Renovation work at St Peters Hospital, Maldon. Essex which has 5 nesting swifts.
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johnl...@hotmail.co.uk
Jun 5, 2026, 1:32:50 AM (8 days ago) Jun 5
to swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Hi, I'm not sure who will receive this. Over two weeks ago we discovered 5 swift nesting sites at St Peters Hospital where scaffolding has been put up. The hospital authorities have been contacted, and given exact locations of the nests. However, I haven't heard back.
Tonight, after being away for two weeks a group of us will have another look.
I might be asking for advice. Just thought I'd send this in advance.
John Le Seve
Essex SLN
On 4 Jun 2026 07:58, swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com wrote:
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Edward Mayer <edward...@zen.co.uk>: Jun 04 07:47AM +0100
MAYBE OF INTEREST?
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Mike Priaulx <michael...@yahoo.com>: Jun 03 07:51AM
Hi Tony/ all,
Yes both Peak Boxes and Swift Conservation calls have been proved to
work.
We've been using the latest Peak Boxes calls (which are irregular with
pauses) at our site in Harrow, as the residents have a Peak Boxes calls
system, and birds were attracted immediately and entering the boxes within
a month (it's a replacement project, hence the fast results, which I'll
post more about very soon).
The Swift Conservation calls have worked equally well too on many sites,
these are more regular. I like these, others prefer the irregular ones.
Swifts like both, it seems!
All the best,
Mike
Islington and Hackney Swifts Groups
+++
Nest Defence Calls
Tony Croft <the.cro...@gmail.com>: Jun 02 05:25PM +0100
I'm using the ones that came with the Peak Boxes caller...does anyone
know
if these are okay?
Best Regards
Tony
Alistair <alis...@alofanglia.plus.com>: Jun 03 09:23AM +0100
If you have the time and inclination yes refining the calls may help but playing the calls works….Plenty on Xeno canto that can be downloaded and played.
The best one Ive heard is a bird call tape so you can learn the calls being used this was at least 10 years ago. It went on a cycle a human voice saying "The Swifts!” Followed by dueting swifts! They came and the rest is history….
All the best
Alistair
Paul Stevens <paulnat...@googlemail.com>: Jun 03 04:30PM +0100
I have been using the peak boxes caller file extensively and it works like
a dream.
Lots of box take ups and interest.
Paul
Tony Croft <the.cro...@gmail.com>: Jun 03 09:01PM +0100
Whoopee! Tonight one pair have gone into a box together in the midst of a
rain storm! They haven't come out so the Peak Box calls do work as we
suspect another pair are in a lower box too.
Can't believe we may have 2 pairs after 4 years with no returns and no
interest...so this is a wonderful evening and cheered us up...
Thank you to Jools Partridge and Leicestershire County Council for
providing the caller and 2 extra Peak boxes giving us 7 boxes in our little
colony now....
Can't say how exciting this is for us....we love our swifts.
When we moved in nearly 50 years ago now we had to replace the Telephonr
rotten facia boards and had found nesting debris in the loft thinking it
was Starlings! Then the swifts came back "banging" at the new facia
boards! So a hasty order for 2 double Swegler boxes was placed, put up and
occupied within minutes...
4 years ago we suddenly had no returns until this week!
Best Regards
Tony & Anne
Mike Priaulx <michael...@yahoo.com>: Jun 03 08:05AM
Hello Neil,
You are correct that apart from a few exceptions such as some birds of
prey, bird nest sites are not protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act
when they are inactive out of season, unfortunately.
As Edward will tell you in his talk it's better, and cheaper, for the HA
to retain the nest sites after roofing works.
Alternatively you can create integrated boxes above the soffit board, and
included a nest form in the eaves - these are often called soffit boxes.
Installing external boxes can work but is the fallback option.
There are leaflets for the above from Swift Conservation and Action for
Swifts - I can send you the links later.
All the best,
Mike
Member of SLN Swifts & Planning Group
Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 2 topics
Neil Whitaker <britw...@yahoo.com>: Jun 01 10:14AM
Hello all.I am trying to make further contact with our HA with regard to
our colony in Hemingford Grey in Cambridgeshire. To this point they appear
to have been understanding, relaying their intentions to delay works to
"improve" our rooflines until the breeding season is over. This is
obviously welcome news. I do, however, fear potential works after our
Swifts departure. Our Parish Council has generously allocated funding for
nest boxes and also a visit from Edward Mayer to our village on July 7th.
Now I fear my requests to representatives of our HA to attend Edwards
presentation are falling on deaf ears.I'd really like them to continue with
the pro-active intentions they displayed a few months ago but I fear the
Wildlife Act protecting our Swifts becomes irrelevant once breeding season
is over? Am I right in this belief?Any help appreciated!
RegardsNeil Whitaker
Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer
On Sun, 31 May 2026 at 20:05, Julie Cowley<julieco...@gmail.com>
wrote: Can we not approach the National Wildlife Crime Unit and document
the incident to them?
Louise at Bolton and Bury Swifts <super...@outlook.com>: Jun 03 05:42PM
Hi Neil,
If you think the local Housing Association are no longer listening to you, perhaps striking up a relationship with a local councillor or even the Cabinet Member for the Environment at your local council may prove helpful. Good luck. Hopefully you can get them back on board.
Best Wishes,
Louise
[image] [See the source image] [image]
Bolton & Bury Swifts
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/BoltonAndBurySwifts/> Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/boltonandburyswifts/>
House Martin Conservation<https://housemartinconservation.com/>
Bolton Green Umbrella<https://boltongreenumbrella.org.uk/>
________________________________
From: 'Mike Priaulx' via swiftslocalnetwork <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 9:05:56 AM
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: swifts....@gmail.com <swifts....@gmail.com>; britw...@yahoo.com <britw...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [SLN] Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 2 topics
Hello Neil,
You are correct that apart from a few exceptions such as some birds of prey, bird nest sites are not protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act when they are inactive out of season, unfortunately.
As Edward will tell you in his talk it's better, and cheaper, for the HA to retain the nest sites after roofing works.
Alternatively you can create integrated boxes above the soffit board, and included a nest form in the eaves - these are often called soffit boxes.
Installing external boxes can work but is the fallback option.
There are leaflets for the above from Swift Conservation and Action for Swifts - I can send you the links later.
All the best,
Mike
Member of SLN Swifts & Planning Group
Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 2 topics<http://groups.google.com/group/swiftslocalnetwork/t/1f5752e87f55c0f2?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email>
Neil Whitaker <britw...@yahoo.com>: Jun 01 10:14AM
Hello all.I am trying to make further contact with our HA with regard to our colony in Hemingford Grey in Cambridgeshire. To this point they appear to have been understanding, relaying their intentions to delay works to "improve" our rooflines until the breeding season is over. This is obviously welcome news. I do, however, fear potential works after our Swifts departure. Our Parish Council has generously allocated funding for nest boxes and also a visit from Edward Mayer to our village on July 7th. Now I fear my requests to representatives of our HA to attend Edwards presentation are falling on deaf ears.I'd really like them to continue with the pro-active intentions they displayed a few months ago but I fear the Wildlife Act protecting our Swifts becomes irrelevant once breeding season is over? Am I right in this belief?Any help appreciated!
RegardsNeil Whitaker
Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer
On Sun, 31 May 2026 at 20:05, Julie Cowley<julieco...@gmail.com> wrote: Can we not approach the National Wildlife Crime Unit and document the incident to them?
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Julie Cowley <julieco...@gmail.com>: Jun 03 02:28PM +0100
Dear all
From my experience with the loss of 4 swift nest sites due to a re-roofing
project last year it is vital that we make sure our county records offices
have all of our house nesting bird records annually. The LNRS refers to
these records and so should the planning department of any county council.
I am trying to get Shropshire building control to also screen for house
nesting birds alongside bats. It is an onerous task - SwiftMapper, House
Martin Conservation app, BirdTrack, plus our records office is talking of
iRecord, as well as their current system of an Excel spreadsheet - but well
worth it when you can say categorically it is a known nest site and
therefore a precautionary approach should be adopted. Housing Associations
can also ask for the data and ought to when planning their maintenance
work.
I have to add that I did have the site last year recorded with the country
records office but it made not a jot of difference at the time. However,
it is the first question our wildlife crime officer now asks me - how do
you know? - and I can reply with confidence.
Julie
Swifts in the Strettons project
Edward Mayer <edward...@zen.co.uk>: Jun 03 03:45PM +0100
Sorry, no idea! Do they work OK?
Ann Dowling <annie.d...@gmail.com>: Jun 03 08:24AM +0100
So well done. Huge pity that it had to be so.
Ann
Wilbarston Swifts
Sent from my iPad
On 3 Jun 2026, at 07:24, Banstead Swifts <banstea...@gmail.com> wrote:
Boom. I couldn't share earlier but Sandra made contact on the morning of the press release.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/03/noted-surrey-colony-of-at-risk-swifts-destroyed-during-nesting-season?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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Alistair <alis...@alofanglia.plus.com>: Jun 03 09:08AM +0100
I’ve informed Natural England too of the crime….
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Kingsteignton Swifts
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Mike Priaulx
Jun 5, 2026, 4:18:27 AM (8 days ago) Jun 5
to swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com, johnl...@hotmail.co.uk
Hi John,
This has posted to the SLN Google group - you can definitely ask for advice here.
It sounds like nest access is ok at the moment, or you don't know? You are communicating with the hospital which is the most important thing, I expect you know it's illegal to block access to the nests at this time so let them know that.
Gather as much evidence as you can e.g. video evidence of birds accessing the buildings, & photos.
You can inform the police of the current situation e.g. on 101, say you're reporting a wildlife crime, and then you've got that communication recorded and the date.
Let us know the latest when you've viewed it?
All the best,
Mike
Member of SLN Swifts & Planning Group
johnl...@hotmail.co.uk: Jun 05 06:32AM +0100
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