We are delighted to launch a brand new LIVE webcam in a Swift box in the Poole Harbour area! Thank you to FPCR for the support in making this happen.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply for a free swift box. We had over 160 applications from across Dorset and were able to deliver 46 boxes and callers in priority areas. Alongside that we have been distributing over 50 boxes to Swift groups as part of the Dorset Swift Network. Fingers crossed we’ll see these boxes being used in the next couple of years! Please note that the applications are now closed.

If you are instead interested in purchasing your own swift box, we highly recommend those made by John Stimpson, and further details on these (or alternative models) can be found on the Swift Conservation website here. Action for Swifts also offer boxes of different models and Swift bricks. If there are no other swifts nesting nearby, we recommend purchasing a swift caller and playing it for at least an hour at dawn and an hour at dusk, daily throughout May-July. We recommend purchasing callers, which play Swift calls to attract individuals looking for a suitable nest site, from suppliers like Graham Fell which can be found here.

With Swifts facing a decline of around two thirds in the last three decades in the UK, it is important to understand the reasons why this has happened and ways in which we can help bolster local populations. Alongside providing nesting habitat by installing boxes, another key step is to improve their feeding habitat to ensure they have sufficient invertebrate prey.

It is well known that there has been a significant decline in insects in the UK and wider landscape scale restoration, reduction in the widespread use of pesticides, and wildlife-friendly farming is required to reverse this. Although Swifts forage over great distances, making changes in your own garden, such as planting wildlife-friendly species, letting parts of your garden grow wild, installing a pond, and avoiding using any pesticides can help.

Gathering data on how local populations are doing is vital for understanding these changes in-depth. We recommend logging your sightings, location of boxes, and if nests are occupied using the Swiftmapper tool.