Swifts: celebrate - and we helped!

The worrying news of criminal action by scaffolders blocking off swift nests in Guildford that blighted last Sunday's World Swift Day, has happily resolved with the latest news from Ed Mayer of Swift Conservation that the top level of scaffolding has been removed, the Swifts can get in and out of their nests, and a vigil every evening has been set up by a local activist to monitor the nests until September. So it should be OK for this year at least.

If you'd like to share the magical experience of rearing a young swift to release, enjoy these two videos, one from Spain with English subtitles (if ever I need cheering up, that does the trick - my apologies, the link doesn't work from here so go to Old News and scroll down to the 9 March 2020 item to find one that does), and one in Russian which doesn't need them!

And in case you missed it, here is the contribution from Jane Goodall, Patron of World Swift Day:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgoe5FDlQrg&fbclid=IwAR2AHe3aR8Sd_89qLFeBTP8BjAzAESOXh-TQVBT8FdXHk-o854o76DaC7f4

​But if you find a young swift fallen from its nest, best contact the Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital - they rear several every year.

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