Swift Boxes
We have all enjoyed the arrival of our swifts every summer, with their screaming flight, twisting and tumbling through streets and villages, over lanes and fields. They return each year from their wintering grounds in Africa to use the same building and the same nest location they have used in previous years, bringing drama and excitement to our skies.
Unfortunately, their numbers are declining, and they are now ‘Endangered’. Lack of insects and the poor run of summer weather will have contributed to this, but a more significant impact is likely to be the loss of their traditional nesting sites.
In many villages the church has become the last stronghold as village buildings are
modernised or renovated and old nest sites lost
It is becoming a popular idea to place nest-boxes behind the louvres in church belfries and we are investigating the possibility of doing the same. We expect a survey of our tower and proposal during the the autumn, with a view to installation before the swifts return in 2025. This has been approved in principle by the St Peter's PCC, subject to the results of the survey. The project would be fully funded by Devon Birds, so there would be no cost whatsoever for the church.
