Swifts

[Chris Hammond]

I made a swift nesting box and stuck it up this morning. I know swifts have used my roof at some time in the past as when I first moved in and cleaned the loft there was an old nest with an un-hatched egg in it.

They swirl around above my house every summer in large numbers screetching. I read somewhere that it may be neccesary to play some swift audio near to the box to get their attention.

Has anybody else put a box up and if so have you had any success?

[davelumb]

Can't offer any advice, but hope it works out well. Is that a single entrance for multiple nests?

[Chris Hammond]

Can't offer any advice, but hope it works out well. Is that a single entrance for multiple nests?

No Dave, not as far as I know,I’d expect a single pair. It’s based on the swift boxes we fit here and there at work. I do know that the swift nests I’ve seen in the past in house roofs are usually well into the eaves.

[Chris Hammond]

A quick Google suggests they like the length in order for the fledglings to exercise their wings.

[davelumb]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

[Chris Hammond]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

Yes I intend doing the same on the other side of the house in time for next spring. They used to nest in my eaves but seem to have stopped for some reason. There's a little quarrelsome posse of them that chases one another all around my apple tree.

[davelumb]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

Yes I intend doing the same on the other side of the house in time for next spring. They used to nest in my eaves but seem to have stopped for some reason. There's a little quarrelsome posse of them that chases one another all around my apple tree.

We must encourage house sparrow to thrive.


Even if it's only to annoy Tractor Steve!

[Chris Hammond]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

Yes I intend doing the same on the other side of the house in time for next spring. They used to nest in my eaves but seem to have stopped for some reason. There's a little quarrelsome posse of them that chases one another all around my apple tree.

We must encourage house sparrow to thrive.


Even if it's only to annoy Tractor Steve!

The gardeners in our village when I was a kid used to trap them in wire cages and kill the poor buggers.

A striking little bird the male spuggy. Always liked them myself.

[davelumb]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

Yes I intend doing the same on the other side of the house in time for next spring. They used to nest in my eaves but seem to have stopped for some reason. There's a little quarrelsome posse of them that chases one another all around my apple tree.

We must encourage house sparrow to thrive.


Even if it's only to annoy Tractor Steve!

The gardeners in our village when I was a kid used to trap them in wire cages and kill the poor buggers.

A striking little bird the male spuggy. Always liked them myself.

I like them too.

Was jealous of someone I know who lived in Nidderdale. They had Tree Sparrows nesting in a box in their garden.

[martin(rockape)]

The Swifts have arrived here in Northamptonshire, nice to see them flying high.

Regards

Martin

[Freako]

Good luck Chris.
I put up 3 at the local farm 3 years ago but no Swifties yet.

[Smoothound]

Not massively relevant but walking into a pub in Worthing today the Swifts were going mental in the sky above the town with their calling...

[gary j stockton]

Cheers Chris.

I keep meaning to put a sparrow colony box up. Especially now a pair have been using one box for the past three springs.

Yes I intend doing the same on the other side of the house in time for next spring. They used to nest in my eaves but seem to have stopped for some reason. There's a little quarrelsome posse of them that chases one another all around my apple tree.

We must encourage house sparrow to thrive.


Even if it's only to annoy Tractor Steve!

The gardeners in our village when I was a kid used to trap them in wire cages and kill the poor buggers.

A striking little bird the male spuggy. Always liked them myself.

Spuggy, i like that, we call them spadgers wonder if their are any other sparrow nicknames out there.

[Chris Hammond]

Thanks chaps.
There are a few swifts overhead here now but not even close to the usual numbers we get.

Hopefully there will be late arrivals still to come.

[Monts]

Ours seem to have vanished over the weekend, I'm guessing they are trying to tell us summer has passed.

[martin(rockape)]

Ours seem to have vanished over the weekend, I'm guessing they are trying to tell us summer has passed.

They've been gone in my neck of the woods now for about 2 weeks, they'll be back in Africa by now I reckon.

Regards

Martin

[Monts]

Ours seem to have vanished over the weekend, I'm guessing they are trying to tell us summer has passed.

They've been gone in my neck of the woods now for about 2 weeks, they'll be back in Africa by now I reckon.

Regards

Martin

[davelumb]

I don't think I've seen a swift this year.