Swifts need our help

OpenYourEyes · 02-04-2014 3:30pm

I meant from a Wildlife Act point of view rather than a noise pollution one?

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 3:40pm

oh, as in disturbing birds by playing lures? Puffins have been lured to the Copeland Islands by using lure calls. Sand martin calls are being used to lure sand martins to artificial banks.

I'll ask NIEA and RSPB what are their opinions

OpenYourEyes · 02-04-2014 3:42pm

Oh I'm 100% sure they're legal - but you might need a license to play them? In the republic you might need to get in touch with the NPWS and get a license from them, to make sure you're using it responsibly etc? I don't think it'd be hard to get a license, just think it's worthwhile to get people to follow the procedure if necessary!

02-04-2014 3:57pm

My understanding, and I am out of the swing of things for a while admittedly, was that something like this requiredna licence in this jurisdiction There is a risk that it would interfere with the normal activity of swifts in the area by using scarce resources investigating and possibly defending against the heard but unseen suitor. But I could be completely wrong on this.

Edit: see post #23 from 2011.

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 4:12pm

The breeders in my colony rarely react to the lure calls being played but when non breeders arrive and start banging the residence do defend their nest by duetting. This happens naturally at all swift nest sites.

We do know that breeders don't get lured away from their nest sites to start nesting in nest boxes unless they have lost that site due to the hole being blocked

OpenYourEyes · 02-04-2014 7:09pm

Right - let's give it the benefit of the doubt and say that using Swift calls to attract Swifts to nestboxes does require a license in the ROI and probably NI, and anyone thinking of using them should get in touch with their local ranger or the relevant licensing department as soon as possible if they're thinking of using Swift calls.

swifts need our help! · 02-04-2014 11:15pm

The reply from the people who played puffin calls is they didn't require a license even though their calling system was funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

The RSPB plays calls at their Belfast and Sandy HQs

A reply from a contact in England says
"Under the terms of theWildlife Act, it is illegal to wilfully disturb nesting birds. Under Englishlaw, whether playing Swift calls in the vicinity of nesting birds constitutes adisturbance of a hazardous nature would only be established after a test case.All the evidence is that nesting birds are not in the least disturbed by the callsof other nesting pairs, whether real or recorded."

OpenYourEyes · 02-04-2014 11:19pm

Thanks for that. If you hear definitively about the rules in the ROI from the NPWS please let us know too. I suspect a license from the NPWS it is needed here, but I'm open to correction

swifts need our help! · 09-04-2014 2:50pm

Swifts are arriving in Italy! The first will soon be arriving in Ireland - well two weeks

swifts need our help! · 20-04-2014 10:24pm

In the last two days 9 swifts have been seen at the south end of Lough Neagh at Oxford Island nature reserve

22-04-2014 3:15pm

I was talking to an old mate in NWPS this morning who has looked in to this and playing Swift calls is now allowed and even actively encouraged.

swifts need our help! · 22-04-2014 3:18pm

well that's good to know. How could it ever be policed across Europe

22-04-2014 3:19pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

well that's good to know. How could it ever be policed across Europe

I don't know why you ask about Europe. This was an Irish thing.

Chisler2 · 23-04-2014 12:43am

Khalil Hissing Steamboat wrote: »

I was talking to an old mate in NWPS this morning who has looked in to this and playing Swift calls is now allowed and even actively encouraged.

Any chance I could inveigle them into high-rise nest-boxes on a windy promontory adjacent to the Atlantic? Warm enough (south sloping land) when the sun shines but do they settle/would they thrive in a mountainy place? btw where is the CD available?

swifts need our help! · 23-04-2014 9:05am

Just saying really if it was illegal in Ireland it could be illegal across Europe

swifts need our help! · 23-04-2014 9:14am

"Any chance I could inveigle them into high-rise nest-boxes on a windy promontory adjacent to the Atlantic? Warm enough (south sloping land) when the sun shines but do they settle/would they thrive in a mountainy place? btw where is the CD available?"

Do you mean stacked nest boxes or nest boxes on a black of flats/apartments? Either way the answer is yes. Build it and they will come provided calls are played to lure the non breeders.

Where do you live? If there are swifts in your nearest town you should be able to attract them.

Just remember they ideally like a clear way in and out and a 5m drop. I do know of a few pairs that nest down an ally just wide enough to get a car through.

Swift calls are available from me

http://saveourswifts.co.uk/
http://saveourswifts.co.uk/attractswifts.htm

Chisler2 · 24-04-2014 3:04am

swifts need our help! wrote: »

"Any chance I could inveigle them into high-rise nest-boxes on a windy promontory adjacent to the Atlantic? Warm enough (south sloping land) when the sun shines but do they settle/would they thrive in a mountainy place? btw where is the CD available?"

Do you mean stacked nest boxes or nest boxes on a black of flats/apartments? Either way the answer is yes. Build it and they will come provided calls are played to lure the non breeders.

Where do you live? If there are swifts in your nearest town you should be able to attract them.

Just remember they ideally like a clear way in and out and a 5m drop. I do know of a few pairs that nest down an ally just wide enough to get a car through.

Swift calls are available from me

http://saveourswifts.co.uk/
http://saveourswifts.co.uk/attractswifts.htm

The potential home is about thirteen acres at elevation 1,500 feet in the mountains in West Mayo, so plenty of space to come in and out without obstruction. Following your recommendation I thought to erect a tall sturdy pole with a dozen boxes. The nearest nests are probably church buildings Louisburgh (3 miles, Westport 10 miles away). Is that too far for the lure to work? If the swifts are already back in Ireland I've missed the chance for this spring, no?

swifts need our help! · 24-04-2014 8:37am

"The potential home is about thirteen acres at elevation 1,500 feet in the mountains in West Mayo, so plenty of space to come in and out without obstruction. Following your recommendation I thought to erect a tall sturdy pole with a dozen boxes. The nearest nests are probably church buildings Louisburgh (3 miles, Westport 10 miles away). Is that too far for the lure to work? If the swifts are already back in Ireland I've missed the chance for this spring, no?"

I don't see any problems.

Are you going to make your own pole and boxes or buy one? There is a company in N Ireland making 8 and 20 chamber swift towers
http://saveourswifts.co.uk/stoneyford.htm

Only the very early swifts are back. I don't expect my breeding birds to start arriving home until the first week of May.

You'll be trying to attract non breeders and those that have reached breeding age. Swifts will never leave their nest site no matter how poor for a nice nest box - unless they lose that site while they are gone

swifts need our help! · 24-04-2014 8:40am

some towers

A German one
Tesco in Crumlin, N Ireland
A small one in a Primary school

swifts need our help! · 24-04-2014 8:43am

One more tower on the shores of Lough Neagh

swifts need our help! · 24-04-2014 5:18pm

How about this for a new set up for swifts
http://actionforswifts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/retrofitted-swift-boxes-in-gable-end.html#more

baaba maal · 24-04-2014 5:51pm

Wow! Amazing job and just shows that even modern buildings can be adapted.

Chisler2 · 25-04-2014 3:51am

swifts need our help! wrote: »

How about this for a new set up for swifts
http://actionforswifts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/retrofitted-swift-boxes-in-gable-end.html#more

I like this one a lot........less "odd looking" than the gizmos perched up there! The entrance-holes could be cut into the sides of hay-barns and outbuildings, and the activities of the swifts not intrude at all on use. Terrific idea........thank you!

kinklee7 · 25-04-2014 3:35pm

Interesting article on Mooney today about Swifts and using calls etc. About 25 mins in to todays show.
I am not allowed to post a link but its mooney at rte.ie

swifts need our help! · 25-04-2014 4:50pm

kinklee7 wrote: »

Interesting article on Mooney today about Swifts and using calls etc. About 25 mins in to todays show.
I am not allowed to post a link but its mooney at rte.ie

Thanks for that. I can find the Mooney page but not the listen again for todays show. Maybe there is a delay.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/mooney/

kinklee7 · 25-04-2014 5:04pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Thanks for that. I can find the Mooney page but not the listen again for todays show. Maybe there is a delay.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/mooney/

The show only finished at 4.30 so give it an hour or 2 and todays show will be up. As an afterthought do you think all the info was accurate ? Let me know when you listen. Thanks
Up Now about 25 mins in http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A10275138%3A82%3A25%2D04%2D2014%3A

swifts need our help! · 25-04-2014 7:10pm

Everything he said was accurate. Couldn't find any faults

swifts need our help! · 03-05-2014 12:00am

This evening at 20.50 my first swift arrived back in its nest box and waddled straight to its nest

03-05-2014 2:08pm

Swifts are usually back here by the 1st week in May but I have not sighted one as yet. Here's hoping the next week brings something.

swifts need our help! · 03-05-2014 6:19pm

Khalil Hissing Steamboat wrote: »

Swifts are usually back here by the 1st week in May but I have not sighted one as yet. Here's hoping the next week brings something.

first birds arriving back at my colony have been on these dates
6/5/2009
3/5/2010
3/5/2011
10/5/2012
7/5/13 - three arrive within minutes of each other
2/5/2013

That makes an average of 5th May

Swifts need our help

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