Thankyou to Catherine for this piece, and to Edward for arranging the pictures.

Churchill Retirement have kindly agreed to include 4 swift boxes in the design of Albert Lodge, their new retirement flats on Ock Street?

The boxes were not included in the original lodge design, but Churchill responded positively to a request that they be included.

Abingdon is lucky enough to have a resident population of swifts, but sadly swifts are now on the amber list of birds with numbers down about 50% in the last 20 years. Now is the season to enjoy watching swifts sweep around the sky, particularly in the early evening. They come to the UK to breed, but with houses becoming more insulated and energy efficient (no nooks and crannies for nesting!) boxes and specially designed nesting areas are of increasing importance. Swifts are extremely loyal to their nesting sites, returning year after year to the same nest, this means that unwitting removal of sites in renovations can be a deadly obstacle to their breeding success. These birds love our rivers and trees in Abingdon, as they eat thousands of insects a day – all caught on the wing. It is really good news that a developer has listened to the local community on this kind of issue.

Swifts, young and old, are now in the process of building up their stamina for their long migration back to Africa. Do watch out for them over Abingdon before they leave for their winter break at the end of this month!

The pictures are by expert swift photographers Alain Georgy, and David Moreton. If anybody gets a picture of swifts in Abingdon before they go, please send and I will use them.

www.swift-conservation.org – Keeping the Skies Alive!