The day after the clock and bell project , another important project, also in our newly restored tower was completed - the installation of 4 Swift nesting boxes, each containing 3 nesting chambers.
Potentially this means we could eventually have a colony of 12 nesting pairs of these magnificent birds. If you'd like to learn more about swifts and what churches around the UK are doing to attract and nurture them, you can visit the Action for Swifts blog here.
The boxes are hung inside the tower windows on the east and west elevations, and can be removed and replaced in seconds to allow for cleaning and blanking off at the end of each nesting season.
The height of our tower, its clear flight lines and the proximity of our two rivers (Swifts feed on insects which hover above water) makes this a prime location to establish a colony.
Once again, we need to thank people for making this happen - Graham Bellamy from Action for Swifts for his generous help and advice, not only in the design of the nest boxes, but also in how to attract Swifts to them. (This is done using a small audio player with a timer set to play Swift calls at strategic times of the day).
Most of all though, we need to thank Theresa Brown who has driven and funded this project from start to finish.
Source: Stephen Lines
Date: 7th April 2020