Archived Posts

Now is the best time in the swift season to survey for nest sites. The ‘bangers’ (young birds exploring nest sites) are here and eggs are hatching so parents are starting to feed young so will be entering nest sites on a regular basis throughout the day.

So, if you can give some time to surveying in your town we would encourage you to share your findings on-line with either :

National Biodiversity Data Centre’s Swift Data Page which is found alphabetically under the ‘Submit Sightings’ section https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/swifts

OR with BirdWatch Ireland’s Swift Survey page
https://bwi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html

Recording nest sites and sharing that information with the survey sites helps with efforts to protect some of the natural sites.

You can find survey advice and a sample recording sheet byClicking Here

Swift week Mayo and Swift Week Galway event dates have been confirmed and can be found by CLICKING HERE!

Nest boxes installed on Ballycroy National Park Visitor’s Centre. Thanks to NPWS for their support. This will be a longterm project to see if we can draw swifts back to the Barony of Erris. Major Robin Ruttledge did record them in the Barony in the early 1930s. We’ll need patience!!

There will be a swift talk given by Lynda Huxley in Killarney, County Kerry on 23rd May 2018 – Don’t miss it!
killarney

The swift week event at Oughterard Court House is now on Friday 15th June 2018 at 7:30pm!

swift-awareness-week

From June 16th to June 23rd, various swift related events will take place to celebrate Swift Awareness Week, for a calendar of events, please CLICK HERE!

Lynda Huxley saw one Swift flying over GMIT Mayo Campus in Castlebar yesterday evening and we have fresh nest material in boxes 9 and 7. Hope to get livestream up and running in next couple of days. Ricky Whelan of BirdWatchIreland has also had reports of Swift sightings in Banagher and Birr. These will be breeding birds so should be going to their nest sites. The ‘bangers’ i.e. potential new breeders should arrive in the next couple of weeks.

On Monday April 16th at 20:00 in the Hotel Newport, Newport, Lynda Huxley will be giving a talk as a part of the “Mayo Dark Skies”. Artificial light can be a problem for migrating birds and at their nest sites. Lynda will be sharing information about this amazing bird and how we can all help them.

Come and see the new Swift Videos page on our site, Lynda Huxley speaks about saving our swifts and there is a video of swifts in their nest box exercising their wings too! CLICK HERE to see the videos.