Yet Another Cycling Forum
Random Musings => Miscellany => Where The Wild Things Are => Topic started by: Wowbagger on 16 July, 2020, 06:56:32 pm
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I've bought one and I want to get it fitted, but it's going to be beyond my capabilities. Moreover, I the one I boughr is so sodding heavy that I think it will take two blokes in a cherry picker to do the honours.
Does anyone else have a swift box? And is it occupied?
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(https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/109685048_2633336613652198_2067351574257731063_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_eui2=AeHT7iqmzf0U0ET8rkjSqKqlWXacpD8WiV5ZdpykPxaJXuudcWJukwBr-RTmEPDsPzCsOb_UWDT--hjKoPaelLHa&_nc_ohc=Tlwcs1-scMgAX9TjyC2&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.xx&oh=7e7d2b33d2d7fb95f8f858ff6f77ac80&oe=5F380062)
Well, there's a provisional installation. I just leaned out of the window on the left, where the lower pane opens, and put the box on the window sill of the other window, where the top pane opens. I feel pretty sure that the box is so heavy that the wind will never shift it, and that is east-facing so it will be sheltered from the worst of the gales in any case.
Those that claim to know say that you should put the box at least 5 metres up. That is 4 metres but worth a punt for next year. if the swifts ignore it I might consider getting it installed at soffit level, but I'm not confident that our bricks are strong enough to support the box's weight. This one is actually designed to be built into a wall.
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That looks astonishingly like the back of a digital radio I've got - even down to the rounded corners!
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I was considering manufacturing one from ply and attaching it to the house for next year. I like the look of Peak Boxes, so I may copy their design with modifications for our house.
We have a goodly number of swifts in the local area and I'd like to attract them to nest by the house for birding fun.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/01/britain-endangered-birds-red-list-rises-to-70-species?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
That’s very worrying. Swifts are regular visitors to Southend. I have two boxes on an upstairs windowsill, but they have never been occupied. According to stuff I have read, if swifts zoom low over rooftops they are within 100 metres of their nests. They do that here, but I have yet to see a swift’s nest. I suspect the swifts don’t read the right books.
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I was on a website last night that recommended playing swift calls to get them to investigate.
https://www.wildcare.co.uk/blog/wildcare-guide-to-bird-boxes-swifts/#:~:text=Swift%20boxes%20should%20ideally%20be,the%20glare%20of%20the%20sun.
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I was on a website last night that recommended playing swift calls to get them to investigate.
https://www.wildcare.co.uk/blog/wildcare-guide-to-bird-boxes-swifts/#:~:text=Swift%20boxes%20should%20ideally%20be,the%20glare%20of%20the%20sun.
I tried that last year. I will keep persisting.
The previous May, on their first day of arrival, they were investigating the eves of a house across the road.
Stuff I've read indicates that the boxes ought to be at least 5m above ground level, preferably facing east. Mine face east, but they are only about 4.5m up. I've no idea how picky swifts are about their nest height.
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Up to the age of 16 I had an east facing bedroom on the 2nd floor - so a fair way up. Swifts would nest every year above the sash window and a couple of times I had to shoo one out of my room.