A WILDLIFE group has hailed last year a success.

The Kingsteignton Swifts put up 10 new nesting boxes in 2020 to encourage the summer visitors and enjoyed watching the fast-moving birds in and around the housing estate and church yard.

Local swift enthusiast Alistair Whybrow said: ‘In July there was also a local socially distanced meeting in the church yard to appreciate the swifts flying around the local area and raise the awareness of how swifts can be helped by installing swift boxes under the eaves of suitable houses.

‘It was successful and a small group of swift enthusiasts were able to swap stories, share their experiences and see the various type of boxes that can be made or purchased for swifts and take away information leaflets or new bits of knowledge.

The group was also delighted to hear that after four years of waiting, two chicks were successfully raised in the swift boxes Alistair installed on the side of his house.

He said: ‘A nest box camera was invaluable in seeing all the activity that went on including a new partner in the parent pair, the laying of the two eggs, their hatching and the two chicks doing their preflight exercises that include wing flapping and wing press-ups.’

The chicks fledged on August 12 and the hope is that now the same parent pair will be back for the coming years and the colony will increase in size.