New chair of Alsager Town Council Cllr Michael Unett (left) attended a swifts information drop-in hosted by Alsager Urban Wildlife Initiative held on 19 May 2021.
Antony Cook of AUWI gave an informal presentation about swifts and answered residents’ questions around how to best help these incredible birds thrive in the face of serious population decreases due in large part to insect declines and loss of nesting sites.
Alsager’s resident breeding swifts arrived back in the town last weekend after overwintering in the Congo, with juveniles expected to return in the next week or two.
Three bespoke swift nesting boxes have been installed on our Alsager Town Council offices, along with recording equipment that plays swift calls to attract the birds to nest there.
As part of Swift Awareness Week in July, we’ll be encouraging other councils of all sizes to follow suit to help boost swift populations in their areas.
