Blog | hampshire swifts

Sep 28, 20232 min read

Winchester Cathedral – 13 pairs of Swifts in just 3 years

Roger Maynard, Rachel Hardy and I went to check the Swift boxes at Winchester Cathedral on 20 September. They are positioned in two...

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Aug 1, 20232 min read

Ropley Church – rising like a phoenix

St Peters Church at Ropley was originally built in Norman times, although little remains of its early structure except the south door....

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Jul 26, 20234 min read

The Right Way to Roof a House? The Case of the Upper Stanmore Swifts

In Hampshire traditional swift nest sites in our roofs and eaves have vanished in their thousands as houses are demolished or renovated...

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Jul 21, 20236 min read

Who needs Scientists?

Michelle Reeve is GBW Manager and the Editor of the BTO magazine Bird Table. Back on the 10 April this year I wrote to Michelle about an...

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Jul 9, 20235 min read

Chandlers Ford - Trying to Save a Swift Colony

Since Hampshire Swifts was set up in 2016, we have received very few survey reports of Swifts nesting in Chandler’s Ford. What records...

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Jun 20, 20231 min read

Six new Swift boxes at Christ Church, Winchester

We’ve been aware since 2020 that there were 8+ pairs of Swifts nesting in natural sites at Christ Church in Christchurch Road, Winchester...

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Jun 14, 20232 min read

House Martins using Model 30 Swift boxes

Graham used to live above the Community Shop at Abbotts Ann where we installed 16 new Swift boxes in May last year which you can read...

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Jun 10, 20231 min read

New Starling boxes in Lyndhurst

We were approached by Sarah Moss in Lyndhurst last year to install some Swift boxes on her housing estate where the number of urban birds...

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Jun 6, 20231 min read

Swift boxes installed at Andover War Memorial Hospital

Hampshire Swifts were contacted a while back by Gillian Brown who is Head of Sustainability at the HHFT (Hampshire Hospitals Foundation...

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May 19, 20232 min read

Lots more Swift boxes in Winchester

Trussell Crescent in Weeke, Winchester, is home to one of largest Swift colonies in the city. The Crescent, owned by Winchester City...

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Apr 17, 20232 min read

Thank you Chris Packham

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chris Packham for his recent videos publicising the e-petition requesting that the Government mandate...

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Mar 25, 20234 min read

Become a Life Member of the RSPB

I received a leaflet in the post this week from the RSPB asking me to become a Life Member, so I did. I’ve been a member for many years...

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Mar 9, 20231 min read

Increasing Swifts at Fulflood, Winchester

Further monitoring of the Swift boxes installed at Fulflood, Winchester by volunteer Fiona Hartley has shown how the colony continues to...

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Mar 2, 20232 min read

Latest Project in Alresford

Back in September of last year I gave a talk to the Alresford Society about Swifts and how we can help them. It was actually a joint...

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Feb 14, 20231 min read

A Southsea Colony

Back in 2004 just one pair of Swifts nested about 200 yards down the road from Dave Warner’s house (below) in Southsea, Portsmouth. That...

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Jan 24, 20231 min read

St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton

We are now progressing with some of the Swift boxes in church towers that have been on the list for a while and have got delayed due to...

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Jan 14, 20233 min read

Regents Park, Southampton results 2022

Ron Cooke has even renamed his house! He put up his first Swift box in 2002 and it took till 2006 for the first box to be occupied. He...

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Jan 3, 20234 min read

Lee-on-Solent Swifts

by Mark Wagstaff There are few sounds more likely to remind us of summer than swifts screeching overhead on a warm balmy evening in June...

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Dec 13, 20223 min read

Totton – another small colony safe

I was told a few days ago about a house in Totton, near Southampton, which has Swifts nesting naturally in the eaves (third house from...

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Dec 13, 20221 min read

Highcliffe, Winchester - Swifts continue to increase

You can read our previous blog about Swift boxes in the Highcliffe area of Winchester here and how the installation of Swift boxes...

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3 days ago4 min read

Lost Nature: Do House Builders deliver?

It was back in March that we visited the Cala Homes development site in Alton. Construction work was still going on at that time, though...

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Dec 103 min read

Update on Swift Nest Boxes in Highcliffe, Winchester 2024

Highcliffe in Winchester has been an area of special interest to Hampshire Swifts ever since 2018. That year, during a survey of swift...

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