Keswick Swifts Group
'We’ve been delighted with the number of people who have contacted us. Some share fascinating reminiscences about how 'the sky used to be black with swifts' – and sadness that their numbers are now so depleted.'
Nicki Baker, Keswick Swifts Group
Swifts are incredible birds – they spend most of their lives in flight, sleeping, eating and even mating in mid-air! Heralds of summer, they visit the UK between April and August, spending the rest of the year in Africa. Swifts love to nest in old buildings, squeezing through small holes to reach roof spaces (you can watch footage from inside a swift colony in this online talk).
Unfortunately, likely due to a combination of factors, from lack of nesting sites to the decline of insect populations, swifts are now a globally threatened species – the UK population has fallen 58% since 1995. The recently formed Keswick Swifts Group is dedicated to protecting these fascinating birds,
Group leader Nicki Baker told us more:
'Keswick Swifts Group was formed in May 2022, when the first swifts came back to our town on their annual migration from Africa. The group brings together people who share a passion for swifts, and want to promote and support their conservation in the Keswick area.
Our first season has been encouraging. We’ve been delighted with the number of people who have contacted us. Some share fascinating reminiscences about how 'the sky used to be black with swifts' – and sadness that their numbers are now so depleted, mainly because of building renovations inadvertently closing off traditional nest sites.
Other people ask for advice about putting up swift boxes or bricks, and we refer them on to the advice of the national experts at Swift Conservation and Action for Swifts. We’ll be encouraging as many people as possible to install swift boxes and bricks in the hopes that we may gradually see a build-up of swift numbers in the town.
We’ve led a swift walk round the town, and spotted swifts going into their nest sites at the end of the day. We’re planning to identify and monitor nest sites over coming years, and will try to make sure that owners and residents of properties enjoy, appreciate and look after their resident swifts.
We’d encourage any local community to set up a swift group. There’s so much helpful advice to draw on – not only the national experts, but also the local ones at Kendal Swifts and Sedbergh Community Swifts. Our Swifts are in dire straits – but we really can do a lot to help them!'
Would you like to get involved? Contact Nicki Baker at nicki.baker@btinternet.com