Ok, so not swift related, but does anyone know what these are? I’ve started seeing large numbers of them feeding off the living roof. They’re noisy and hang around for about 20 mins then leave. Hadn’t seen them until this summer.
They might be starlings but I can’t see them very clearly.
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Thanks Brett, really helpful. Hopefully they will keep being with us if we can help them. I’d hate to loose them from SE23.
Hi Robin,
Swifts do generally collect nesting material, usually things they find in flight like floating feathers. I saw one fly over my house a few days ago with a feather in its beak. Though I have heard of swifts also just laying their eggs without any nesting material. Robin can you tell me what tweeters you used for your call set up? Also how did you install your boxes I.e ladder or scaffold? Yes the John Stimpson boxes are good and I hear easy to make if you are DIY inclined - I wish I was!
Kind regards
Rebecca
I have finally got all the guidance for setting up swift boxes on your house together! Can I upload documents on here?
Yup, PDFs, DOCs and DOCXs are fine.
PDFs are best as they’re readable on any platform without paid-for software. You can turn pretty much any document into a PDF.
You can upload a document to the forum in the same way as uploading a photo.
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Setting up Homes for Swifts pdf.pdf (480.8 KB)
Swift boxes availble to buy pdf.pdf (541.3 KB)
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I would love one in Forest Hill but they cost thousands. Unless we made our own!!
Good to get swifts and the group in the news. This has come at a good time. The most recent BTO report showed that swifts declined by a further 7% last year alone and they are heading towards “red” status which means they are at global risk of extinction!
It has been calculated that 20,000 new nest sites are needed every year just to keep the population at its current number. Sounds like loads but if 40 local authorities across the UK committed to putting 500 swift bricks in their new builds every year it could be done!
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Seems partnerships with developers and home builders like Lewisham Homes is the way forward. Looks good on their sustainability CVs.
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We got 10 up in Wynell Road SE23 with the fire brigades help recently
…and people are putting them up on their houses. Also getting lots of reports of people saying they have swifts nesting in their lofts and have done so for years.
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Brilliant- Well done Rebecca really good to hear.
Is this your photo by the way?
Hi Rebecca - yes - though 98% of my attempts involve just blue sky! 
As an aside we are missing your photos- are you still taking some of your local birds?
So many swifts around tonight. Was sat in the garden just watching them for an hour or so - always amazing to see these birds.
I’ve seen posts on the Swift FB Group that swifts have been spotted over Kilmorie - I saw one bird warlier today but no idea whether it’s a swift, swallow or house martin etc - either way looks like the sky will soon be full again with the sight (and sound) of swifts.