What to do if you find a grounded Swift.

Place the bird in a box with several small air holes in it a shoe box with a lid is ideal, lined with a couple of layers of kitchen roll. 
Place the box in a quiet, warm place away from any noise and interference.

Refer to the First Aid Page on the Swift Conservation website for information on what to do next
                                                or
Contact the Wenhaston Swift Action Group

 

How to tell the difference between swifts, house martins, sand martins and swallows
Watch this short video by Simon Hooton from Suffolk Wildlife Trust

 

References to further information
 

Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Go to Site

Biodiversity: swifts, a bird you need to Help.
June 2019 Bulletin of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Mangement 

Go to Site

 

 

 

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Wenhaston’s swift arrivals and departure dates

aston’s swift arrivals and departure dates
  • 2010: first seen 9th May • last seen 1st August
  • 2011: first seen 1st May • last seen 7th August
  • 2012: first seen 20th May • last seen 29th July
  • 2013: first seen 5th May • last seen 28th July
  • 2014: first seen 4th May • last seen 20th July
  • 2015: first seen 3rd May • last seen 9th August
  • 2016: first seen 1st May • last seen 24th July
  • 2017: first seen 30th April • last seen 30th July
  • 2018: first seen 6th May • last seen 5th August
  • 2019: first seen 4th May • last seen 26th July
  • 2020: first seen 1st May • last seen 10th August
  • 2021: first seen 8th May • last seen 13th August
  • 2022: first seen 10th May • last seen 17th August
  • 2023: first seen 29th April • last seen 6th August
  • 2024: first seen 6th May • last seen 17th August

Annual swift count

Since 2018 we have all gone out to observe and count swifts flying overhead from various points around the village at exactly the same day and time. This way we are as sure as we can be that we’re not double‑counting. We carry this survey out twice, once in early July and a second count in late July.

We use a method that Alan Miller introduced. The figures below are the maximum numbers seen in the second (late July) count. They are indicative rather than absolute totals.

  • 2018: 126
  • 2019: 151
  • 2020: 76
  • 2021: 102
  • 2022: 102
  • 2023: 123
  • 2024: 141

(We think the majority of adult swifts arrived and left early in 2020.)

To see this year’s recorded locations of nests, boxes and screaming parties, visit http://swiftmapper.org.ukswiftmapper.org.uk and zoom into Wenhaston.