Common Swift, Apus apus, nest box scheme 2008

[SueG]

Mark
my village only has swallows - will the nest boxes work for them too?
Sue

[mark smyth]

Sue Swallows dont use boxes but House Martins do. Swifts are, usually, easy to attract to nest boxes. All you need is the CD playing.

[Anthony Darby]

Sue, I'd be surprised if swifts are not found in your village? I'm going to have to take down my boxes next week as that wall will be inside our new upper extension, with building starting on 7/1/08.

[mark smyth]

Anthony great oportunity to build some boxes into the upper layer a blocks or do what Erich Kaiser has done in Germany

[Anthony Darby]

I will make enquiries. If there are boxes that can be inserted into the brick work and harled over that would be ideal. Not sure I want a Waage. Sounds like something to avoid when travelling through Middle Earth.

[Anthony Darby]

Here's the very thing and not excessively priced. http://www.jacobijayne.co.uk/birds_wild-life_shop.php?page=NESTBOX&type=BRICK_BOXES&PHPSESSID=1afd9af4fe9b22526650bef91f7de8d6

[mark smyth]

The No. 17 bottom photo is the one most people use when building them in to walls

The waag is a nest cup sitting on scales so the young can be weighed

[Anthony Darby]

Not being most people I think no 25 will do me as it is built for purpose and cheaper.

[SueG]

Anthony,
I've never seen a swift, and I do look out for them, there are house martins which hunt over a field a few hundred yards away and I have seen them in the village (and sand martins nesting at the coast about 2 miles away) and I think Chris B has swifts in her village which only 4 miles away.
Is the lack of them likely to be due to a lack of nesting sites or what?? Any ideas?
Sue

[mark smyth]

yes lack of nesting sites

[Anthony Darby]

Just look and listen in May Sue. They are very fast and often very loud but not obvious as, unless they are nesting, they don't come near the ground. Mark, am I correct in thinking that the 'screamers' will have to spend the next 12 months in the air 24/7 as they are too late to find a suitable nesting site?

[mark smyth]

non breeders and those that have lost their nest sites can spend many years flying before finding a nest. Young birds take 3 to 5 years to mature. Flying continuously during this time

[Anthony Darby]

Amazing to think, and also, they are related to hummingbirds which have to 'hibernate' every night!

[mark smyth]

Antony, and others, there is a new swift brick on the market

[mark smyth]

Would forum members over here like to take part in a country wide swift survey during the summer? It will be very easy. All you need to do is look for low flying screaming swifts. Note the number of birds or guess, The street name or grid reference and town