The Return of the Swifts

 


The swifts have returned to Edinburgh! 
As many readers of this blog know, the swift is my favourite bird. It arrives in the UK in May and has left by the end of August. It spends almost all its life on the wing, only landing to build its nest and lay its eggs. The skies outside our flat are full of swifts at this time of the year, they are wonderfully acrobatic. There are at least ten of them most years. But how long will this last? Swifts are in trouble in the UK. 

You can help them by fitting a swift nest box. Swift Conservation can help you with fitting and maintaining a nestbox, you can find their local experts here.

BBC Wildlife Magazine has some tips on helping swifts here.

Concern for Swifts Scotland aims to have swift nest site conservation incorporated into building specifications and to support the inclusion of the swift in Local Biodiversity Action Plans. 

 

I'm taking part in the Edinburgh Swift survey again this year and will post updates here!