Greener Henley Talk Highlights the Need for More Swift Boxes

Swifts in the UK have seen a big 32% decline in just the last 7 years.

This was one of the facts that Jan Stannard from the Maidenhead, Marlow and Cookham Swift Group told audience on the Greener Henley Swift Talk last week.

Jan herself has 15 Swift boxes on her own home and this year had 13 chicks hatch.  She also talked about the different types of nest boxes you can install, where they are best to install and the importance of fitting a bird call device. Photos of the birds and their chicks were shared along with maps and times showing when the birds arrive and migrate.  Swifts live for 20 years and the breeding birds (2 years old) return to the same boxes and nests each year.  They repair their nests by gluing them together with their saliva!

Many of the audience were keen to install a box and asked questions on best locations.

Catherine Notaras was keen to get a Henley Swift project started and suggested that boxes could added to the River & Rowing Museum, Gillotts School and the Town Hall.

A few months ago a proposal to build a Swift tower on Marsh Meadows was put to Henley Town Council.  No proposal has yet though been discussed at any Council meetings.

You can watch the full talk here  youtu.be/Xn9mcMCwakg