Dear Editor,
So John Stimpson has made many thousands of nesting boxes for swifts? (Report by Phoebe Weston, The Guardian, 20th Jan 2020, link below) That is certainly a fine gesture and the boxes look great!
But something which is happening all across Germany makes me think that the swifts don't really need any new "homes": They are already living in mine!
Yes, every time I get my bike out, there is a new sprinkling of "Polystyrene Snow" on the ramp: This is caused by swifts who have pecked their way into the wall insulation and hollowed out a lovely nest there. And ours is not the only house to have this problem: All across the neighbourhood people have been making repairs and putting up deterrents to try to try to keep them away. But to no avail.
Indeed, Germany has made such advances in adding Grenfell-style cladding to as many buildings as possible, that the swifts have absolutely no shortage of accommodation!
In theory this should be a heart-warming story but I do wonder what other unforeseen consequences our "tech-solutions" are causing both to the environment and to the natural world? And are those swifts really healthy? They are growing up in highly toxic cocoons and are carrying that poison out into the world.
But probably more worrying for the swifts is the fact that we treat our gardens and our fields with so many highly toxic substances, that I am amazed that there are any insects left for them to feed on at all.
Even so: A big bravo to Mr Stimpson!
Regards
