These young birds will also be researching potential nest sites, flying up and impacting on or clinging onto the area around possible entrance holes ("banging"). Also, in any given area the majority of Swift nests will be located on a small number of sites (hotspots) as most buildings will not have breeding Swifts. Note that given the opportunity Swifts will nest communally, either on one building or adjacent buildings, but will also nest singly if that is the only opportunity. Swift surveying can be broken down into 2 phases; an initial broad survey which aims to identify the Swift "hotspots" within the area of interest. The second phase focuses on these hotspots to pin down the precise location of individual nest sites.

Phase 1: Broad stroke surveying

When surveying a new area the objective is to cover as much ground as possible, keeping an eye out for Swifts flying low over the tops of, or between buildings and listening out for their distinctive cries. Note that high flying Swifts are not an indicator of breeding. After a few excursions the areas of interest should become increasingly obvious. Note that this process is much easier where larger colonies are present as in such places there will always be some birds present, allowing quick identification of the hotspot. It is much more difficult when there are scattered individual nest sites around a village, for example, as some visits may not reveal any birds.

Phase 2: Locating individual nest sites

In the second phase find a good vantage point to watch each location intensively. Swift nests are generally, but not always, located high up on buildings. Swifts access their nest sites through holes under gutters, in the eaves, in gable ends and through any weaknesses in the structure of the property. In general, older and poorly maintained buildings are most likely to hold nest sites but sometimes poorly built modern buildings provide good sites. Note that you are looking for the holes that Swifts use to access their nests. The actual nests will always be located within the structure of the building (in the roof space, in a soffit) and are never visible from outside.

On windy days in May and early June Swifts return with nesting material, especially in the morning.

During late June and July Swifts are feeding young so breeding adults will be returning regularly with food throughout the day although dusk is the time when Swifts return to their nest to roost.

There are two features of breeding Swifts which are important when looking for nest sites. Firstly, Swifts return to their nest sites relatively infrequently (research suggests that in good conditions, when Swifts are feeding young, watching for 0.5 - 2 hours gives a 90% chance of viewing a Swift accessing a nest site) so be patient and try and remain vigilant. The second feature is that, unlike younger Swifts, which are noisy and obvious, breeding Swifts are very fast, quiet and discreet when approaching, entering and leaving their nest sites. One blink and you'll miss it! For this reason it is usually best to work in pairs as this maximises the chance of seeing the bird enter or exit the nest site. Although it is possible that birds seen entering a nest site are non-breeders which have just found a nest site, it is likely they will breed the next season and so all sites identified this way should be recorded. Only record sites where Swifts actually enter the site.

Determining whether nest sites are still in use in subsequent years is also worth considering. Try and identify vantage points which maximise the number of nest sites in view and aim to standardise surveying from one season to the next. For example, the team in Rowsley have 10 vantage points from which they survey for a minimum of 1 hour with two observers.

Records of low flying screaming parties are important but we are really after actual nesting sites. For each one we need to know the precise location of the building which is being used, the aspect of the building (e.g. north side) and as precise a description as possible of the nest location (under eaves, under roof tiles, beneath gutters etc and whether or not the nest site is a nest box). Note that if you are lucky enough to identify Swift nests on more than one building please enter separate records for each building.​

If Swifts are seen but no nest sites identified it would be best to visit again after a couple of weeks to check again. Nests can be difficult to pin down and we've found that repeated visits often result in more nests being found.

Finally, one of the best ways to protect Swifts nesting in properties which may be subject to renovation or repair in the future is to provide alternative accommodation in the form of nest boxes or bricks. Installing these on nearby properties well in advance of any works gives Swifts the opportunity to scope out and, hopefully, start using the boxes. For this reason we are now recording the location of nest boxes on the survey form, irrespective of whether they are being used or not.

Timing

Surveys should be carried out from mid-May to the end of the 3rd week of July. In general activity at the nest sites will reach a peak in July as chicks are being fed. In order to fully assess your area for the presence of nesting Swifts it's probably a good idea to plan for 2 surveys per vantage point. Having said that there is no upper limit as we’ve found that repeated visits often result in more nests being found.

During the first phase of the study surveys should be carried out in the evening, during periods of peak low flying swift activity, from 2 hours before sunset to 30 minutes after sunset.

Once you have determined approximately where Swifts are nesting visits can be done at any time during the day, including the evenings but activity tends to peak in the hour before sunset.

Weather

Swift activity correlates with higher temperatures and good weather. Avoid rainy, windy days and aim for dry, warm weather.The best time to look is around dusk on a warm, still evening, or early morning.

Data collection​

Fill out the survey form to submit your Swift data.  Your records will be validated and passed on to the Derbyshire Biological Records Centre. We may also share records with organisations working for conservation including the RSPB and Derbyshire Ornithological Society. Your email address will only be used by Derbyshire Swift Conservation in case we need to contact you about your records and will not be passed on to third parties.

If nest sites have already been reported in earlier seasons then the surveyor will be sent details of those nest sites and asked to confirm whether or not the sites are in use again in the current season. This eliminates having to re-enter the details of known nest sites.