Re: [SLN] Digest for swiftslocalnetwork@googlegroups.com - 4 updates in 3 topics

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John Parrott

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Aug 8, 2026, 3:21:29 AMAug 8
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I have been struggling to determine which of my nest-boxes are occupied.  I’ve experimented with a few methods, all of which have pros and cons.
Direct observations of Swifts coming and going are very time-demanding.
Motion-activated trail cameras fitted inside next-boxes provide a detailed (but retrospective) record of all activity at the end of the season when the SD can be retrieved. 
Online cameras installed inside nestboxes allow the behaviour of parents and chicks to be monitored in real time 24/7 throughout the breeding season.  Technologically challenging and relatively expensive.
Observations of poo below nests … I’ve found it’s tricky to tell which nests droppings have come from.
Thermal imaging binoculars and cameras are perhaps useful in some situations, but they are quite expensive.
What are other observers using?

John

John Parrott, The Old School, Errogie, Inverness IV2 6UH. M:  07799 728768

From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 08 August 2026 07:58
To: Digest recipients <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [SLN] Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 4 updates in 3 topics
 
alofanglia <alis...@alofanglia.plus.com>: Aug 07 07:43PM +0100

Yes it's like pubs with live music if there is a complaint then they can be shut down. Similarly in our area of Devon someone complained about a church clock that has chimed through the night for 400 years and the church were told to stop it. A compromise was reached in the end.
 
I set up a caller system recently and stupidly had it on a loud volume and was turning it down to background level but the neighbour soon appeared and moaned. Should have started quiet and turned it up until it was at background level.
 
I have an app which measures the decibels so on churches I've used 40 decibels at the graveyard edge or the other way is to use Merlin and have swifts coming in second place to other birds.The sound is quite directional too so maybe consider mounting it away from neighbours or perhaps try pointing it upwards? Although not ideal swifts will come and have a look and hopefully find your boxes while exploring the eaves.
 
Lastly using a digital timer gives options so have the caller on in short bursts when people are at work or days when they're not in the garden.
 
Good luck and callers work my nearest colony was about 1 mile away and got my pair after about 3 years.
 
Keep going !
 
Alistair
 
Kingsteignton Swifts
 
Sent from my iPhone
 
On 5 Aug 2026, at 12:48, Dick Newell <dick....@gmail.com> wrote:
 

 
Hello Caroline,
 
Regardless of what the law says, one doesn't want to fall out with one's neighbours.
 
You seem to have a particularly irritable neighbour.
 
Usually one can find times of day and an acceptable sound volume to keep everyone on side. You don't have to blast the calls out full volume to be successful.
 
Your environmental health technician, clearly doesn't know what he is talking about, but he is right that most Swifts have gone now.
 
Dick
 
On Wed, 5 Aug 2026, 10:46 drcaroline...@gmail.com, <drcaroline...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Can anyone advise me what the laws around noise are please? I've run into problems playing my swift caller. Are the laws countrywide or vary from Council to Council? How is an assessment made of whether a noise is a nuisance? Is there a decibel limit? I had a half hour conversation yesterday with a Senior Environmental Health Technician who had been out after complaints from 2 neighbours (one has a lot of previous history including getting the police to visit another neighbour on 2 occasions after her sons accidentally kicked a football into her garden). He said it was the repetitive nature and playing calls at the same time each day and too loudly but wouldn't tell me if there was a noise limit. He also told me I shouldn't want swifts in my eaves as they cause a lot of mess, there was no point in trying to attract any as there weren't any nearby, and they'd all left now anyway. And when I was trying to get out of him what would be acceptable for next year then just to not bother.
 
It seemed a very subjective assessment which is what is annoying me….. Also, I have other people in Newcastle playing calls who may also run into problems.
 
Thanks-Caroline
 
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alofanglia <alis...@alofanglia.plus.com>: Aug 07 08:00PM +0100

Just found this on . Gov.uk on noise pollution
 
govuk-opengraph-image-4196a4d6333cf92aaf720047f56cfd91b3532d7635fc21ebcf0d5897df6b5f77.png
 
Noise nuisances: how councils deal with complaints
 
www.gov.uk
 
Sent from my iPhone
 
On 7 Aug 2026, at 19:44, alofanglia <alis...@alofanglia.plus.com> wrote:
 
 Yes it's like pubs with live music if there is a complaint then they can be shut down. Similarly in our area of Devon someone complained about a church clock that has chimed through the night for 400 years and the church were told to stop it. A compromise was reached in the end.
 
I set up a caller system recently and stupidly had it on a loud volume and was turning it down to background level but the neighbour soon appeared and moaned. Should have started quiet and turned it up until it was at background level.
 
I have an app which measures the decibels so on churches I've used 40 decibels at the graveyard edge or the other way is to use Merlin and have swifts coming in second place to other birds.The sound is quite directional too so maybe consider mounting it away from neighbours or perhaps try pointing it upwards? Although not ideal swifts will come and have a look and hopefully find your boxes while exploring the eaves.
 
Lastly using a digital timer gives options so have the caller on in short bursts when people are at work or days when they're not in the garden.
 
Good luck and callers work my nearest colony was about 1 mile away and got my pair after about 3 years.
 
Keep going !
 
Alistair
 
Kingsteignton Swifts
 
Sent from my iPhone
 
On 5 Aug 2026, at 12:48, Dick Newell <dick....@gmail.com> wrote:
 

 
Hello Caroline,
 
Regardless of what the law says, one doesn't want to fall out with one's neighbours.
 
You seem to have a particularly irritable neighbour.
 
Usually one can find times of day and an acceptable sound volume to keep everyone on side. You don't have to blast the calls out full volume to be successful.
 
Your environmental health technician, clearly doesn't know what he is talking about, but he is right that most Swifts have gone now.
 
Dick
 
On Wed, 5 Aug 2026, 10:46 drcaroline...@gmail.com, <drcaroline...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Can anyone advise me what the laws around noise are please? I've run into problems playing my swift caller. Are the laws countrywide or vary from Council to Council? How is an assessment made of whether a noise is a nuisance? Is there a decibel limit? I had a half hour conversation yesterday with a Senior Environmental Health Technician who had been out after complaints from 2 neighbours (one has a lot of previous history including getting the police to visit another neighbour on 2 occasions after her sons accidentally kicked a football into her garden). He said it was the repetitive nature and playing calls at the same time each day and too loudly but wouldn't tell me if there was a noise limit. He also told me I shouldn't want swifts in my eaves as they cause a lot of mess, there was no point in trying to attract any as there weren't any nearby, and they'd all left now anyway. And when I was trying to get out of him what would be acceptable for next year then just to not bother.
 
It seemed a very subjective assessment which is what is annoying me….. Also, I have other people in Newcastle playing calls who may also run into problems.
 
Thanks-Caroline
 
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Mike Priaulx <michael...@yahoo.com>: Aug 07 10:54AM

Thanks John for highlighting this important Section 59 which controls the regulation start date.




All, for reference here's the link to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2026/6/enacted




It's also at the end of the general link I sent on Wednesday, here again for easy access:

https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/s6/natural-environment-scotland-bill




The relevant section 33B in the Bill is now Section 41 in the Act.




There are no page numbers in this version, so do a word search for "Building" to find Section 41,

and search "Commencement" to find Section 59 that John also refers to.




So in summary:




For Section 41 the maximum 12 month period didn't start on 12/03/26 but actually it starts whenever Scottish Ministers deem it to start.




I am confident that Hannah/ Green Party/ RSPB & others who initiated this will be on the case making sure that start date is ASAP.




All the best,

Mike




Member of SLN Swifts & Planning Group




+++




Swift bricks in Scotland - update

johnswilson.15921 <johnswil...@blueyonder.co.uk>: Aug 06 01:03PM -0700




Following description of an “official notice” and “delay” the Scottish

Ministers letter of 30 July 2026 is not relevant to Section 41 of the Natural

Environment (Scotland) Act 2026. There will be a further letter.
Cally Smith <huntlysw...@gmail.com>: Aug 07 10:05AM +0100

Thanks John
I will certainly take a fresh look at the guidance notes one of which i am
aware of. SNH is now Nature Scot. Nature Scot who state that 'swift bricks
have separate access for maintenance'.
https://www.nature.scot/doc/developing-nature-guidance Measure 13 - Homes
for small birds
They also state further down the document under ;future management; that
'swift bricks require annual cleaning'.
I did notice NatureScot do have a link to 'Swift Conservation'. I think an
email to Nature Scot to address a couple of issues is needed :)
 
What is needed is a brand new informed guidance on swifts and house martins
to be referred to across National Trust and National Trust Scotland. These
projects should never be at the mercy of one knowledgeable member of staff
or because there is a swift group nearby on watch, which seems to be the
case. Built Heritage also could do with some guidance.
 
Cally
 
 
On Thu, 6 Aug 2026 at 21:09, johnswilson.15921 <
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Edward Mayer

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Aug 9, 2026, 5:45:35 AMAug 9
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Hi Cally, 

I rather think that the whole "heritage" sector needs educating in the support of co-domestic species, be they lizards in old garden walls, bumble bees too, or kestrels in church towers (excluded after years of nesting by my local church) or Swifts ( excluded with chicken wire during nesting by another of my local churches. When I went to speak to the vicar about it, politely, nicely, he spoke not a word but simply turned his back on me and walked away). The ignorance, and even the hostility to the harmless beneficial creatures that share our dwellings can be quite stunning. 

It needs to be remedied, and in Churches, with CFGA now heavily involved, it seems things are getting a whole lot better, but not as far as I can see in the heritage buildings sector, where the same mistakes are being made again and again.  Some sort of equivalent of CFGA just for historic buildings and their wildlife populations could be very beneficial, existing simply to nag/persuade/shame heritage entities into a more sensitive attitude to resident wildlife.

Is anyone up for this?

All the best, Edward

Barbara Anglezarke

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Aug 11, 2026, 9:58:40 AMAug 11
to swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com

Same goes for the renewable energy/energy efficiency world too! Very little consideration or understanding.

Croeso i chi gysylltu â ni yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ymateb yn Gymraeg, heb oedi. You are welcome to contact us in Welsh. We will respond in Welsh without delay.
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