Swift Boxes

Swifts are a bird in declining numbers but they can still be seen and heard in the skies over Yaxley during the summer. The main reasons for decline are the reduced availability of insects and the loss of nesting sites. In the past there were lots of old barns and farm buildings available plus older houses with roof spaces they could access from outside.

YCV have been installing swift boxes since 2020 in response to a RSPB campaign about the plight of swifts. The Parish Council have sponsored more swift boxes that have been installed along the side of the Owen Pooley Hall ready for the return of the swifts in the summer.

Swifts like to nest where they have hatched and if a building has been renovated and the nesting site have been removed then that is a real problem for the swifts. It can be a couple of years before a new nesting site becomes regularly used. Imagine flying all the way to Africa and back to find your nesting site is no longer there. By installing these boxes we can help to replace lost nesting sites and we will see swifts in the skies above Yaxley for years to come.