For part of my childhood, I lived on a farm in Durham and was surrounded by wildlife – I remember watching swallows fly into farm sheds to feed their young and being thrilled listening to the shriek of swifts as they streaked overhead.

Recently I felt I had to do my bit, no matter how small, to help the wildlife in my area.  Initially, this involved replacing my lawned garden with wildflower turf (to support pollinators) and adding a pond.  That was the sum total of my plans until summer last year, when I heard swifts shrieking overhead on the small estate where I now live in Framwellgate Moor.

I knew swifts were in decline due, in part, to modern building standards so used the power of the internet to understand what I could do to help.  This is when I discovered the Durham Wildlife Trust and, through them, swift bricks and other very useful information.

It all seemed easy, until I needed to find a builder to install the bricks – digging into the wall of my house is outside my DIY comfort zone.  Back to the internet and, after much searching, I found a very helpful builder who assisted with providing advice about which bricks (there are many different types) were best suited for my house.  Once purchased, the same builder installed the bricks and, in my opinion, did an outstanding job.

It gives me great satisfaction knowing the bricks are there and I have taken pleasure in pointing them out to friends and family.  But now the long wait starts as I’m aware it can sometimes take years for swifts to occupy new nest sites – nature can at times be unobliging.  So, the next step – getting a swift caller to encourage the local swift population to come and have a look at my house, and the new nesting opportunities.

I don’t believe there are any other swift bricks on my estate, but I’m aware of at least one neighbour who is now watching with interest the results of my endeavours.  Once the swifts start nesting, I'm sure I can encourage them, and others, to install some bricks in their houses too.

By Durham Wildlife Trust supporter, Jason

Installing swift bricks

Swifts are site-faithful and return to the same sites every year. so installing swift bricks can provide a home for many years.

Height
The general advise is for swift boxes/bricks to be placed at least five metres off the ground, although if it is not possible, something is better than nothing, so you could try four metres or higher.

Aspect
North, east or north-east facing is best to avoid the brick being in direct sunlight during the day. 

Clearance
Swifts ideally need at least a few metres of clearance to allow them to fly up and into a nest at speed. This means that ideally there would be no trees or other buildings within a few metres of the front of the brick or box.

The more the merrier
Swifts are colonial nesters so prefer to nest in close proximity to other swifts, so consider adding more than one box or brick.

Use a call-player 
This can maximise the chances of swifts being attracted to the brick if they haven't used your home before. Start the calls as soon as you see the swifts reappear and keep it playing until they've gone again - ideally from May to August. 

Finally, try not to be too disheartened if swifts don't take to the bricks in the first year - they can sometimes take a couple or few years to settle in!

Sheffield Swift Network offers some more advice on choosing and installing a swift brick at your house.