Leeds Swifts Newsletter Dec 25
- paulrobertwheatley
- Dec 14
- 12 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Merry Christmas!
Well, what a year 2025 has turned out to be for us and our Swifts.
We enjoyed the best summer we’d had for many years in terms of breeding numbers, which was so good to report, especially after such a bad year in 2024. Appearing on BBC1’s Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles this autumn was a massive boost not only to our work but to raising interest in Swift conservation across the country, which is amazing.
By now our Swifts will have arrived in Equatorial and southern parts of Africa where they’ll spend the winter before starting their journey back to the UK around February.
Since our Swifts left, we’ve certainly not taken our eyes off our important Swift conservation work. Linda, Martin and Helen Lucy went along to the annual Swift Local Network Conference last month at Lancaster University. And earlier this month we met up with colleagues from our Northern Swift Group for a pre Christmas get-together in Skipton.
These meetings are so helpful to exchange news, information and ideas and find out what’s happening across the UK and in our region. It was especially exciting to hear the results from a study carried out in Ireland which has proved Swift behaviour that up until now, we’ve only just been able to observe rather than back up with hard evidence. More on that later from Martin.
We are also hard at work planning for our second Leeds Swifts homecoming parade in spring which is really exciting – fingers crossed our Helen Lucy can make this happen. Look out for an update in our next newsletter.
It’s hugely disappointing to report that the Government failed to take simple measures in its new Planning and Infrastructure Bill to provide legal protection for our Swifts. The amendment to legalise the introduction of Swift bricks in new builds failed to make the Bill along with a range of other measures designed to provide a much needed safety net for our most vulnerable wildlife.
However, the fight continues. We are still working with Leeds City Council and lobbying national house builders to recognise the importance of the inclusion of Swift bricks. The Leeds Local Plan, to which Leeds Swifts responded as part of the consultation phase earlier this year, is due to report its findings in spring. We really hope Leeds City Council follows the lead taken by other councils to make Swift bricks a mandatory inclusion in all new builds across the city. Watch this space.
The RSPB also continues to pressurise the government following the disappointing lack of action as part of the new parliamentary bill. You can Help give nature a voice by using the RSPB’s template email to your local MP to voice your concerns on this important issue.
We’re continuing to work hard to nurture Swift colonies in key areas around the city. We will be announcing our first official Swift Conservation areas next year which we’re really excited about. This will be a great way to help protect and expand existing Swift colonies and encourage local communities to work together to support these incredible birds. It will also be an amazing way to help celebrate our tenth anniversary year and underlines how far we’ve come since we first set out on our Swift journey.
And speaking of anniversaries – we are holding a special Leeds Swifts anniversary social in the New Year (Tuesday 27 January) upstairs at Further North – North Bar in Chapel Allerton from 7pm. Please see our Diary Dates section for details. We hope as many of you as possible can make it, it would be great to see you. We’ll be sharing our plans for 2026 and would love to hear about any ideas you may have to get involved or how we could further expand our Swift conservation work. We are also planning cake!
Thank you for all your support in 2025.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2026 from all at Leeds Swifts.
Keep in touch:Visit our website Leeds Swifts for more informationFind us on Social Media: Facebook/Leeds Swifts or X/@LeedsSwifts
Swift gathering
Helen, Linda and Martin recently joined members of local Swift groups from across the country to converge on Lancaster University last month to take part in the biannual UK Swift conference. Organised by a team from Kendal, Lancaster, Sedburgh and Penrith Swift groups, it was a lovely event, really well attended and a great opportunity to meet up with so many colleagues as well as share information and experiences.
There’s always things to learn about Swifts and the conference didn’t disappoint.
It was sponsored by Action for Swifts Trading Limited, who are a not-for-profit company making all sorts of accommodation for Swifts. Leeds Swifts used their uPVC boxes on the Poole Estate in Leeds recently, in a project sponsored by the RSPB Leeds local members group.
Martin handled his new found fame well following his starring role in the BBC1’s Hamza's Hidden Wild Isles (Leeds Swifts appears in the Summer episode and definitely worth a watch for those of you who haven’t managed to catch it yet)!
On the main day of the conference, there were various talks about different aspects of how people are helping Swifts and also helping to improve our understanding of their needs and life cycle.
Probably the most popular guy in Swiftdom at the conference was James O’Neill, whose fascinating research into Swift behaviour proved what many of us in Swift world had known for some time but had been unable to prove, ie that Swifts do not always pair up for life.
It’s not quite as scandalous as that might seem, however, and is all to do with timing and Swifts having to get down to business as soon as possible to make the most of the short breeding time they have here.
All is well in the Swift marital nest if the male arrives back first but if he’s late he may well come back to find that his missus has replaced him with another ‘swifter’ suitor.
As Martin explains:
“James has been studying a colony that was created by Swift supporter, John Young. The talk was called ‘Swiftenders’ about the activities of Swifts in nine nest boxes at the colony.
The talk certainly helped answer the question ’Are Swifts loyal to their partner?’
James is a licensed ringer and has a method of safely catching and ringing adult Swifts. He ringed birds from 2024 onwards and then eagerly awaited their return this year. James has also been able to determine the sex of ringed birds.
In April the Swifts started to return to the UK. At the colony, the first few Swifts to arrive were males who returned to their boxes of the previous year. Then a female arrived. After spending the first night alone in her box of the previous year, she then spent the next four nights in four different boxes with four different males – who were all very receptive to her company! She settled down with one of these males but it was a different partner to last year.
As a result of this one female box hopping, the pairs in these nine boxes all ended up being made up of different male/female partnerships compared to last year. Scandalous behaviour!
Compare this behaviour to that of the celebrity Swift couple in Bolton. Live streamed YouTube stars, Mart and Martha both returned from Africa within hours of each other and proceeded to produce three delightful chicks. The perfect family!
So the answer to the question about Swift loyalty is ‘maybe’. We think that if the male and female return at about the same time, then yes, they are faithful.
However, any length of absence and the likelihood of box hopping and partner change increases. Fascinating stuff!”
Lousy research taking shape
We’re hoping to team up with James on another exciting piece of Swift science next year in relation to the behaviours of Crataerina pallida, which is a louse fly that lives on Swifts. We’ll keep you posted.
Swifts fly the light fantastic
We were treated to an amazing Swift light show as part of the conference. It was a stunning spectacle and such a beautiful way to celebrate Swifts. We’ll be looking into how we can try and bring that to a building in Leeds next year.
New Years’ resolution – put up a Swift nest box!
Get 2026 off to a great start by making a New Years’ resolution to put up a Swift nest box!
They also make great Christmas presents if you’ve still got last minute dilemmas.
These winter months are the perfect time to get your Swift boxes up and ready for our Swifts in spring.
We’ve got lots of information of what to do and where to get a box on our website Leeds Swifts.
Or contact Martin at Leeds.Swifts@gmail.com. Please include ’Swift boxes’ in the subject header. Two next boxes and a call system costs £83. Be warned, Martin does have a long waiting list!
Urgent call out - support needed for Swift Sanctuary helpline
We’re immensely grateful to our growing band of volunteers who have been amazing this year, helping out in lots of ways, especially supporting Linda in the Swift Sanctuary.
Next year we’re urgently looking for volunteers to help manage the Swift Sanctuary phone/helpline.
Linda gets a large number of calls each day and, as the number of birds coming into the Sanctuary increases, it’s a real juggling act to try and answer and respond to these calls at the same time as trying to hand-feed and care for poorly birds.
Says Linda: “At peak season with over 40 birds in the Sanctuary, trying to prepare food, feed and keep the birds clean is a challenge in itself but I’m also dealing with emergency calls at the same time.
“You can bet that the phone will go just as I’m opening a Swift’s beak to feed it crickets, so then I have to put the bird back down, take off my gloves and wash my hands before contacting the caller.
“It would be a massive help if someone was able to work alongside me at the Sanctuary for some of the time, especially at peak Swift season in July, to help answer the phone and deal with enquiries so I can fully focus on caring for our poorly birds.”
If you think you might be able to help, please get in touch with Linda for a chat: leeds.swifts@gmail.com. You’ll then be provided with joining instructions for our Swift Sanctuary Support introduction session on Zoom on Wednesday 11 February at 7pm.
Calling Swift responders!
We were able to call on a small but wonderful band of Swift taxi drivers this summer. This was instrumental in getting injured or grounded birds into the Sanctuary as soon as possible, which is vital if these birds are to stand any chance of survival.
A big shout out to Jackie Moores, Ian Sizer and Rebecca Matthews, Lesley Walton and other Leeds Swifts volunteers for answering the emergency calls. Their Swift taxi action helped to save many birds lives this year.
With calls for help for birds coming into the Sanctuary beyond Leeds (we took in birds from Doncaster, Thirsk, Richmond, Hebden, Huddersfield, Sheffield and Wakefield this summer), we really need more taxi volunteers if possible.
It’s a rewarding way to volunteer - here’s Jackie’s insight on her Swift taxi experiences:
“The Swift season is short and intense. One of the ways to help more of these amazing, endangered birds survive and thrive is to be part of the Swift taxi service. This helps get injured, dehydrated or unwell birds from where they are found to the expert care they need as quickly as possible.
As part of the taxi service, you join a WhatsApp group. Any requests are posted there, and people say if they are ready, willing and able to go and collect the bird. Requests can be at anti-social hours but it's up to you which ones you respond to.
Speed is of the essence.
This season I have visited many different locations in Yorkshire, armed with my Swift transportation shoe box, I feel I should really have a Swift Flashing Siren fitted to the roof. After all it is an emergency service!
It is amazing to be part of the response team from meeting and chatting to the finders, carefully putting the Swift into the box and then delivering to Linda for her expert care.
It is a rewarding contribution to the cause, and you get to know how the bird is doing. Of course, not every rescue ends happily, be prepared, but I feel as a Swift Taxi you help them have the best chance of survival in the Swift Sanctuary with expert care.”
Adds Rebecca:
“There’s a great feeling of satisfaction when I’ve been able to respond quickly to a taxi request, delivering a Swift into Linda’s capable hands, knowing it now has the best possible chance of being helped to survive, thrive and fly free again!
Being able to have a peep into the Swift Sanctuary is an added bonus - if Linda has a spare two minutes!”
Inspired to help?
If you’d like to volunteer to be a Swift taxi next summer, drop us a line at Leeds.Swifts@gmail.com. You’ll then be provided with joining instructions for our Swift Sanctuary Support introduction session on Zoom on Wednesday 11 February at 7pm.
Find out more about volunteering at Leeds Swifts
There are many other ways to volunteer and get involved at Leeds Swifts – fill out this form and send it to: leeds.swifts@gmail.com. Or better still, come and meet us at our Swift Social on 27 January!
Young birders seek new homes for Swifts
Helen Lucy was invited to visit Allerton C of E Primary School Bird Club earlier this month to talk about Swifts.
It’s great to see such interest in wildlife from youngsters and harness their enthusiasm to help our Swifts. The session ended with the children making a card to send to someone to persuade them to have a Swift box. Let’s hope some persuasive pester power can be used to good effect!
Donations to Leeds Swifts – a vital lifeline
A massive thank you to everyone who donated to help support the work of our Swift Sanctuary and wider Swift conservation work this year. It’s no exaggeration to say that we just couldn’t do what we do without your amazing support. All the birds Linda successfully rehabs in our Swift Sanctuary would not have survived without the expert care and support she provides and which is funded by you.
A generous donation this summer from Leeds Swifts supporter, Rebecca Matthews enabled us to buy a much needed new incubator for the Swift Sanctuary. We would not have been able to raise our first chick from an egg without this machine. Thank you Rebecca. There are Swifts in the air above Africa now thanks to your donation. We now have two new incubators both of which were in operation almost constantly over the Swift season.
We raised nearly £1,500 from our GoFundMe page. We’re closing this page down in the New Year in order to start a new fundraising page for the start of the new Swift season. We’ll have more details in our next newsletter.
In the interim, Yorkshire Swifts will be the recipients of this year’s Michael Clegg Memorial Bird Race which takes place on Sunday 4 January. In this 30th year of the event, birders across the whole of Yorkshire will be counting as many species as they can in one day. Linda’s team, The Airey Birders, will be taking part by counting birds in the Aire Valley. The donations will be split equally between Leeds Swifts and Sheffield Swift Network. You can donate or to find out more about the event and the projects here.
All donations are much appreciated and invaluable in helping us continue and develop our work which plays an important role in helping us inform and share our knowledge of Swifts within the wider Swift conservation community/network in the UK.
You can also sign up to easyfundraising and turn your online purchases into cash for us – at no extra cost, just through your usual shopping. There are over 7,000 online retailers taking part in this scheme, including brands such as Just Eat, Boots, Booking.com, Morrisons, Amazon, Ebay, M&S, John Lewis, etc.
All you need to do is sign up, choose Leeds Swifts as your charity and start shopping via the easyfundraising website. The retailer you shop with will send us a free donation based on how much you spend. It’s amazing how much can be raised from small amounts.
Dates for the diary
Sunday 4 January: Michael Clegg Memorial Bird Race 2026
This is an annual fun, fund-raising event when teams of birders spend the day trying to spot as many different species of birds as possible – either on foot or on bikes. This year the funds raised will be split between Leeds Swifts and the Sheffield Swift Network. Please donate via the link here.
Tuesday 27 January: Leeds Swifts 10th anniversary social, from 7pm
Come and join us to help celebrate our milestone anniversary upstairs at Further North - North Bar in Chapel Allerton, 194 Harrogate Rd, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4NZ. There will be cake!!
7 January: A Year in the Life of a Swift, Harrogate District Naturalists Society
11 February: Swift Sanctuary Support introduction on Zoom (email leeds.swifts@gmail.com for details)
4 March: A Year in the Life of a Swift, Shepley Bird and Wildlife Group
10 March: A Year in the Life of a Swift, Harrogate U3A Naturalists
9 April: Swift talk at Scarcroft WI
15 April: Swift talk at Scholes WI
15 April: Swifts and Rewilding the Urban Skies, Horsforth Forum 2000
19 May: A Year in the Life of a Swift, East Keswick Wildlife Trust
29-30 May: 8th International Swift Conference, ATU (Atlantic Technological University) Mayo Campus, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland
8 December: Swifts and Rewilding the Urban Skies Wharfedale Naturalists
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