A series of free activities taking place in the City next month will raise awareness of a bird species at risk and show the public what they can do to help.
Credit: Paul Edlin
Talks and walks have been organised by the Worcester Swift Recovery Group as part of its summer activities to promote the conservation of swifts in the City.
Chaired by Dr Kate Ashbrook, Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences at the University of Worcester, it includes representatives from the University, Worcestershire County and Worcester City Council, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the Environment Agency, RSPB Worcester & Malvern Local Group, Worcester Environmental Group and Worcester Cathedral Eco Group.
Dr Ashbrook said: “Swifts are masters of the sky that spend almost their entire lives in flight. They are among the fastest birds in level flight and can remain airborne for months at a time, eating, sleeping and even mating in the air. Through these events, we aim to raise awareness of the swift's plight and inspire practical action. For example, here at the University we have a number of swift boxes on our campuses and earlier this year installed a further 12 on one of our City halls of residence. As part of our long-standing efforts to support biodiversity, we've also maintained and developed a range of natural areas to support insect populations that swifts and other wildlife depend on.”
Activities include a talk at The Hive on Friday July 4, 6.30pm-7.30pm, given by Dr Ashbrook on the topic ‘Swifts are in trouble - what can we do to help?’.
Following that, there are some walks in areas where swifts are currently breeding. This is so that people can observe the birds flying, find active nest sites and learn how to assess the best places to fit nest boxes.
The first is at Fort Royal Park Walk on Wednesday, July 9, led by the RSPB, with support from Fort Royal Environmental Rangers and Worcester Environmental Group. Attendees should meet at the yard at the park at 7pm.
A walk in the Happy Land area of St John’s led by the RSPB takes place on Friday, July 18, meeting at 6.30pm outside the Brewer's Arms pub on Comer Road.
According to the British Trust for Ornithology website, surveys show a significant decline in swift populations, with the UK breeding population having fallen steeply since 1995, earning them a place on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red List in 2020.
Dr Ashbrook, who is also Chair of the University’s Biodiversity Steering Group, said: “Each summer, swifts migrate thousands of miles from Africa to breed in the UK, arriving in late April or May and departing by August. They often return to the same nesting sites year after year. Traditionally, they nested in the eaves of old buildings, but as modern construction methods seal up these spaces, suitable nesting sites are vanishing. Swifts are insectivores, feeding exclusively on aerial insects, so recent concerns about declining invertebrate populations are likely to have had a further impact on their survival and reproduction. As a result, swift numbers have plummeted.”
For the talk at The Hive, sign up through The Hive website’s What’s On page: https://thehiveworcester.org/whats-on.html.
For the other activities attendees can just turn up on the day.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk