Glamorgan Bird Club

The background to the project

It has been evident for many years that the number of Swifts in our skies has been falling. Recent studies have shown that numbers have declined by as much as 60% in the last 25 years. So much so, that the Swift is now a red-listed species of the greatest conservation concern. In 2015 Glamorgan Bird Club and RSPB Cymru set out to address this decline in Swift numbers. One of the drivers of the decline is thought to be the lack of suitable nesting sites. Swifts like to nest in gaps under the eaves of our houses, however modern building techniques have meant that there are fewer gaps for Swifts to occupy.

Cardiff Council were approached and it was decided that the Cardiff Bay Barrage would be an ideal site to set up this project, as Swifts regularly feed over the bay and there are Swifts nesting close by.
An ambitious bid was made to the Heritage Lottery by GBC as the lead partner, with the result that the “Flagship home for Swifts in Cardiff Bay” partnership was formed. Cardiff Harbour Authority became the third partner in the project team at this juncture.
Our aim was to erect a purpose-built nest box tower on the barrage. Such structures have been successful in mainland Europe. Polish designers, Menthol, were engaged to design and manufacture a spectacular “bird wing” structure, containing 90 nest boxes.

The Cardiff Bay Swift Tower

The tower was officially opened on 16th May 2019 by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Dianne Rees. Local press, plus the officials of the three lead partners were present at the launch, as was Jenny Rathbone, the Senedd Swift Champion.

Strinda Davies, GBC Chair, at the launch event

The tower concept goes back to Medieval times, when Swift towers (similar to dovecotes) were erected in towns and cities in Italy. In the USA, a very similar bird, the Purple Martin, now almost exclusively nests in towers.

It has been found that to attract Swifts to a site, a call needs to be played. In our tower we have a solar panel which powers a loudspeaker that plays Swift calls. It can take some time for Swifts to adopt a new nesting site. They are creatures of habit and will return to the same nest site year after year. This can be problematical when traditional sites have disappeared. Swifts live, on average, for six years, however they do not reach breeding age until they are three years old. Immature birds will travel from Africa each summer to prospect for future nest sites and once they have found a suitable site, they remember it, and will return the following summer. They pair for life.

An interpretation panel was sited next to the tower to help inform passers-by of the plight of Swifts.

Swift surveying

Part of our bid to the Lottery was to establish the status of Swifts in the wider Cardiff area. As part of their role in the project, RSPB Cymru set up city-wide survey and local volunteers were sought to go out in their local area searching for Swift nest sites. A training programme was set up to provide our volunteers with the necessary skills for monitoring Swifts. It isn’t an easy task as Swifts, being our fastest flying birds, can be difficult to locate. We were delighted that a total of 96 volunteers came forward.

The survey was planned to run over three summers 2018, 2019 and 2020. The first two surveys went smoothly, with a lot of data collected, however the Covid pandemic put paid to the planned survey in the third year (2020). We resumed in 2021, although in-person training still wasn’t permitted. The training material was therefore delivered online.

Raising public awareness

Part of the project brief was to bring the plight of Swifts to the attention of the wider general public and to engage and educate communities to hopefully bring about both positive attitude and behavioural change for the benefit of Swifts. We were delighted that the tower was featured on the BBC Springwatch programme in June 2019.

The ‘Welcome back the Swifts’ event

Public talks

Public Walks

In July 2019, Glamorgan Bird Club teamed up with the local Cardiff RSPB group to lead a walk across the barrage to see the tower and to promote the project. The event was well attended and we were glad that a few Swifts put in an appearance.

Education resources

An element that we have been keen to promote has been the development of resources for use in schools. The education department of the Cardiff Harbour Authority regularly hosts school groups on the barrage and the Swift tower has provided a good focal point. In addition the bay boat tour operators have been given leaflets and point out the tower to their passengers.

As part of the project some Swift school based activities have been developed, primarily for KS2 pupils. Below is a sample of one activity that has been successfully trialled with local schools.

Further resources are available – get in touch if you’d like more information

Finally, below is a slide show of a presentation that has been used in talks to various interested parties and groups. Use the right arrow on your device to move through – there are just 10 slides.

Conclusion

This has been a major project for GBC. We have acted as the lead partner throughout the lifetime of the project, with a dedicated team that has worked collaboratively to deliver its purposes and outcomes. GBC has been responsible for liaising with CHA (who have the responsibility for the tower in its location on the barrage, until 2026 at least), for keeping the project records until 2030, managing the finances and mak- ing sure that we adhere to the terms of the Heritage Lottery grant until 2033.

Thanks are due to all of the CHA and RSPB Cymru officers, who have helped bring this project to fruition. Particular thanks must go to GBC trustees; Strinda Davies, Ceri Jones, Alan Rosney, Rhos Williams and Anne Wilson, who have all been involved in the project from the outset. Also bird club members have contributed in many ways, particularly Mike Pointon and Ian Hartrey, who have been a great support to the project since its inception in 2017.

Lastly we must thank the Heritage Lottery, without whom, this project would not have been possible.

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