So, what's all this about swifts?
The Swift is, true to its name, one of the fastest birds, reaching 70 mph in level flight. Swifts only leave the air to nest, typically under the eaves of our buildings, in the 3 months they spend with us each Summer. A newly-fledged Swift will have 3 years on the wing before it breeds for the first time!
Swifts are great to watch on Summer evenings, but they are in trouble. Numbers have fallen by around 50% in the last 25 years. Buildings have been tidied up, removing nest sites, catastrophic weather events have hit birds migrating to and from Africa, and insect numbers have crashed. Hertford Swift Group is trying to help halt the decline, by working with local organisations and interested individuals to provide new nest sites.
How can Kingsmead help?
Kingsmead still has Swifts. The allotments have always been a great place to see them, and they gather around Chadwell Spring and by The New River Gauge House when migrating. And there are nests around Kingsmead, including in Cromwell Road, where residents have put up lots of boxes to help them. They like to nest close to one another so hopefully these boxes will help this colony to grow.
You can also record nest sites and Swift sightings using the free Swiftmapper app (https://www.swiftmapper.org.uk/).
2. Put up a Swift box! If you are interested in putting up a box, or think you know of Swift nests nearby, please get in touch by email (Hertfordswifts@gmail.com) or via our Facebook page where you can follow the Group (https://m.facebook.com/HertfordSwifts/?ref=bookmarks).
Clive from the Hertford Swift Group is happy to provide advice, and to get boxes for you.
We're hoping to arrange a talk in Kingsmead on Swift conservation if people would be interested; what do you think?
It's become apparent that the factories on Tamworth Road (due for demolition in March 2022) may have a colony of nesting swifts (due to return about May 2022 when they will discover their eviction).
We are looking to get swift boxes put up in Tamworth Road via the Hertford Swift Group (see details in main article) so if anyone would like one (or more) please contact them.
To encourage swifts to notice the boxes it's recommended that you play swift calls near the boxes to guide them in (apparently they like to make sure that they're not the first in the pub.... sorry nest boxes!). Calls (and equipment to play the calls) can be obtained from:
https://www.swift-conservation.org/Shopping!.htm