Schools 4 Swifts
We are launching a project to help provide important nesting sites for Marlow’s swifts, with the help of the schools in and around Marlow.
We are lucky to have a small population of swifts in Marlow, who return home every May to breed. Sadly more and more of their nesting sites are being lost, which they only discover after making their 3,400 mile journey home from Africa. By providing suitable nesting boxes on buildings, we provide them with alternative sites, to help them maintain a healthy population.
Wild Marlow is a volunteer charity and are working with another local volunteer charity Bisham Nest Box Group, to provide and install the boxes. Swifts are very clean so there is no annual cleaning maintenance required. We can also provide a calling system to help them find the new boxes (power supply required). Funding is available if required, we just need your permission to install at a suitable location.
Holy Trinity School have led the way in this project by having two boxes with a caller installed on their buildings. We hope to provide an assembly for the children to explain what the boxes are and why the swifts need our help. Many local businesses, organisations and residents are also supporting by hosting boxes (Rebellion, Little Marlow Church, HAA, Harrow & Hope, plus many more).
Please consider helping us to help this red listed bird thrive in Marlow. Email us to arrange a site visit or with any queries you may have.
https://wildmarlow.org.uk/projects/marlow-swifts/
Wild Marlow on Marlow FM
They’ll be discussing their observations from their Big Garden Bird Watch, the birds we are likely to see in our Marlow spaces, and things we can all do to help them thrive 
There will be some suitably themed songs in the playlist too. Tune in live or listen on catch-up
https://www.marlowfm.co.uk/
RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2023
Please take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch! It starts tomorrow and continues Sat and Sun (27th–29th Jan) 
Choose one hour and sit and watch how many birds visit your garden or patch. To count, they must land on the ground, trees, shrubs or fences in your garden/chosen space. Those simply flying over don’t count!
A quick reminder of how to count:
Count the maximum number of each species you see at any one time (not the total number of visits made by individual birds).
E.g. if you see one robin visit five times during your chosen hour, your result to record will be one robin; if you see one robin visit three times, and two robins visit together once, you record two robins as your maximum. If you see four goldfinches in your garden at the beginning of your hour, then five together on a later visit, then three on another visit, you record five goldfinches as your maximum number of goldfinches seen together; etc.
To submit your results, sign up on the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch web page: