Page 63 - Phonebox Magazine June 2024

Swift action needed on bird boxes
A new group of enthusiasts has been formed locally, with the aim of supporting and growing the local population of amazing summer visitors, the swifts and martins. Can you help them?
Called ‘Newport Pagnell Swifts and Martins’, they now have more than 80 Facebook members and have a few nest boxes installed. Nationally, swift numbers have declined by over half in the past 25 years or so, partially due to humans inadvertently destroying their nest sites with renovations and repairs.
“When they return from Africa in May, they will have been on the wing continuously for at least 10,000 miles and will only land in a nest site after around three years to breed, then leave us again with their offspring in August,” says member Paul Dubery.
“House Martins travel just as far, their mud cups are more visible, built high on house walls. You may have heard swifts make a screaming noise in the summer, while Martins’ calls are more like chattering. It’s possible to attract them to new nest sites by playing recorded calls and fooling them into thinking there are nests being used nearby. Can you help them by hosting
Swifts (top) and Martins need more nest boxes
a nest box? Under the eaves on a two-storey house is the ideal, north or east facing and without any obstructions – higher is even better!
The association can provide any advice you may need, including installation. Contact swsm@btinternet.com with your address to receive more details. The Facebook page is www.facebook.com/groups/834693858196944 or just search for Newport Pagnell Swifts and Martins.
A sister group, Save Wolverton’s Swifts and Martins, was set up around four years ago, and the community has since installed 170 nest boxes for both species.
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June 2024 | Phonebox Magazine 63