Swifts are incredible. Supreme aerialists observed migrating at 18,700ft above the Himalayas, they feed, mate and sleep on the wing, only landing to breed. These tiny birds pair up for life and one family we’ve loved for over a decade returned from Africa to their summer nest as normal this year.
Our hearts were to be well and truly broken.
Swifts are fully protected by UK law (it is illegal to damage their nests) and yet 51% of breeding pairs have been lost with destruction of nests at least partly responsible. In our Old School building – a neighbour’s Holiday Let – scaffolding was erected over a Swift nest, blocking the desperate parents from feeding their helpless fledgling (our local authority had surveyed and reported no nests – if only they’d asked us). The roofers ploughed on regardless forcing the frightened parents to abandon their nest. After scaffolding was finally removed our starving and dehydrated fledgling tried to escape and plummeted to the floor. We nursed the baby through the night then rushed her to the vets. She was just too weak and died in our hands.
A young Swift will spend its first two or three years in constant flight before it nests, partly over those breathtaking Himalayas, sadly, not our Swift. However, there’s much you can do to halt, even reverse, the decline of Swift populations. Visit www.rspb.org.uk, www. swiftsurvey.org
Holiday Lets owners, ask your neighbours if they’ve seen a nest, and employ roofers with wildlife credentials. If roofers disturb a nest during the May to August breeding season they must cease work by law. If not, call the local Police and ask for the Wildlife Liaison Officer.
We wait with trepidation for the following summer and the return of our family.
Chloë and Matt