Chapel en le Frith shows the love for swifts
The Biodiversity group in Chapel en le Frith are holding their first Swift Walk on Saturday June 28th as part of 'Swift Awareness week'. Tickets are free and available to anyone, register via the link to Eventbrite on the poster.
Swift Enthusiast Deb Pitman will lead the walk. Deb said: "The community have taken big steps this year by providing young birds with new homes and finding out where the existing swift nests are."
Councillor Jason Adshead contributed his allowance to fund boxes along with a grant from High Peak Borough Council's 'Plan for Nature' fund. Jason said: "We've added twenty plus boxes so far, with more to come. Now we know where the birds are nesting, we know where to put the boxes for best effect as swifts love to live near other birds."
Swift Awareness Week is a national event for communities to get behind the red-listed birds and raise awareness about how to protect them and help them thrive.
Deb said: "We've identified nesting swifts in the stonework at Chapel Milton viaducts. Network Rail are beginning a maintenance programme on the site and we've contacted the ecologists they're working with to share our findings. You have to know where the nests are in order to protect the birds."
Jason added: "We've got people looking skywards and keeping an eye out for these amazing birds. They'll be heading back to Africa in a matter of weeks so do join us on our swift walk to learn more before they leave."