I am really worried!
This year as with every year, summer really doesn’t start until the swifts arrive.
Usually they appear mid to early May, dipping and diving at
incredible speed above our little Warwickshire town. Our town is
predominately medieval/Elizabethan timber framed houses, many of them
still sporting their open eaves and perfect swift nesting roof voids.
There are also a good number of outbuildings at the rear of properties
which have been used year after year by a long generation of swift
families.
This year though, there has been no shrill swift calls and no
large aerial displays like other years. In fact we have only noticed 3
or 4 pairs as opposed to the usual 30 or 40 pairs.
The swift nursery we purpose built 7 years ago in our roof void
is empty and as May turns to June we are losing hope that they are so
mehow delayed and will soon arrive.
We are located in South Warwickshire, The loss of this
magnificent and heart lifting bird, that has graced our skys and is part
of our towns historical past, probably from before the time of
Shakespeare, is devastating.
Has anybody else experienced a significant drop in the
swift/swallow population? Is it possible that they are late arriving
this year due to world weather and climate changes (ie volcano eruption,
earthquake, tsunami, etc.)?
Could it be the re-introduction of certain birds of prey to the
UK? (I have noticed a huge increase in the population of Red Kites on
the outskirts of Oxford and they can be seen hovering in large numbers
as you drive through on the M40 Oxford to London. They are magnificent
birds, but could they be contributing to the loss of our summer
migrationary birds?)
Although I know the loss of nesting sites has made it difficult
for them in this country, because of the ideal nesting sites we have in
our Town, I would not have expected such a dramatic drop as this. I’d
love to hear that Swifts are still in abundance elsewhere in the country
as without our resident summer aerial performers, the usual festive
spirit that accompanies the many street and folk festivals we have in
our town, lacks their usual lustre.
Kind regards,
C. Gray
