Swift Box Project

We’ve been working with Project Nestbox to encourage swifts to nest in the area. We already have swifts visiting some areas of Torfaen and this project aims to increase the numbers of these amazing summer visitors. Swifts fly from Africa each year, arriving in April or early May and leave again in August.

They are incredibly fast and agile flyers, spending almost all of their lives on the wing – they even sleep, eat, drink and mate while flying! Swifts rely on buildings to create nests. They need to be high up so they can take off and get back into flight. Sadly, swift numbers are in decline due to loss of nesting sites and reduced numbers of insects for them to eat. This project will help to provide places for them to nest as well as encouraging more flying insects through native planting.

We’ve installed 22 swift nest boxes across Pontypool and the surrounding villages — in the town centre, Albion Road, Garndiffaith, Abersychan, Pantygasseg and Panteg.

Several of these boxes have been fitted with cameras, both inside and out, so we can watch these remarkable birds as they hopefully settle in and make Pontypool their summer home. Swifts are one of the UK’s most extraordinary visitors, travelling thousands of miles each year, and we’re thrilled to share their story with you.

Tune in to the live feeds below and follow along with us.