Huge swathes of open eaved homes are being refurbished with soffits and fascia by councils and homeowners, and exhausted swifts returning from their treacherous migration find the nests they have used for 50 – 70 years are blocked….forever.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Find out what you can do about it here.
Many congratulations goes to our member Chet Cuñago for winning Birdwatch Magazine’s Local Hero of the Year award! Chet, who runs Sheffield Swift Rescue, does some incredible work caring for and raising swiftlets, arranging transport when they’re found, and feeding them 24 hours a days. It’s a selfless task and her unwavering dedication has made this award much deserved. We are so proud of her! Nice one Chet!
You can find information on Sheffield Swift Rescue and other emergency contacts here.
There is a new member to the SSN family, in the form of S2 Swifts! This new group covers the Arbourthorne, Manor and Wybourn areas and now has a Facebook page here. Get in touch with S2 Swifts with nest sightings, questions, concerns, or if you would simply like to get involved in future initiatives to save swifts in the area!
An updated list of Sheffield Swift Network members with all their contact details are listed here.
As Christmas approaches why not consider gifting a future of swifts swooping over your rooftop for summers to come?
A swift brick is a fantastic gift for nature lovers and of course a priceless gift for the swifts, providing them with a ‘forever nest’ for as long as your home stands.
At only £34 (plus delivery) you can fit them yourself, or our recommended fitter Jan from Nest Box Installations can fit them for you.
Everything you need to know about swift bricks and how they are installed is here.
Sheffield homeowner Simon had 2 Swift bricks retrofitted into his home after witnessing distressing scenes of exhausted swifts repeatedly trying to enter their blocked nests, close to his home.
Simon’s home is on the market. He’ll never benefit from seeing swifts raise their young in the bricks he’s paid for, but he’s a swift hero who has simply ‘future proofed’ his home for this incredible bird. What an incredible parting gift.
Watch the video below of this wonderful story.
Earlier this year, Fiver Rivers Cohousing put in swift bricks. Thanks to fantastic team work between Five Rivers Cohousing, Oakworth Homes, Sheffield Swift Network and others, we have precious new homes for our red-listed birds in Wisewood, Sheffield 6! More details can be viewed here.
We now have dedicated pages for you which we hope you find useful and informative. If you’d like to get in contact with us about any of the content or feel you could provide further input, please get in touch!
There is also a very lovely and informative video about swifts….
Patrick Amber will be hosting 4 more days of Swift Puppet Making workshops! All swifts made will be used for our forthcoming publicity and campaign events.
10 – 2ish. Attendance is FREE and OPEN TO ALL.
Abbeyfield House, Abbeyfield Park,
Burngreave S4 7AY
IF you can afford to chip in £3 to cover the cost of materials, that would be fab. (Don’t worry if not)
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/screamofswifts
This is an amazing achievement for all involved. Desperately needed homes for our red listed swifts are being created by a very thoughtful and forward thinking Wakefield District Housing. We hope to see much more of this. More details including technical details can be viewed here.
Patrick Amber and Jan-Erik Bullet who made the fantastic swift for our recent petition presentation at the Sheffield Town Hall will be hosting 2 workshops, making a Scream of Swifts! All swifts made will be used for our forthcoming publicity and campaign events.
They will be making swifts out of willow, tissue paper and paint. Both adults and children are very welcome.
The events are taking place on Sunday 15th and Sunday 22nd January, 10am to 2pm, Abbeyfield Park, 30 Abbeyfield Road / 187 Burngreave Road, Sheffield. Please come along – no previous experience necessary and the more the merrier!
Video recording will be taking place for promotional purposes.
Visit A Scream of Swifts for more information and book a place here!
Sheffield Swift Network 