Common Swift, Apus apus, nest box scheme 2008

[mark smyth]

Swifts will be back from their winter break in fours months. Would anyone like to join a growing group of people putting nest boxes up for them? Guaranteed no mess! All you need is a wall at least 3m high with a clear fly way in and out for the birds. Two or three nest boxes in a line is a good start and a CD player, cheap from Tescos, with speaker cable sockets to extend a speaker beside the boxes to advertise to non breeders. The boxes can either be home made or bought. Schwegler are expensive and last a life time

[mark smyth]

some home made designs including an Israeli ammo box

[Staale]

Great nesting boxes, Mark. Will make an effort and put up a couple of boxes (selfmade of course, thats half the fun) before spring. Have had the swifts nesting in a box intended for starlings from time to time, but a designated box will be much better.

[Anthony Darby]

Staale, you put up nest boxes for starlings!

[mark smyth]

something I wouldnt consider either.

A hole 33x65mm will keep Starlings out.

How about this for someone good at DIY. A nest box covered with glue and sand then painted to matcg the house

[Maggi Young]

Very clever DIY project, ideal for those who think nest boxes are not  pretty.

[mark smyth]

Here are some videos from a colony in Eilenberg Germany
http://nl.youtube.com/results?search_query=Gierzwaluwen+Eilenbergkolonie+&search=Zoeken

[Staale]

Sorry guys, but I happen to like starlings! I know they come in billions in other parts of the world, also as introduced pests, but they are not that numerous aroud here, and it is great to wake up to their singing in the spring. I also put up nest boxes for owls, but they only reproduce when the mouse population is at a peak.

[mark smyth]

It's because we have so many of them. My house has or I should say had four pairs nesting. Two under the roof tiles, one in the attic and one in a swift box. Millions come our way out of Europe to spend the winter

[Paul T]

Fascinating topic.  I'd offer to put up some boxes but methinks your swifts might be a tad tired by the time they got here each night, and the babies would have starved!! 

The camouflaged nest obviously belongs to someone with WAY too much time (or money) on their hands.  Cool idea though!!

I've thought of putting up nesting boxes for parrots in our street trees (in particular a massive Eucalyptus on our front nature strip) but because they're street trees it would probably be frowned upon.  Would love to have the Eastern Rosellas breeding here, so as to have them here more regularly.

Anyway, that is getting off the topic of swifts... sorry!

[Joakim B]

Having nest boxes would be nice even in street trees. It might even make people think twice before parking
Do a bit of rebellious gardening/animal protection and get the boxes up we (I) would love to see pics of the parrots as well as the swifts.
Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

I photographed an Eastern rosella x Crimson rosella hybrid the other day, that visits our garden regularly.  They obviously interbreed at times in the wild as we do see them from time to time elsewhere as well.  Will see about posting a pic in the wildlife thread at some point, even if we're not heading towards spring 2008 here as the current wildlife thread indicates!! 

[mark smyth]

They interbreed in captivity also

[Paul T]

Mark,

There are a few things that will interbreed in captivity that would never consider it in the wild (or at least as far as I know).  Being trapped in an enclosed space with a limited number of partners does that to you I guess. 

[mark smyth]

One last box bought from CJ Wildfood and designed by Edward from London Swifts 40x15x15cm with an entrance hole 65x33mm and made from 12mm exterior ply