CamSwift

Photo © Nick Levene

CamSwift

is our local group working for swifts and house martins in Great Shelford, Stapleford and Sawston.

We have received starter funding from our three parish councils, and our goal is to place as many swift nestboxes and swift nestcups around our three villages as we can.

If you would like to host a nestbox/cup on your house, we'd love to hear from you.

About our Swifts and House Martins

In the 1990s Great Shelford had a large population of swifts which arrived, almost by appointment, on 4 August, and reoccupied their nests in the roof of the old British School, which at that time was rather rundown. When the building was reroofed swift numbers plummeted. In the 2000s the building became part of the development which is Old School Court. Since then our swift population has been hanging by a thread, and this was the impetus for the formation of CamSwift. Similarly, Woollards Lane used to be blessed with numerous nesting house martins, but these too have suffered, and we are now down to two nests. The same story has been replicated in Sawston and Stapleford. We at CamSwift are determined not to let these two charismatic bird species disappear from our skies. We want our children and grandchildren to continue to enjoy them as we have. We want them to hear the sound of swift screaming parties over the village in summer, and the more delicate twittering of house martins as they fly round the village.

If you would be interested in joining our group, please get in touch.

Swift and House Martin Resources

There are many resources on the internet if you want to learn more about these birds.

Swifts:

www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/swallows-swift-martins-and-nightjar/swift

Swift Conservation: www.swift-conservation.org/

House martins:

www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/swallows-swift-martins-and-nightjar/house-martin

House Martin Conservation: housemartinconservation.com/