Last chance to spot swifts this summer
Last updated | 27/07/2010
Locally, swifts are now close to fledging their young and will be preparing to fly the thousands of miles back to Africa in a matter of days.
The end of July is however a great time to spot these amazing, acrobatic birds. They will be gathering in 'screeching parties' in the morning and evening, making lots of noise, and zooming around the tops of the buildings in which they nest.
Countryside Rangers across Perth and Kinross and in Tayside are looking for the location and numbers of birds in these screeching parties, as well as details of where they are nesting. Swift numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years and it is essential to know where colonies still exist, so ‘Swift Priority Zones’ can be mapped, helping to conserve the species.
Swifts rely on buildings for nest sites, often using gaps in stonework, behind down-pipes, or under the guttering - if you can see the nest, it’s not a swift! They are loyal to one nest site and return to the same one, with the same mate, year after year. One of the reasons their numbers have dropped is that these nest sites are being lost due to building demolition and renovation.
The information the Rangers are looking for is the size of the screeching party, where it was seen, the type of buildings in that area (e.g. old sandstone), plus any nesting locations.
To report swift sightings in Perth and Kinross, phone 01250 874661, email
communitygreenspace@pkc.gov.uk or put your information directly into the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership’s on-line survey at:
http://www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk/Get_Involved_Project_Swifts_OnlineSurvey.asp
