The Long Ashton Swift Project
Every summer, one of Britain's most remarkable birds returns to Long Ashton after an extraordinary journey from Africa. Swifts have nested in our village for generations, filling our evenings with their unmistakable screaming calls as they race through the skies.
Sadly, swifts are in serious decline. As older buildings are repaired, renovated or replaced, the small gaps beneath roofs where they have traditionally nested are disappearing. Swifts are incredibly faithful to their nesting sites, returning to the same place year after year, so the loss of even a single nest can have a lasting impact.
The Long Ashton Swift Project was established to help ensure these iconic birds remain part of our village for generations to come. Led by members of the LANCE Trust and other local volunteers, the project combines practical conservation with community action, helping to protect existing nest sites while creating more places for future swifts to breed.
The Long Ashton Swift Project has been running since 2024 and are members of the Swifts Local Network, courtesy of Action for Swifts. We also owe a special thank you to Mark Glanville, who runs Bristol Swifts, whose help and advice in the initial stages was invaluable and whose annual blog on his swift colony is so informative. We also benefit from advice from Swift Conservation.
What we've achieved so far
The project has grown quickly thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of people across Long Ashton. Together we have:
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Built dozens of purpose-made swift nest boxes with the help of local volunteers. Owen, from LANCE, deserves a special mention for building so many.
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Installed nest boxes across the village, focusing on areas close to existing nesting colonies while gradually expanding into new locations. Huge kudos to Andy, Jack and Gordano Tree Services for supporting us on this.
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Improved and refined our nest box design as we've learned what works best for different buildings and installation locations. Learn more in our blog.
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Used recorded swift calls during the breeding season to help attract birds to new nesting sites.
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Long Ashton Eco Church Project funded a row of four swift boxes in the belfry of All Saints, at the east end of the village, in order to ensure linkage with swifts nesting in South Bristol and Clifton.
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Organised Swift Walks and surveys to identify existing nest locations, raise awareness and help locals learn more about these fascinating birds.
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Created an active Facebook community and WhatsApp group where residents can share sightings, ask questions and coordinate volunteering. Many thanks to Laura, Lucy, Luke and Beatrice for their admin roles. (More info below)
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Worked with schools, Brownies and local organisations to spread awareness and inspire more people to get involved.
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Contributing relevant data to the RSPB's national data set: Swift Mapper.
The project is already making a difference. Alongside our growing network of nest boxes, residents have helped us discover previously unknown natural nest sites, giving us a much better picture of where swifts are breeding across the village.
How to tell the difference between a swift, swallow, house martin and sand martin. Credit: The Wildlife Trusts
How you can help
One of the most valuable things you can do is help us find where swifts are already nesting.
Swifts often nest beneath roof tiles, in small gaps under eaves, or inside older buildings. They fly extremely fast, but if you watch carefully on warm evenings between May and July you may see them repeatedly entering or leaving the same spot in a roof. These records help us protect existing nest sites and identify the best places to install additional boxes nearby.
If you think you have swifts nesting in your roof, or you've spotted them using a nest box anywhere in Long Ashton, we'd love to hear from you. You can also help by:
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Reporting potential nesting sites;
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Offering a suitable location for a swift nest box;
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Volunteering to help build or install boxes;
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Joining one of our walks or surveys;
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Sharing sightings and updates through the WhatsApp or Facebook groups
Join the Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/703140581700340
Email us your phone number to be added to the WhatsApp group: LANCET2021@protonmail.com