Swift conservation works but can take time. This location was far from an existing colony but installed nest boxes & played calls May-July for several years until found. There is no reason why it can’t be repeated anywhere. #SuffolkBirding @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Great to see these Swift nest boxes on Old Newton Primary School today, near #Stowmarket, decorated by their pupils. House Sparrows are exploring them, they’re red-lasted too and can light the way for Swifts to find them @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

A Swift Community Set has been donated to #Clopton Village Hall where the 6 boxes + 240V call system will be mounted on a suitable high elevation where there is a clear line of flight. SOSSwifts has more Sets available. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Great to hear that a Kessingland location which installed 6 Swift boxes in 2023 now has 2 recently being used. They’re likely to be occupied by younger Swifts which probably won’t breed this year, but the birds are very likely to return in 2027 a bit wiser & try again @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Bramfield House School installed 8 Swift boxes early 2024 & now have 4 boxes being used, the start of a significant Swift colony for their pupils to marvel at. Thanks to a kind donation 8 more Swift nest boxes are being added @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Fantastic conservation here at this north Suffolk location where 6 of their Swift nest boxes are active + over 30 House Martin nests on this and surrounding buildings, all from nothing. They were able to create a super mud splat for the HMs who colonised @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

SOSSwifts have donated this Swift Community Set to Abbeygate 6th form in Bury St Edmunds. Swifts’ calls are being played to help attract the younger Swifts above looking for a future place to breed. Swift conservation works. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Great to hear of a Martlesham location with multiple Swift nest boxes now has their first occupancy. It has taken some time for Swifts to find their boxes, they’re some distance from an existing colony & calls were played to help. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #UKBirding

Lots of Swift action this morning by the boxes in Rayne @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #birds #ukbirding @sosswifts.bsky.social

Woodbridge Swifts have a walk and talk tomorrow evening, Sunday 5th July meeting at the Brook St car park IP12 1BE at 7pm. Learn about Swifts, their plight and how easy it is to help them. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Swift nesting sites are so easily lost, most folk don’t even know they have them nesting in a cranny. Quick reactions & a positive response here means that Swifts can still access, the nest entrance is being maintained & a nest box is being added for breeding space. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Two super days checking Barn Owl boxes. 7 boxes checked 25 BO pulli (chicks) ringed. 2026 looking like a bumper year. Glad Sally Nelson's hard work is paying off @sbgbarnowls.bsky.social and @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

When I was 4 or 5 swifts were everywhere. The cottage we lived in had wood fascia they nested behind. The farm owner replaced with plastic fascia fitted close to the wall and the swifts couldn't get in. They came back for years crying as they couldn't get in. Now Im 60 I never see them. So sad.

3 Save Our Suffolk Swift nest boxes have gone to a location in #Snape. Swifts nest close by but calls will still be needed to speed up the process of Swifts finding them to breed, it can take some time. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Interesting Swift mitigation here in Westleton where non-native Grey Squirrels have invaded the loft disturbing Swifts nesting on top of the truss rafters. There is little likelihood of Swifts breeding there this year but adding nest boxes provides extra breeding space for the future #SuffolkBirding

Swift walk & talk this Friday 3rd in Wenhaston + a swift pint afterwards in The Star Inn. #Wenhaston has done much for Swift conservation, learn about Swifts & enjoy their screaming flights. Meet at the village hall car park at 6pm @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

A super set up at this Sudbury Swifts colony created over time by adding nest boxes and playing Swifts’ calls www.youtube.com/live/ekEMMz3... @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

A car load of nest boxes for our SOSSwifts campaign. These are destined for existing colonies in Bury St Edmunds and Wenhaston to help boost local populations, also Community Sets to Woodbridge Rugby Club & West Suffolk College. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #UKBirding

Great to hear of locations in Woodbridge, Brantham, Shotley and Bury St Edmunds reporting an increase in the number of Swift nest boxes being used. We know that adding nest boxes/bricks to where Swifts are breeding helps boost their local populations @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Swifts love to nest in the nooks and crannies of older buildings, here is one squeezing beneath a Southwold roof tile to breed. The re-roofing of these older roofs to modern standards causes many Swifts to be blocked out. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Have a nice walk! But did you know its also easy to see what happens inside the nest? See my list of 49 occupied nestboxes with webcam. Now 31 eggs and 77 nestlings present. gierzwaluw.website/webcams.html

Looking forward to Swift walks and talks in both Woodbridge and Felixstowe this Sunday; late afternoon in Woodbridge then evening in Felixstowe. The weather is set fair so should be very busy with Swifts. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

www.suffolkbirdgroup.org/post/big-suf... SBG are running a series of walks and watchpoints for the Big Suffolk Bird Watch this coming Sunday - all welcome #SuffolkBirding

Nice to see this morning that Spotted Flycatchers have come back to the village for another year and having not seen the local Little Owl all year, it (or another) was back in it's favourite tree #suffolkbirds

As part of the Suffolk Bird Group event on June 21st - Big Suffolk Bird Watch Day, there is a guided Lakenheath Fen walk - meet at the reserve centre car park at 09.30, led by Henry Cook RSPB warden. Please see www.suffolkbirdgroup.org/post/big-suf... for details on how to book #SuffolkBirding

Newly hatched Swiftlets via a nest box camera, technology has come along leaps and bounds. These 2 should fledge in around 40 days & migrate to the Congo returning May 2027.Swifts are slow to mature, not breeding for several years so might not land until 2029 @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #UKBirding

Add nest space and wait, it can take some time but conservation works. Swifts nest in the gable box above and now after a 4 year wait House Martins have found the nest cup beneath. The 2 species will nest close to each other and co-exist without bother. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

Time and time again we survey locations where ‘we used to have Swifts, they just disappeared!’. It is common to find this, old roofs that have been re-tiled to modern building standards with anti-bird combing installed under the rolls of the tiles. Swifts are simply blocked out. #SuffolkBirds

Who said barn owls can’t live in a housing boom? 🦉 Thanks to the amazing Debenham Community Shed, we’ve got a whole new estate of beautifully crafted barn owl boxes ready to head out across the countryside. Fantastic workmanship and support for wildlife conservation! 💚 @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Swift #Swift update, class A bonkers with activity this morning. 4 boxes definitely have pairs with 2 other boxes having activity. There’s also Swifts in/out of 2 nest bricks which we slotted into old air bricks after the cavity was insulated. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @sosswifts.bsky.social

Swift update from here. Swifts paired up in 2 camera nest boxes with a single in a 3rd camera box. 2 further Swift boxes have Swifts in and out, no sign that they’re paired up yet. My neighbour has a Swift going into a nest box too, so 6 boxes used in total @sosswifts.bsky.social

Barn owls, wildlife chat, and hopefully minimal gazebo disasters… 🦉🌿 We’re all set up at the Bury Wildlife Festival today, so pop over and say hello if you are in the area! 🦉✨ @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

2nd Swift egg now laid in this Framlingham nest box. Swifts sometimes lay 3 and 4 eggs isn’t unknown. There are still many breeding Swifts still to return and plenty of time for them to do so. #SuffolkBirds @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

A #Swift Community Set of 7 nest boxes + call system has gone to Red Oak Primary School in #Lowestoft for their maintenance team to install, funded by kind donations. We have more Sets available for prominent elevations of public buildings @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social

Every cloud has a silver lining- here's about half of flock of 175-200 Swifts lumped by the rain and cold onto a farm res. in the Brecks this afternoon. #UKbirding

One of our swifts returned to its nest on exactly the same date as last year. Thousands of miles travelled, across continents and weather systems, only to arrive back with astonishing precision. Nature runs on clocks we’re only just beginning to understand. @rspb.bsky.social @sosswifts.bsky.social

Great to see the first #Swift egg laid today at this Framlingham location, 7 days after the Swifts paired up. #Framingham has a super Swift population nesting in roofs and around the castle, magnificent that they have installed so many nest boxes too there. Swift conservation works. #SuffolkBirding

This article shows how the Winchester Swift population has increased by 31% between 2018 and 2024. This is thanks to the provision of large numbers of Swift boxes, despite the number of natural nests declining during the same period: www.hampshireswifts.co.uk/post/winches...

Future generations will owe JT and your team a debt of gratitude for the heroic effort you all put into saving one of THE most awesome birds! 1000th nest box in 2yrs - WOW!!! Thank you all 👏🏽

It takes a huge effort to keep up with the demand for our nest boxes. Volunteer JT is holding the 1000th Swift box he’s made the last 2 yrs. There’s also a Spotted Flycatcher nest box in the corner, 1 of 30 going to suitable Suffolk habitats @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social

There’s going to be a lot of this over the next few weeks, Swifts returning to our nest boxes to breed. They’ve been flying for 8 months and can rest for a long time in nest boxes after landing. Tricky to know they’re back without cameras @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social

*sounds klaxon* Our swifts are back in time for Beltane. This is one of the earliest I’ve seen them. And I think they’re our nesters as they are circling rather than passing by. Pure joy. @sosswifts.bsky.social

Great to see this #Swift Community Set going up today in #Peasenhall. SOSSwifts have donated 8 Swift boxes + 240V call system for their Methodists Chapel. Many Swifts nested beneath the tiles back in living memory, prior to its renovation @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social

Great to see these universal S-Bricks going into new build homes this week, SOSSwifts plot these for builders. Nest boxes are great but they have a finite life span, these bricks will be there for the lifetime of the building for Swifts. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Great to see these Swift nest boxes up and ready for their return, there are more nest boxes on the rear. Swifts nest already beneath the tiles of the roof, a significant colony will develop here over time. #SuffolkBirding @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social

Good to see a couple of #swifts over the in-laws house in claydon this afternoon. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @sosswifts.bsky.social

First Swift back in a nest box in Suffolk, that I’m aware of, Great Cornard. The same first box as last year but 3 days earlier & I’m still to see a House Martin.. The owner has a super camera set up, many thanks to him for sharing @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Suffolk Bird Group have this Landscape Recovery project talk on Thursday, SOSSwifts will be there at the back with nest boxes. Very happy to have a swift Swift chat during the break. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social #SuffolkBirding

6 SOSSwift nest boxes have been donated to a location in #Burgh, Suffolk where there is a colony of Swifts that nest in the roofs. Adding nest boxes where Swifts breed helps boost local populations, becoming a significant colony over time. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

8 #Swift nest boxes and a 240V call system has been donated to The Duke of Marlborough pub in Somersham, #Suffolk for them to install there, adjacent to an existing colony. We know that adding Swift nesting space boosts their local population, a great opportunity here. @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social