In 2023 there were 50 days of discharging from this pumping station alone – that’s roughly once a week and the people living nearby are noticing that wildlife is being damaged by it.

If this concerns you too, and you often walk along a section of a river near you, why not become a Water Guardian? This involves, walking the route regularly and reporting on the quality of the water. You can sign up on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s website https://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/water-guardians

You might just want to be involved in pressurising the water company to clean up their act. If so please contact us and we will be in touch.

Letters have been sent to all the candidates to become the new MP for the South Cotswolds constituency asking for them to commit to supporting our campaign to clear up our rivers and brooks should they be elected on 4th July. The sewage spills must stop and we want their support to do this.

Sarah has been involved in bird conservation for over a decade and started North Wiltshire Swifts in 2019 as a specialist project and advice group. Their aim is to preserve and boost existing swift populations in Wiltshire through nest box projects and support others to do so.

Sarah gave a really informative and entertaining talk about the ecology of this charismatic bird, how to install Swift boxes and campaign for all new-build homes to have Swift bricks incorporated from the start.

A staggering half of swifts have been lost since 1995 yet the causes are not well known. Suspected causes are climate change (more erratic weather affecting migration and nesting); global declines in insect abundance that have reduced their food source; and loss of nest sites as houses are retrofitted and nest cavities filled in, and old growth veteran trees are lost from our landscapes, reducing natural nesting sites.  

However, there is still much we can do to support Malmsbury’s Swifts.

The practical advice, hints and tips that Sarah had to offer on how to carry out a survey and ways to attract the birds to Swift boxes once they are installed will be hugely valuable as we launch our survey in Malmesbury.

She explained that Swifts often arrive in waves, with established breeders arriving earliest in May to return to existing nest sites. Swifts have high site fidelity and will return to the same nest year after year.  

Younger individuals that have not yet bred may then arrive in June/July, searching for new nest sites. This is an excellent opportunity to provide new nesting sites, and you can attract Swifts by playing Swifts calls from inside or close to the nest, which should attract their attention.

It may take a few years for a new Swift site to be noticed and occupied, so it is worth persevering.

There are several useful places to find out more about Swifts, including: different types of nest boxes, ideal locations and how to install them; guidance on Swifts and buildings/development; surveying for Swifts, and wildlife law:

• Swift-conservation.org
• Actionforswifts.blogspot.com
• Bristolswifts.co.uk
• Save our Swifts, Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins group on Facebook.

We will also use Swift Awareness Week 29^th June – 7^th July to further promote and support these fantastic birds in our town.