Nest Boxes

Installing Nest boxes at St. Wynwallow’s Church, Spring 2024

Wildlife Groundswell have installed six nestboxes behind the slate louvres in the south facing reveal of St. Wynwallow’s belfry. It is hoped that these nestboxes will encourage migrating common swifts (Apus apus) to establish a new nest colony here when they arrive back from their annual migration from Central Africa in early May. Swifts used to be a common sight in Cornwall and throughout Britain but in recent years their numbers have declined such that they are now on the UK “Red List” of endangered species.

You may hear a strange new sound coming from the belfry this spring. This is an attraction call: a recording of the sounds made by swifts during the nesting season which will alert groups of migrating swifts to the possibility that there are nest sites nearby which need to be investigated!

The six swift nestboxes installed behind the upper louvres in the south-facing belfry reveal.

Just before entering the church, look to your left and up… this is the south reveal. The nestboxes are in deep shadow and can be difficult to see without binoculars.

In general, swifts prefer the upper louvres because they like to avoid jackdaws nesting lower down (there is a jackdaw’s nest behind the bottom left louvre).

Inside the belfry. Nestboxes in the south reveal can be seen in the background, with the bells, wheels, stays, headstocks and ropes in the foreground.

Surprisingly, nesting swifts are not troubled by the loud sound of the bells!

A Wildlife Groundswell volunteer installing nestbox thrust bars. The bump cap and headtorch are essential for working in cramped, dark conditions.

The special thrust bar design provides a robust support without damage to ancient stonework.

The interior of a nestbox close up. Entrance hole at the front, shallow nest cup at the back. Swifts are not great nest-builders… usually just a few feathers will do.

All six nestboxes mounted on horizontal battens. The boxes can be opened at the rear for periodic inspection and cleaning.

It is planned to install nest cameras in the upper boxes in future years.

Unlike swallows or house martins, swifts make hardly any mess… so there will be no white guano deposits to discolour church stonework!