It's that exciting time of year when the summer migrant birds start to appear back in the UK. Swallows and house martins have been spotted in the skies above Flatford Wildlife Garden - a true sign that summer is on its way.
A summer migrant that we can help in our own gardens is the swift. Sadly, swifts numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years, resulting in swifts being added to the Red UK Conservation Status list in 2021. Data from the British Trust for Ornithology shows a 60% decline between 1995 and 2020. They like to live and in houses and churches, squeezing through tiny gaps to nest inside roofs. But as more old buildings are renovated and gaps in soffits closed up, swift nest sites are fast disappearing.
Swifts have an enormous journey to reach our shores. They spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, following the rains in the countries around the Equator to chase the best insect populations. In April, they prepare for the huge flight north. Recent studies by the British Trust for Ornithology have shed new light on the swifts' exact movements by tracking them on their journeys. Most stop off in Western Africa for refuelling, before starting the longest leg of the journey, across the mighty Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean and the continent of Europe. Swifts can indeed be very swift - one individual is know to have taken only five days to travel 5,000 km from Liberia in West Africa back to the UK. They can live up to 21 years, so amazingly one individual may fly more than one million kilometres during its lifetime!
Common swift Apus apus
Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
After these extraordinary flights, it seems devastating that the swifts often can't find suitable nesting sites in the locations they have traditionally used in the UK. We can make a massive difference by putting swift boxes on our houses. They are one of the more tricky nest boxes to install, as they must be high up under the eaves. But they really can make a real difference to these wonderful birds. The RSPB have full instructions on how to install a swift box. Even if you can't install a nest box, you can help the swifts by checking that traditional nest sites are clear and by boosting your garden's insect populations (for example by letting the lawn grow, planting flowers or leaving dead wood and plants).
Saturday 13th May will be World Migratory Bird Day, a global celebration aimed at raising awareness of the threats faced by our migratory birds.
Back in Flatford Wildlife Garden, you can see inside nest boxes of a great tit and a blue tit, with our new cameras showing greater clarity and colour. And this coming weekend, you can join us for the Wild Wild Wild Weekender. During the 28 April - 1 May sow some wildflowers to grow at home for free. Together we can all help protect and restore nature. Details for visiting can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/flatford, along with details of our opening times.