Review of 2021 by Chair and Founder Ian Donovan
Hastings & Rother Swift Conservation Group had a successful year starting with a rewarding collaboration between East Sussex County Council, Clarke Roofing (South), Edward Mayer (Swift Conservation) and Dick Newell (Action for Swifts) to professionally install 12 custom built 'S Bricks' in the clocktower of Battle Library. A caller will be installed ahead of the swifts return in May. The group negotiated with ESCC while Action for Swifts supplied the bricks with funding from Swift Conservation.
Another 12 bricks were installed, again working with Dick Newell, at a new development at Westfield Downs.
- Throughout the course of 2021 the group made and installed 63 'Model 30' type swift boxes in Battle, Crowhurst, Hastings & Pett.
- We relaunched and updated our website (https://e-voice.org.uk/hastingsandrotherswifts/) on a different server.
- We gained coverage from both the Hastings Independent and Bexhill & Battle Observer ahead of Swift Awareness Week in July when we held an awareness raising stall on Abbey Green, Battle.
- The group also started working with the new House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland charity, installing house martin nest cups as part of their ongoing swift conservation work.
Review of 2020 by Chair and Founder Ian Donovan
It was a successful first year for Hastings & Rother Swift Conservation Group, despite the pandemic. A fledgling group of volunteers formed in the autumn of 2019 and held their first awareness-raising evening at a sold-out Battle Memorial Hall in February. Sussex Ornithological Society advocates Audrey Wende, David Campbell and Richard Cowser attended.
The group's initial plan had been to concentrate on Battle in 2020 but, due to the pandemic, these plans were temporarily scuppered. As restrictions eased, nest box installations were requested and were fulfilled, primarily in Hastings Old Town, Hastings and St.Leonard's on Sea. To date, the group have installed 22 boxes in these areas. Swift call systems are also provided and installed where required.
The group’s most satisfying work of 2020 involved a listed building in Hastings, where a group member noticed swifts entering the eaves. A week later, scaffolding went up. Alarm bells! Ian Donovan negotiated with the owner and project manager leading to a solution to work around the nesting colony. The group are confident three pairs of swifts successfully fledged young and the nest site has been left undisturbed for swifts to use into the future, after completion of the building work.
Requests keep coming for nest boxes and the group aim to install as many as possible before May 2021, when they hope to give more time to surveying traditional nest sites across the wider Rother area.
The group has built an engaging website encouraging local people to join them and offering to provide and install swift nest boxes.
The Group had a 5-minute slot on BBC Radio Sussex during Swift Awareness Week.