days of installation,


May is a great time to pick up pairs that have lost a nest site,

so I will be asking people to start playing by at least 1st May (maybe slightly before, as last year a major arrival was 28th April).


All the best, and good luck!

Mike


Islington and Hackney Swifts Groups


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Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 10 updates in 4 topics

vanessa kane <vkan...@gmail.com>: Apr 15 08:45AM +0100

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