Protection of swift colonies - could they be designated as SSSIs and some other thoughts...

[Alistair]

As the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act seems to be so ineffective at protecting endangered wildlife would it not be possible for important local or long established swift colonies to be designated as sites of special scientific interest? This would give them extra protections…(along with extra bureaucracy)?

On a similar thought looking at my 10 boxes on the side of the house I would be really surprised if an ecologist could identify the box that is occupied by my pair of swifts unless they happened to be present when one flew in (probably a wait of at least 1.5hours but even then they can slip in without me knowing). They certainly wouldn’t know how many nestlings are present or whether they were nesting unless they saw the adult with a bolus. There is also a pair of sparrows and again unless the birds are present I doubt an ecologist could identify it.

So in providing enough evidence for the wildlife act what is required to prove it is a swift site? This is something English Nature as the statutory body need to state but my thoughts are with swifts it will never be enough due to their nature as a cryptic species.

If English Nature fail to address the issue history will keep on repeating itself and then we will wonder why there are no more swifts left.

In a similar vein this needs to be raised with the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and the British Ecological Society, and other bodies such as the National Federation of Demolition Contractors or the Institute of Demolition Engineers.

Perhaps if people complained about the operating standards of the contractor and requested they be removed from the official body they may take notice especially if it is a petition.

All the best

Alistair

Kingsteington Swifts