South Bristol Swifts - summer survey results 2025

[Justin Anderson]

Hi swift local networkers. 

Hopping this might be of interest to you. 

Last summer, swift lovers here in south Bristol got together to form South Bristol Swifts. Our fledgling group set up to support swifts and swift awareness in the area. 

Our first job was a survey of our patch - the 33km² area of south Bristol. 

With a team of 26 volunteers, completing 348 volunteer hours and walking a distance of 522km, our team surveyed the area for swift activity and nest sites from the start of May through to the end of July. 

Are findings are set out in detail in the report attached but the headlines are: 

• Swifts were spotted on 282 occasions during survey hours. 
• 38 new swift nests - not recorded on swift mapper - were discovered. 
• The total number of nests present showed a decline compared to the historic records. 

Taking on such a big piece of citizen science has been a steep learning curve and we are hoping to build in lots of improvements for this year's survey. 

We would like to pass on a huge thanks to Bristol Ornithological Club for supporting us and all our volunteers for their commitment. 

I would love to hear any thoughts you have on our survey - there is so much to learn. We are all looking forward to pounding the streets and looking out for swifts again this summer! 

All the best

Justin 

Justin Anderson - Founder / South Bristol Swifts. 

[Graham Knight]

Hi Justin

A very interesting and comprehensive report. The detailed recording of the precise locations on buildings with photographs is very important for future reference, as in future years Swifts may well be seen entering different parts of the same buildings, allowing confirmation of multiple nests

One particular point to note -  Swift Mapper records up to about 2020 were based on postcodes, and if I understand them correctly, the nest is somewhere in the entered postcode area, with the marker probably being central in that area. I don't think precise locations for these records can therefore be assumed.

You will find that as you survey in consecutive years, the number of nests builds up. This is because you know where to look for the existing nests, and have more time to find new ones. Having surveyed for four years in Hertfordshire, I can tell you that you can never find all of the nests, and there are always many more than you think there are. Looking at the survey area you have, I would fully expect that you eventually find several times the number you have in one year. For this reason it may be too early to confirm any sort of decline in numbers. 

I would definitely recommend trying the call and response survey method early in the morning, where you play the calls and listen for responses. You can easily record 10-20 nests in a single morning by targeting known nest sites. The method does not by any means not find all of the nests, but allows survey work on a much larger scale, as it reduces the need to stand and wait in a single location in the evening. (My estimate is that at least 500 nests were recorded by this method in Herts in 2025). I will be posting some further details of the survey method at some point in the next few weeks.

Best wishes

Graham Knight

Sawbridgeworth Swifts

Facebook - Sawbridgeworth Swifts

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[canterburyswifts]

Hi Justin

I'm really impressed by your first swift survey and the rigorous approach adopted in terms of methodology and delineation of survey areas.

We are planning to expand our own surveying efforts this year so it is really interesting as well as helpful to read your results and see the superb presentation of your data. 

Thank you for sharing!

Ginny