Report your swift sightings in Lewes

With tentative signs that the number of local swift nests are on the rise, Lewes Swift Supporters is inviting Lewes residents and visitors to report their sightings to help with essential tracking to support populations of these endangered birds.

 

Lewes Swift Supporters (LSS) report that the north-easterly winds and bad weather in southern Europe delayed the arrival of many birds from Africa this year, including most of our swifts. Despite this, LSS surveyors have confirmed 34 active nests across Lewes so far, which compares well to this time last year.

Reporting on swift sightings is essential to supporting bird populations. You can join in with Swift Watch by reporting your sightings to the LSS Facebook group, on Twitter at @LewesSwifts, or by email to lewesswifts@gmail.com.

 

LSS would like to know:

  • Date and time of swift sightings
  • Exact location
  • How many swifts seen
  • Weather conditions (e.g. wind strength, temperature, cloud cover, rain etc)
  • The behaviour of the swifts (e.g. were they flying around, diving towards a building, screaming?)

Your sightings can really help because you may be out and about at different times of day and be able to see swift activity at the rear of homes, which is not visible from the road. Sightings will be recorded by LSS and included in end-of-season data sent to BTO BirdTrack.

 

Joining Lewes Swift Supporters
Membership of LSS is free. Get in touch at lewesswifts@gmail.com if you would like to join and help to protect these endangered birds. You can also find out at the LSS website: https://e-voice.org.uk/lewesswiftsupporters/

 

1 Comment

  1. Mary Evans

    Come to Tidworth in Wiltshire and I think they are swifts that we see in their hundreds ++but only certain times in the early morning 7.15 ish but after their flying they disappear as quick as they appear they are really noisy while flying but absolutely beautiful to watch..how they navigate around each other is beyond me