Here are a couple of the maps now on the HBC website, superbly produced by Dean Cornish. Species per 1km square in 2023 and Corn Bunting distribution in 2023. #hertsbirds

Finally, here are Swifts prospecting for nest sites at the Bunyan Baptist Church in Stevenage, enjoy!. 5/5

And whilst on a survey in Abbots Langley, Gavin took this photo in a church loft in near total darkness. Only after were the three chicks noticed. Many thanks to Gavin for all of his hard work. More church locations for Swift boxes would definitely be welcome!. 4/5

Bespoke church tower boxes are being installed by Gavin Vicary of the North East Herts Swift Group. We have 7 towers with boxes already with several more in the pipeline. The photo shows a box awaiting installation by Gavin in Barley, North Herts. 3/5

Swift boxes are being installed in church towers, and we have our first occupied box at Reed, North Herts. The boxes were checked after the breeding season, and the top nest is a Swift. The other 5? We think Great Tit but are open to suggestions . 2/5

Swift nests in Hertfordshire churches, a short thread:. Out 2024 Swift nest project found, amongst other things, Swift nests in 10 churches, including these below in Little Munden and Berkhamsted. We suspect quite a few more and have a list to check next year.#hertsbirds.1/5

With around 230 developments and 1600 more bricks and boxes required on as yet unbuilt developments in the county, we will be busy for a while, and will be looking at ways to ensure that planning obligations are actually complied with 4/4.

Breach enforcement is a slow process, but we have got 25 bricks or boxes retrofitted and hope that more will be added in due course, as happened in the photo below (with also bat and Sparrow bricks) 3/4

Even the figure of 295 found is generous, as 9 Swift bricks were vertical or upside down, and a further 4 had been covered in mesh. Examples like the one below will be useless for Swifts 2/4

We have now checked 100 Hertfordshire developments to see if they comply with planning conditions for Swift bricks and boxes. Results below show that less than half of those required have been installed, and only 36 developments complied fully #hertsbirds 1/4

While other councils mandate Swift bricks, @DacorumBC have virtually nothing to help Swifts and other red-listed urban species in their draft Local Plan. Comments made on the consultation were ignored.

The draft @StAlbansCouncil local plan has been published and, when adopted, will mandate Swift bricks in all new developments, excellent news for urban nesting birds. Personally I am just a little bit pleased #hertsbirds @WriterHannahBT @swifts_uk

All three have been reported as breaches of planning condition, one each to @DacorumBC, @EastHerts and @StevenageBC.

Back to checking biodiversity enhancements required by planning conditions are being installed in Herts. Unfortunately the majority of sites checked don't have them. Should have been 13 Swift bricks as well as bat bricks at these sites, instead there are none #hertsbirds

RT @dananorak: Redstart at Batford horse paddocks this morning. First for me locally #Hertsbirds

Of particular note, East Herts Council area had 352 nests found, thanks to major effort from 4 Swift groups, but even that isn't all of them, and I suspect over 500 just in that area. Calls into question UK population estimate? #hertsbirds 2/2.

Herts Swift Nest Project 2024: we now have records of 775 nests! Includes 57 in boxes, but was not a full survey, with some towns having little or no coverage. My view: we have found much less than half the county population, which may be around 2000 pairs #hertsbirds 1/2.

Come on @CALAHOMES, another Herts planning application in St Albans, where you are ignoring your own Urban Wildlife Strategy by proposing an unspecified number of pretty useless Sparrow Terraces instead of the promised one Swift brick per house? You can do better! #hertsbirds

Not suggesting that active nests have been blocked here, as it appears the work started before the breeding season, but Swifts have been excluded from former nest sites and mitigation is needed.

Not too late to prove Swift nests. (in case anyone thinks I am being a little optimistic here, it is a known nest from last year at the large colony at Bishop's Stortford Hospital) #hertsbirds