Skip to content

Monitoring The Colony

The church tower colony is a valuable research opportunity for those with an interest in swift conservation. This is how and why we do it.

Monitoring the colony

How and why we do it

(click + to expand)

At the outset we realised that the colony could provide valuable research data for ourselves and others with a deeper interest in swift conservation. We aimed to minimise variables as far as possible, leaving elevation (north, east, south and west) as the primary difference between nest sites.

The tower is square in plan, with each elevation incorporating an identical open louvred window. Each new installation (east in 2012; west and south in 2015) was built to match the original structure installed on the north elevation in 2011, using the same dimensions, materials and design.

During the early years the project was entirely self-funded, and the purchase of cameras represented a significant additional cost. Mid-season monitoring was therefore carried out largely through direct observation from the churchyard below, combined with listening at the exterior of the boxes. A more detailed survey was undertaken once the birds had departed at the end of the season, when notes could be checked and verified.

To improve our understanding of swift breeding behaviour and chick development, a small camera was installed in the first occupied chamber in 2013.

In 2012, we were able to purchase three additional fixed cameras, together with a small cylindrical camera designed to slide into bespoke tubes attached to each outer chamber. This greatly improved the accuracy of mid-season monitoring. In 2014, Chris joined the group and applied his technical expertise to expand and refine the camera system, allowing us to monitor activity across the entire season in all chambers.

From the beginning, all monitoring data has been recorded on a structured Excel spreadsheet and an annual report produced. Copies are shared with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and other relevant organisations.

With funding from the Rushcliffe Borough Council Conservation Fund, we have since established a live data link from the tower to the internet, enabling 24-hour online observation. Despite this, we continue to carry out a formal mid-season survey as part of our monitoring protocol.

At the end of each season, all chambers are checked for unhatched eggs or bird remains, allowing us to corroborate observational records. The final stage of monitoring takes place in early February, when — as a matter of group policy — the boxes are cleaned to limit the build-up of Crataerina pallida (the swift louse fly). The entrances are then temporarily blocked until the swifts return in spring.

Before the start of each new season in April, a full report on the previous year’s activity is prepared, and both the breeding pairs and fledgling chart and the colony occupancy chart are updated. The occupancy and productivity data generated through this process enables us to track colony development over time and to assess the influence of factors such as weather patterns, insect availability and wider environmental conditions. Where possible, our findings are also compared with national annual trends.

The monitoring data is presented in the following three sections:

  1. Breeding records – written reports covering current and previous years
  2. Breeding pairs and fledgling numbers per year – chart
  3. Colony growth – occupancy chart

If you wish to follow up on any of this information, you are welcome to contact us.