Bird on the move from Africa to Bridgnorth

The Bridgnorth Swifts Group have been working for the last year to install three nesting boxes near the top of St Leonard's Church for the summer time visitors.

The National Trust at Dudmaston donated the wood and the Men in Sheds group from Ditton Priors built the boxes, ready for them to be installed this weekend

With numbers having been in decline in recent years, the Bridgnorth Swifts Group formed last summer, joining several similar groups across the county to record visits and focus on increasing numbers.

The dark coloured birds, with forked tails and pointed wings, usually arrive in the town in May, staying for three months before leaving in August.

Carol Wood, of the Bridgnorth Swifts Group, said: "Swifts in the town are valued by many residents so it is unfortunate that newer houses tend not to be suitable for them to nest.

"They like tall, old buildings, so ones along St Leonard's Close and obviously the church are perfect.

"Volunteers recorded good numbers circling over the church in 2018, however netting was denying them access as understandably it's used to prevent pigeons and other animals gaining access.

"So following a chat with the church's conservation trust and Friends of St Leonard's who manage the building, we were granted permission to install the nesting boxes near the top and after starting the work last year we're happy to say it's near completion.

"The birds usually lay one or two eggs and we're expecting about two or three sets of swifts to come by this year."

Swifts are long distance fliers that eat, mate and even sleep on the wing, landing only to ever lay eggs and rear young.

"We hope this project raises some good publicity," she added.

"They're a beautiful bird that don't make much mess unlike pigeons and tend to nest only in towns such as Bridgnorth.

"We encourage everybody around the town to keep an eye out for them."