Surrey couple support Banstead swift population with our help
Annie and her husband, Barry, have been living in their Raven Housing Trust flat in Banstead, Surrey since 2017. Little did they know when they moved into their home seven years ago that it would enable them to pursue a passion with a long-lasting legacy.
Keen nature lovers and bird enthusiasts, Annie and Barry used to live in Cornwall where they were voluntary members of RSPB’s Chough Watch and would often go chough-spotting to help keep track of the growing population of birds.
But with choughs not being commonly found in Surrey, the couple’s voluntary chough support work came to an end when they moved in to their Raven home.
“We’ve always been fond of swifts, but Cornwall isn’t really the place to see them. We moved here in July 2017 and assumed there wasn’t much of a swift population round here because we didn’t hear or see any. But what we didn’t realise, was that we’d actually just missed all of the swifts for the year,” explains Annie.
First swift sighting
In the following May, much to Annie’s delight, she heard a swift call while she was out walking nearby, which reignited her interest in the local swift population. From that point, she kept a close eye out for swifts, but didn’t see any signs they were nesting locally until the following July.
“I was stood at the kitchen window and saw some swifts circling around the two blocks of flats opposite us; they were looking for places to nest. I immediately tried to find out if there were any local swift support groups, or something similar around here, and managed to get hold of one. They encouraged me to keep monitoring them because unfortunately, these beautiful little birds are on the red list,” she explains.
Rapid decline
According to the RSPB, swift populations are plummeting, so much so, they are on the UK’s Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. Between 1995 and 2021, swift numbers declined by 62%, with a lack of suitable nesting sites and climate change believed to be among the main reasons for the decline.
Swifts are remarkable birds, sleeping, eating, bathing, and even, mating on the wing (while in flight). Once they find a nest, swifts use it for life, and every year, they fly to the UK to breed in the summer and spend their winters in Africa.
Six swift nests
Since spotting the local swift nest opposite them, Annie and Barry have spent countless hours monitoring that particular site, as well as scouring the local neighbourhood for more nests. Fortunately, their actions have proven successful, with ‘The Banstead Colony’ comprising six nests, two of which are within Raven developments.
“Given the fact overall swift numbers are in such rapid decline, our community is so lucky to have these birds nesting here, and in so many different places too,” says Annie.
Our support
Keen to do all they possibly can to support the birds, Annie and Barry have joined the Swift Local Network and the national Swift Conservation group. They have also set up a dedicated Swift Protection Association Banstead (SPAB) Facebook page. And they’ve been in regular contact with our Biodiversity Manager, which has resulted in an intervention that is aimed at safeguarding the long-term future of the local swift colony.
“Raven have been really responsive. Once we alerted them to the fact swifts were nesting in this area, including within their properties, they came out and met us on-site, and have since fitted nine swift boxes. Next spring, they’re going to install swift bricks, which is absolutely brilliant,” says Annie.
“The boxes and bricks will definitely help the colony and hopefully mean it will be able to become much bigger in the future. As long as the swifts aren’t impacted by climate change too much, The Banstead Colony will be here beyond my lifetime.
“I feel a lot happier now that our swift colony has people looking out for it. I’ve definitely seen more of them in the flying colony this year and an increase in active nests, which is largely due to Raven’s commitment. I feel a lot more confident about their future.”
How you can help support swifts in your local area
Raven residents interested in helping protect The Banstead Colony, should follow the SPAB Facebook page and report local nest sightings to Annie at Bansteadswifts@gmail.com.
Residents who live in other Raven properties across the county are also encouraged to get involved and support their local swift colonies – they can report sightings to the RSPB.