Supporting and saving our amazing swift populations in Chapel-en-le-Frith and beyond!

A guest post from Deb Pitman, who is leading our Chapel Swift Walk on Saturday 28 June 2025. 

As the summer solstice passes by the swifts have had their longest feeding day! They consume the largest range of insects of any birds that call the UK home. They form them in to a delicious bolus with their saliva and then divvy it up amongst their chicks in the nest. 

Back in the depths of winter, with no swifts to admire, I applied to two funding pots with the intention of helping swifts. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust were offering grants of up to £3000 and High Peak Borough Council had £1000 on offer to support nature. With the help of my local group, Nature New Mills, I was successful. The Chapel en le Frith Biodiversity group had requested an allocation to buy materials to make boxes and I was able to deliver it. Jason Adshead contributed his council allowance to grow the fund. It's been so great working together for the good of the High Peak swifts. As time passed, and the swifts' return was imminent, the decision was taken to buy ready-made boxes from the legend John Stimpson, a true champion of swifts. He's devoted his retirement to making swift boxes. He ships them, more or less 'at cost', all over the country passing the 10,000 mark at the last count. His boxes are now available on homes in the town, for when the youngsters need a place of their own, thanks to great work by volunteer installers. 

The mantra of all swift surveying is to know where the nests are so they can be protected. This has proved instructional this summer as nesting swifts have been located at the Chapel Milton viaducts, just as a programme of renewal begins. Network Rail are communicating with us about scheduling the brick work patching towards the tail end of the project. It's against the law to disrupt a nesting bird, it's eggs, or nest. They're covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Back to the bolus of saliva and insects! Join us on a swift walk around the town Saturday 28^th June 8pm to find out just how many they do eat and lots more interesting information besides. Finger's crossed we'll see swifts feeding, playing and entering nest sites. Register for a free ticket below. 

Swift Walk - Chapel En Le Frith Tickets, Sat 28 Jun 2025 at 20:00 | Eventbrite

This is 'year one' of Chapel en le Frith's Biodiversity Group's initiative to help swifts. If you want to join in, all are welcome. There's grants to be applied for, ladders to climb and stories to tell, all by way of helping these marvellous birds.