Swifts need our help

Desmo · 01-07-2013 3:42pm

p.s. my wife used to have rooms just 50 metres from that photo when we were postgrads and I worked in the Pavillion Bar for a while. My summer memories of both places are filled with the sounds of dozens and dozens of screeching Swifts, zooming in and out of those holes.

swifts need our help! · 01-07-2013 3:44pm

Sad news about two years. The breeders will have given up on the site which means to attract swifts you're back to the start playing calls during the summer.

Why didn't the birders in TCD act on this? The work should have been halted immediately. The swift is a red list bird in Ireland

Desmo · 01-07-2013 6:16pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Sad news about two years. The breeders will have given up on the site which means to attract swifts you're back to the start playing calls during the summer.

Why didn't the birders in TCD act on this? The work should have been halted immediately. The swift is a red list bird in Ireland

One hole still occupied. There is hope yet

Ulmus · 01-07-2013 7:09pm

Had a look this evening and saw a swift flying into one of the semi-circular slots (vents?). Maybe the colony could be re-established after all. There's a Zoology Faculty at Trinity - they could help out. Thanks Desmo.

swifts need our help! · 01-07-2013 9:01pm

Can you post a close up of the holes?

Ulmus · 01-07-2013 10:24pm

I don't have a camera - hope someone will take a shot. The holes are regular semi-circles, possibly air-vents, big enough for starlings to get in, 50 on both the east and west side of the building. The swift I saw flew in to the left of the first window on the ground floor on the left-hand side of the Google photo, beneath the ledge that runs across. I wonder how much nesting space there is for the swift and are the holes the same size inside.

Desmo · 01-07-2013 10:46pm

news gets better; 3 pairs nesting!
Spent 2 hours late this evening with JR from the Zoo department. He knew the gorey details of the building work and how they (he and others) tried to minimise teh impact (including getting them to take down the green netting).
Anyway there are 3 pairs and that looks like the extent of the remaining colony. They are nesting in one hole to the left of the photo from Ulmus and two pairs in holes to the right. That is the makings of a bigger future colony. There are 50 potential holes at each end of teh building (100 in total).

The holes are part of an elaborate victorian experimental heating system that never worked. They are vents that are no longer in use. The holes are 6-7cm wide and downward facing. They originaly had metal gauze coverings to keep stuff out but all except one have now corroded.

Ulmus · 01-07-2013 11:07pm

Great stuff Desmo. You could market the swifts' story on a tourist postcard to rival the Book of Kells. Would you need to play the swift lure to build up the colony or will the swifts come back to the east side of the building?

Desmo · 01-07-2013 11:32pm

Ulmus wrote: »

Great stuff Desmo. You could market the swifts' story on a tourist postcard to rival the Book of Kells. Would you need to play the swift lure to build up the colony or will the swifts come back to the east side of the building?

I have no idea is the simple answer :-). It would be good to get the NI swift guys down and discuss stuff like that. MY guess is that the colony has survived by the skin of its teeth and might expand of its own accord. If it does, the east end might get colonised naturally. Apparently, what used to happen was that the east end was teh favourite end but the west end acted as overflow.

swifts need our help! · 02-07-2013 12:35pm

I'll be in Dublin to give a talk on swifts on October 21st for Birdwatch Ireland

Desmo · 02-07-2013 1:27pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

I'll be in Dublin to give a talk on swifts on October 21st for Birdwatch Ireland

Which Branch? If you want to see teh swifts before they leave, I can meet you in TCD at teh end of July, any time that suits you.
Des

swifts need our help! · 02-07-2013 2:20pm

I was thinking for going down while swifts are still here. I'll get back to you. When suits you best?

Desmo · 02-07-2013 4:52pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

I was thinking for going down while swifts are still here. I'll get back to you. When suits you best?

I am away until July 24th but am around after that. It is easy to find; if you want to se them before that, I can send instructions. It is 20 mins from Connolly station if you want to use the train.

Ulmus · 20-02-2014 9:28pm

I know it's a while to go before swifts return in May but I liked the look of these swift nest boxes and they're not too expensive either.
http://www.birdfood.ie/ctrl/node:17;product:1584;/woodstone_swift_nest_box#.UwZkI2yPPcs

swifts need our help! · 20-02-2014 11:22pm

£15 buys a lovely wooden box from John Stimpson

baaba maal · 22-02-2014 9:43pm

Hi

I'm living in rural Kildare, about 2km from the nearest village. House is beside bogland and plantation forest. Would there be any point in putting up nestbox and playing swift sounds etc. in such an area- i.e. are swifts exclusively townies?
The nearest swift site to me is in Clane (c. 5km away) but I do see swifts on the wing during the summer.

thanks

swifts need our help! · 22-02-2014 9:51pm

baaba maal wrote: »

Hi

I'm living in rural Kildare, about 2km from the nearest village. House is beside bogland and plantation forest. Would there be any point in putting up nestbox and playing swift sounds etc. in such an area- i.e. are swifts exclusively townies?
The nearest swift site to me is in Clane (c. 5km away) but I do see swifts on the wing during the summer.

thanks

Is there a clear way in and out for swifts? ie no over hanging trees or obstacles to fly around? Swifts are exclusive townies. I'm 1.5km out of my town and when I started there were no swifts around me. I know of other people who are out of towns who have attracted them

You want to put up two or three nest boxes because they can and do fight over them. Very easy to make your own. Your local wood yard will cut everything to size for you

You have to play the lure calls at least in the early morning for a few hours or last few hours before dark. If you cant don't bother. The biggest failure comes from those who are unwilling to play the calls

baaba maal · 22-02-2014 9:58pm

Ah- so you're saying that they might nest out of town? The house is entirely free of immediate obstacles so under the eaves would be fine. The apex of the gable wall is the highest point- so could I put three up in a triangular pattern (to fit tightly under the eaves) or do they need to be in a row. I'm guessing the eaves running along the house would be too low at 3m?
I could manage to play the calls alright.

swifts need our help! · 22-02-2014 10:07pm

3m / 10 feet works when swifts are nesting in bungalows but your gable apex would be much better

examples of apartment blocks below

baaba maal · 22-02-2014 10:16pm

Fantastic- I should be able to manage that. Last three questions (I promise!)-
1.North or south-facing gable?
2. What size is the opening (LxH)?
3 What size roughly is the nest "bowl"?

I appreciate your assistance.

swifts need our help! · 22-02-2014 10:19pm

baaba maal wrote: »

Fantastic- I should be able to manage that.
1.North or south-facing gable?
2. What size is the opening (LxH)?
3 What size roughly is the nest "bowl"?

ask as much as you like

1. any
2. 65mm wide and exactly 30mm high
3. buy a budgies concave from the pet shop or if you can hollow one the bowl is 10cm across and 2cm or slightly more deep

baaba maal · 22-02-2014 10:22pm

great stuff- I'll let you know if I get any tenants

thanks muchly

swifts need our help! · 22-02-2014 10:24pm

how are you going to play your calls? I have calls I can put on to a camera SD card or disc

baaba maal · 22-02-2014 10:49pm

Wow- that would be great. I was going to dig out an old cd player and hang a speaker just below the swift apartment. I haven't worked out the timer aspect of it (I work 9-5 but my wife works from home- would it have to be 'disturbingly' loud?). I can pm my address but I would think it only fair to make some sort of contribution.

swifts need our help! · 23-02-2014 12:39am

loud enough to hear 50m+ away

swifts need our help! · 23-02-2014 5:12pm

Friends in England have a pair nesting approx. 2m above a garage roof. They live a long way out of their village

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 12:30pm

In three weeks the first swifts will be spotted in Ireland. Are you ready for them?

There is no need for CD/hifi players these days toattract swifts. All you need is here http://saveourswifts.co.uk/attractswifts.htmthe motorbike amp can be bought from the link below

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-2-CH-USB-SD-Player-digital-car-Audio-HIFI-Stereo-Power-Amplifier-Remote/201063097162?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222003&algo=SIC.FIT&ao=1&asc=20202&meid=5875211546112670972&pid=100005&prg=9063&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=251490342356&rt=nc

How to attract Swifts Apusapus to new nest sites

If you want to attract swifts to nestin new areas you NEED to play swiftattraction calls. This is because young swifts breeding for the first time findpotential nest sites by following swifts which are already breeding. If thereare no swifts nesting near you NEEDto play calls and even if swifts are nesting nearby playing calls will helpyour nest sites to be used within a reasonable period of time.

If you are encouraging people to putup nest boxes e.g. on a school building you MUST explain to the teacher involved that swift calls NEED to be played near the boxes to encourage swifts to nest. If calls are NOT played then colonisation of theboxes could take many years, if no swifts already nest in the immediate area.

So please manage people’s expectations!It is NOT EASY to get swifts to nestin new areas quickly! The only way atpresent to attract them to nest is to play swift calls! It is the nearest thingto a 'silver bullet' for achieving success.

How and when should you play the calls?

The simple answer is as loud and aslong as possible, subject to not annoying anyone! Swifts are most active in goodweather and in the early morning and late evening. These are therefore the besttimes to play calls but any time of day particularly in good weather and inJune and July can be effective. It is also best to position the speakers as closeto the boxes as possible.

If you are playing calls near wherepeople work e.g. a school or other workplace the best times to play, withavoiding possible annoyance in mind, is from 6.30 am to 8.30 am. This isachieved by fitting the call system to an automatic timer plugged into themains electricity. The timer should then be programmed to come on at 8.30 pmand to play until 10.30 pm when it should be programmed to turn itself off. Calls should be played from the end of thefirst week in May to the end of July. During May or early June you mightattract adult breeding birds which have lost their existing nest sites for somereason. From about the second week in June to the end of July you might attractnon breeders of various ages who are looking for nest sites in order to breedfor the first time. Experience with playing calls in Northern Ireland has shownthat the second half of June and the first 3 weeks of July are the mostimportant times to play calls and these times give the most positive results.So good luck and we hope you might be successful in attracting these wonderfulbirds to nest. You will be richly rewarded for you efforts by magnificentflypast for many years to come if you are successful. N.B. Swifts and warmsunny weather go together like strawberries and ice-cream! The better theweather the more swift activity and the better your chances of success in anygiven year!

Markmade recordings of swift calls at his house last year. These include screamingparties, duetting and defence calls. These can be supplied on a disc for you totransfer to a memory stick or camera card

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 12:32pm

sorry I don't know why the text is so large.

OpenYourEyes · 02-04-2014 3:11pm

I would have thought there's a need for a license to play swift calls, is that the case?

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 3:29pm

Good question and one I haven't heard before. When I play my calls neighbours just say "I hear your birds are back"

Swifts need our help

Comments