C O N T E X T 1 2 8 : M A R C H 2 0 1 3 31 at the back, so that birds can continue to have access without getting further into the roof. It is true, of course, that holes in buildings can sometimes create problems if they provide access for unwanted species such as insects, so it is useful to consider alternative ways of providing accommodation for the birds. A recent innovation, cheap and simple, is to adapt airbrick liners, as was done recently at the Old Brewery, St Neots.These are effectively sealed units set flush into the wall.They can be made less obtrusive if they are installed at the top of the wall, just under the eaves. Rafters deeper than 150mm will hide the boxes/bricks. Where it is necessary to use external nestboxes, it is often preferable to make something tailored to the individual building. For example, Wessex Place in Cambridge, recently converted to student flats, has an open soffit so the boxes are tucked away neatly. Jake Allsop is coordinator of Action for Swifts, a group of East Anglian enthusiasts promoting swift conservation in buildings. (Left) Airbrick liner boxes at St Neots St John’s College, Cambridge The east side of St Mary’s Church, Ely Another way of looking at nestboxes, at least on modern buildings, could be for an adventurous architect to make a feature of the boxes, for example by giving interest to an otherwise bland gable end. Churches are among the historic buildings favoured by swifts. The birds make use of crevices under eaves or in gaps in stonework, typically under the eaves of the chancel. It is possible to provide additional or alternative accommodation for them by means of multiple-chambered boxes affixed to the inside of louvred windows in belfries.This provides nest sites to the birds without creating access to the main tower void. Each building is unique and must be assessed to find the best methods for accommodating the birds to harmonise with the building’s aesthetic and physical properties.These and many other ideas can be found on the Action for Swifts website (actionforswifts.blogspot. com). Examples of projects carried out by Action for Swifts include the Maltings, Ely, Cambridgeshire; St John’s College, Cambridge; the Old Brewery, St Neots, Bedfordshire; the Old Tower, Over, Cambridgeshire, where 40 holes were left underneath a fancy corbel; and St Mary’s Church in Ely, which now has a wonderful colony of over 20 pairs of breeding swifts in the belfry. We also designed the nest boxes in St Rémy Church, Molenbeek, Brussels. Man has been the accidental provider of nesting places for swifts since he started putting up buildings. Now we need to become the deliberate provider.We know what needs to be done, and we have the know-how to do it. We can halt the decline in swift numbers in this country. (Far left) A gable end with an attractive cabinetstyle box
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