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| Checking the swift nests in Hotel de la Railliere in Preuilly sur Claise. There are at least half a dozen discreetly tucked away up high in this grand historic 17C building. |
We don't have very many buildings in town where swifts are nesting, and sadly have lost a few in recent years when people have renovated and blocked up holes. It's really easy to renovate to accommodate existing swift nests, and it is effectively a legal requirement as you are not allowed to destroy or disturb swift nests. Sadly too few property owners, builders and architects are aware of the issues, and most swift nests are destroyed through ignorance, not malice. Swifts calling to one another as they chase each other through the sky is the sound of summer in Europe, but numbers are plummeting in many places like Preuilly, along with swallows and martins for similar reasons. If you are doing building work on your facades or roof, please consult with SOS Martinets [link]. They have plenty of easy to follow advice on how to save our swifts.
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| The rear end of a swift resting in the entrance to its nest in a house in rue des Pavillons, Preuilly sur Claise. |
There are two key things to know if you are a property owner I think. One is that swifts do not make a mess -- this is in fact part of the problem, as people often do not notice they have swifts nesting in their building. The second is that swifts return to the exact same nest year after year. If the entrances are blocked up they will batter themselves repeatedly against the former nest site trying to get access. It is not a simple matter of them finding another nest site.
Une version française de ce message se trouve sur mon blog D'Australie à la Touraine [lien].
1 comment:
Great summary of the situation for swifts - destruction of nest sites often happens as we don't realise they're there plus new buildings are generally unsuitable for them. More action is needed !
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