A (long) week of SWIFT AWARENESS events is taking place nationwide from Saturday 22nd June 2019 to Sunday 30th June 2019 and everyone is invited! It has been organised by the amateur enthusiasts who are known as Action for Swifts with the support of Swift Conservation.
The full list of events listed so far can be found from the swift conservation homepage at www.swift-conservation.org Scroll down that page a little until you see a box labelled “Swift Awareness Week”. Click on this box to get a map and associated events. There is a real eclectic mix of events but the main thing is all are welcome, come and join in and celebrate our wonderful swifts and learn what can be done to help them. I have listed the Cock at Stony Stratford as a DIY visit.
One event that is part of SAW which may or may not get listed on the AfS website is happening at Bucks County Museum in Aylesbury. It is a small pop up display all about swifts and ways to help them. It will be on throughout the SAW week during museum open hours (check museum website for times) The museum entry charge is “by donation”.
I will be providing some nice leaflets produced by AfS at both Stony Stratford and Aylesbury as handouts for visitors to take away – they are super little leaflets, absolutely packed with information in a surprisingly small space.
Incidentally, Swift Conservation and Action for Swifts will once again be exhibiting at Birdfair but they will be twice as good as previous years as they are doubling their stand size! There will be masses of information and advice – it is after all how the seed of the Dinton church project was germinated!
I can confirm that the Dinton breeding swifts have eventually returned but (darn darn darn) have not yet chosen to use my nestbox despite unrelenting use of the caller system!
Article by Sue Hetherington
Header photo: Swift at Willen Lake ©Chris Ward
Text photos: Oxford Swift Tower ©Sue Hetherington