123 CATHEDRAL COMMUNICATIONS THE BUILDING CONSERVATION DIRECTORY 2025 EXTERNAL WORKS 3.4 with protruding joists. No commercially available swift box will be suitable for every situation, but very simple nest boxes can be tailor-made to fit between adjacent joists, mostly out of sight. Because they are completely sheltered, neither rain nor sunshine can reach the boxes, so there is no need for durable materials, and as the carpentry is simple, this is a low cost way of providing new nest sites. The success of swift boxes in both Herringswell Church, Suffolk (bc-url. com/BCD25_6) and Ely Maltings, Cambridgeshire (bc-url.com/BCD25_7) has led to extra swift boxes being added in the last few years with the swifts returning annually to these nesting sites. Other opportunities for external boxes may be considered where integral options are not feasible. These may be argued to be ‘temporary’ for planning purposes but for a species which may occupy the same nest place for a decade or more, the location should be known to be available for several years as a minimum. Careful consideration of colours, materials and positions may help to make them more acceptable. External swift boxes mounted unobtrusively on relatively inconspicuous elevations may be more acceptable. Durable materials are essential for external boxes exposed to the weather. Playing calls Regardless of where swift boxes or house martin nest cups are installed, playing their calls nearby is often very successful in attracting new occupants. There are several call systems available that are low cost, easy to install and simple to control with a digital or mechanical timer. More information on when to play attraction calls and the best systems available, including solar-powered battery-driven systems, is available here, bc-url.com/BCD25_8. Nest forms For swifts, whatever nest box is provided, it is well worth including a nest form, as swifts prefer nest boxes which have them. These are carved inserts to help the birds build their nest; a simple one can be made by cutting an 80mm diameter hole in a 100 mm square piece of 12–15 mm plywood. FURTHER INFORMATION Action for Swifts: actionforswifts.blogspot.com Swift Conservation: swift-conservation.org Save Our Swifts Swallows Sand martins and House martins (SOSSSH): www.facebook.com/groups/ 2020503754915509/ DICK NEWELL is director of Action for Swifts and a birdwatcher who has applied his experience as an engineer and software designer to the problem of halting the decline of swifts. An occupied AfS S-Brick Swift boxes situated in St Mary the Virgin, Santon Downham A universal starling box being used by swifts solution. This method was tried and tested in an 18th-century maltings in Aylsham, Norfolk, and the case study is available here: bc-url.com/BCD25_3. With old stone walls, these are often very thick and filled with rubble. By removing a small stone and clearing out enough rubble, it is possible to make an adequate nest space. The job can then be completed by making an entrance in situ (see bc-url.com/BCD25_4) or by using mortar in a small, prefabricated half-bricksized entrance piece. If there is unused roof space inside, a nest box in an attic, accessed via a halfbrick entrance and tunnel, works well and has proven to be a great success in this Cumbrian home, bc-url.com/BCD25_5. External swift boxes Some old buildings have broad eaves
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