Tisbury provides new homes for migrants

Swift numbers are in swift (!) decline in the UK partly due to lack of nesting sites - they traditionally nested in holes under the eaves of houses and now that houses have been upgraded and modernised they no longer have access to suitable nesting places.

Swifts arrive from Africa at the end of April or beginning of May and leave again in August. They feed, mate and sleep on the wing and only land to nest.
 
Tisbury Natural History Society has paid for two woodcrete nest boxes for swifts which have now been erected on the west side of the Brewery building under the eaves overlooking St John’s churchyard.

They were put there after permission was granted by David Smale who is the representative of the residents' association.
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We hope to find someone living in the Brewery near the boxes willing to have a DVD playing swift calls as this may encourage the birds returning in Spring to use our boxes.

If you are aware of swifts nesting anywhere in Tisbury, please let us know - see Contacts page.

Meanwhile, take a few minutes to enjoy this delightful video about swifts from Gloria Molina, a swift activist in Segovia in Spain.  Just click on the link (there is a translation into English):

 MANTRA DEL VENCEJO

The British Trust for Ornithology has published a book about our summer migrants - Flightlines, by  Mike Toms, available from the BTO at https://app.bto.org/btos/product/viewProduct.htmlx?id=0b5e04965d7f8a29015e3cd7dd870101

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If you know of any other projects the Society might undertake, please do get in touch.