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!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 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

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 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

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 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

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 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

ThunderCat · 03-05-2014 7:44pm

I was in southern spain last week, near malaga, and there was a serious amount of swifts there. I saw hundreds of them just in the one town I was in. They outnumbered every other bird species put together. It was fantastic seeing them in flight and chasing each other in the town square. The noise was something else aswell, fabulous. I noticed a few of them were landing at the big cracks running down the older hotel blocks. Im sure some will stay but most are destined for further north no doubt.

As an aside I didnt see too many other bird species there - house sparrow, blackbird, herring gull, collared dove, feral pigeon, a few house martins and swallows but not many of either no crow species or starlings suprisingly. Oh and plenty of monk parakeets over there. Very exotic and noisy but a joy to watch. Busy builing nests in the palm trees.

But back to the swifts, they seemed to be enjoying the sun down there but they are certainly on their way up to us!

swifts need our help! · 04-05-2014 9:49am

screaming swifts are breeding swifts with non breeders hanging around with them so what you saw are resident birds. Our birds are probably still in Africa

ThunderCat · 04-05-2014 12:48pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

screaming swifts are breeding swifts with non breeders hanging around with them so what you saw are resident birds. Our birds are probably still in Africa

Ah right. Thanks for that. I never would have known the destinction. There was certainly plenty of screaming out of them alright

swifts need our help! · 06-05-2014 10:13pm

What a day for swifts! Large numbers in Belfast this afternoon

cameramonkey · 12-05-2014 10:16am

Swifts are back in good numbers in Harold's Cross in Dublin 6W. Saw the first one last week , now there are many more.They nest in the mill building in Greenmount Lane industrial estate.

Great to see them back.

CYHSN · 12-05-2014 11:08pm

Saw a swift this evening doing tight loops around a neighbors house a few doors down, looks like it was checking out a hole in there fascia which was blocked with mesh wire.
Have been playing the lure the last few days lots of swifts flying high over house but none coming in closer to check, had a party of swifts check all along the back of the houses in the estate including ours literally just as we were putting the ladder to the wall to install them late last summer :rolleyes:
Had at least 1 bang the box just after we put them up so sooner or later here's hoping

Heres pics of our setup moved the boxes this year to the right of the house:)

swifts need our help! · 12-05-2014 11:49pm

Nice set up but is there enough clearance below the right hand box?

never move boxes once you have been trying to attract swifts. They could have shown interest and enetred and you didn't notice. When they come back they will always look for the nest they found the previous year. They are extremely site faithful. You really need to put a box back where you had a banger last year.

Educate your neighbour and ask him to reopen the hole or make it swift sized 30mm x 65mm

swifts need our help! · 12-05-2014 11:54pm

what calls and player are you using? Would you like me to put a CD of calls in the post? http://saveourswifts.co.uk/attractswifts.htm

swifts need our help! · 13-05-2014 12:02am

CYHSN wrote: »

Have been playing the lure the last few days lots of swifts flying high over house but none coming in closer to check

The swifts that are here now are the adult breeders that have nested before. They will never leave a nest site no matter how poor to move in to a comfy nest box. What you are trying to attract are 1st, 2nd or 3rd year birds that haven't nested before because they are too young. Their aim is to find a nest and attract a mate. They will follow the lure and find the nest boxes. They don't start arriving until the end of May in to early June

You will also attract displaced birds like the ones at your neighbours house. They are desperate for a new nest site. Your neighbours birds wont come to you this year because they are fixated on the existing nest site even if they cant get access. They will try and try all summer

The single most important part of a swifts life is finding a nest site and keeping it

CYHSN · 13-05-2014 12:06am

I have almost the exact same setup as you have posted in the link, just a slightly different amplifier and and I have the mp3's also from that website thanks for the offer though.
Have the speaker on the roof of our house just over the boxes there too.

CYHSN · 13-05-2014 12:13am

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Nice set up but is there enough clearance below the right hand box?

That's something I was kind of worried about too but the roof isn't flat it runs down at an angle and the swifts that checked the back of house last year actually checked at the very right hand side on the corner of the fascia so hopefully that's a good sign?

swifts need our help! · 13-05-2014 7:27am

I have recordings that were made here at my house. They're free so no problem sending them to you

CYHSN · 13-05-2014 12:32pm

Well that would be great I suppose anything that will help attract them here. I'll pm you my address, maybe I can make a donation on your website or something

ThunderCat · 13-05-2014 2:26pm

Saw three of them in Balbriggan yesterday afternoon

Woodville56 · 14-05-2014 2:04pm

Spotted my first swifts of the year this morning over the centre of Longford town, always had a few out here in the countryside but none so far this year !

Bsal · 14-05-2014 8:12pm

I also spotted my first 2 in Swords this evening.

martinn123 · 15-05-2014 4:04pm

My two regulars are back since Monday, in Julianstown, co. Meath.

3rd Year in a row, they fly in and our of my shed all day, not nesting there.

swifts need our help! · 15-05-2014 4:33pm

Martin it must be swallows that you have

martinn123 · 15-05-2014 4:45pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Martin it must be swallows that you have

Yes you are right, apologies, and thanks for the correction.

swifts need our help! · 19-05-2014 7:18pm

Non breeding swifts aka bangers looking at my gable nest boxes. The way to tell if a nest is occupied is to knock/bang at the entrance. Breeding age birds are on eggs by the time non breeders arrive and rush to the entrance to defend the nest. If a pair are inside they duet

The photos are from a few years ago

http://www.marksgardenplants.com/swifts.htm

Swifts need our help

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