Swift action by Lewes Swift Supporters Saved the day...and the Swifts!

These fantastic birds arrive back, from south of the Sahara in Africa, to breed in Lewes late spring. Here's a closer view of a pair that I photographed catching insects on Itford Hill Southease last year. Believe it or not they can catch and eat up to 20,000 small insects a day!

But swifts have been in serious decline here in Lewes, mainly due to lack of suitable nest sites. Thankfully a wonderful group of residents have formed, and I have just joined,

Lewes Swift Supporters (find them on Facebook or twitter or email lewesswifts@gmail.com )

The nesting pairs have doubled in the last three years as the supporters have, and still are, monitoring current nest sites and helping other residents to erect nesting boxes all over town in suitable sites. Suitability is the key actually as young birds leave the nest when ready and learn to fly on their way to disaster if they hit the ground. If successful, which really demands a nest site at a great height, they will not land again for two or even three years when it's their time to mate and make a nest. They eat, drink and even sleep on the wing day and night, snatching a few seconds of sleep at a time or, like Dolphins, shutting down one half of their brain at a time to get sleep without actually dosing off like most creatures do.

Here's a perfect site in Pinwell Lane...

The birds like to find gaps under the gutters or eves where they can get just a small way inside but new buildings and recently renovated properties often don't have the access that the swifts need so nesting boxes are the way to go. Pleas do follow and support this group and look out for the fun and games that the swifts get up to when they return. The fly like no other do, 70mph is easy for them as they case each other around the town screeching with delight. And watch out too for my photos, fingers crossed. I cannot wait for their swift return, if you will excuse the pun?