Swifts returning from Africa may find their ancestral nesting holes in railway viaduct brickwork are unvailable

                                     

The viaduct which is an ancestral nest site of Swifts (photo: Bill Boaden, via Wikimedia Commons)

INFRASTRUCTURE company Network Rail is under fire after blocking off  nest holes of Swifts.

According to wildlife watchers a minimum of nine holes  were filled with mortar during a £7.5-million project to renovate the 160-year-old Chapel Milton viaduct in Derbyshire.

Now campaigners such as Hannah Bourne-Taylor and and a pressure group called Protect the Wild have urged the company to remove the mortar in advance of the return of Swifts from Africa in the coming weeks.  

A letter from to Network Rail says: "We are writing to demand immediate action to address the blocking of known swift nesting sites at Chapel Milton viaduct in Derbyshire.

"Despite clear evidence being provided, including detailed identification of at least nine nesting sites, multiple swift nesting holes were filled with mortar during recent refurbishment works. 

"This decision has removed access to sites that have been used by returning swifts for generations.

"Swifts are a Red-listed species in the UK, having declined by 66 per cent since 1995, largely due to the loss of nesting habitat. 

"They are highly site-faithful birds that return to the same nesting entrance year after year. When that access point is blocked, breeding pairs often fail to relocate and may stop breeding altogether."

The letter continues: "This situation was entirely avoidable. The nesting sites were known. The information was shared. The solution was simple.

"There is still time to put this right. 

"Swifts are now returning to the UK, and the blocked nesting holes can and must be reopened immediately to allow access before the breeding season is lost.

"We are calling on Network Rail to:

* Reopen all blocked Swift nesting holes at Chapel Milton

* Ensure no further nesting sites are sealed during maintenance or repair works

* Work transparently with local wildlife groups to identify and protect nesting locations

* Commit to long-term protection of Swift nesting sites across all Network Rail infrastructure."

It is understood Network Rail bosses are considering the letter - plus a petition with as many as 30,000 signatures - but are reluctant to comply.

As a money-saving compromise, they would prefer to install nest boxes that would be less likely to compromise the viaduct's brickwork.

However, Swifts are very specific in their nest requirements, and this option, if adopted, may fail.