A project to conserve and improve biodiversity in places of worship and public buildings in Gower National Landscape, recently saw the installation of 14 swift boxes in St Gwynour’s Church, Llanyrnewydd, Penclawdd.
The boxes are bespoke and were handmade by local volunteers passionate about wildlife conservation – thanks to Howard and Alan!
They built a wooden frame to which the swift boxes are attached, and the whole thing sits in the opening of the church tower window.
The nest boxes are positioned so the entrance holes sit in the louvre openings. Swifts will be able to swoop between the gaps in the louvres and into the nest box hole. The boxes are painted black so they cannot be seen from the outside. They will also limit rain entering the tower, which should help to reduce the damp conditions. In spring, a caller device will be installed which will help attract the birds to their new boxes.
Ursula Jones, Communities and Nature Project Officer, Gower National Landscape said:
“Part of our natural heritage, seeing and hearing swifts in our skies is a sign to many that summer has arrived.
“Sadly, swift numbers are severely declining. The British Trust for Ornithology Breeding Bird Survey from 2021 told us that the UK’s breeding population dropped by 60% between 1995 and 2020. It’s thought that the fall in numbers is caused by a combination of factors including fewer flying insects to eat, modern building design and refurbishment of old buildings reducing nesting opportunities. Swifts are faithful to nest sites, so when the sites are removed during refurbishment the swifts using that site are unable to breed.”
You can help swifts by being insect friendly gardeners, planting native wildflowers, not using pesticides, and mowing a little less often. You can also provide nesting sites like boxes or bricks in new buildings and install nest boxes on existing buildings.
If you’d like to learn more about helping swifts, contact Saving Swansea’s Swifts – Gower Ornithological Society (gowerbirds.org.uk)
The Sustainable Landscapes Sustainable Places (SLSP) fund is supporting this programme, administered through the Welsh Government and Tirweddau Cymru Landscapes Wales. SLSP is a programme of capital investment across Wales’s eight Designated Landscapes, enabling them to contribute to key Welsh Government objectives around promoting biodiversity and nature recovery, accelerating decarbonisation, supporting resilient and green communities and delivering sustainable tourism.