New baby Swifts take up residence at Mayo arts centre
AMONG the special deliveries in Mayo recently, including Sam Maguire, is the arrival of a trio of baby swifts at the Linenhall in Castlebar.
As part of a long-standing, swift nesting project, nurtured in conjunction with Swift Conservation Mayo, nest boxes are housed on the exterior wall of the Linenhall’s historic building.
Naming the baby nestlings has become an annual Linenhall tradition, with young participants selecting the names. This year, attendees of the Dungeons & Dragons Summer Camp - who had been observing the endangered triplets all week - happily took on the task. Gamers Teddie and Sophie chose the names Steve, Bob and Jimmy.
Anyone can pop into the Linenhall and watch these gorgeous birds in their sanctuary. The two monitors livestreaming the swifts are among art works in the arts centre foyer, so the general public can visit anytime and view the birds' activity, for free.
As always, thanks and huge appreciation to Lynda Huxley and Swift Conservation Mayo for all their support, and the work that they do.
Over the past two decades, the number of swifts in the west of Ireland declined by over 40%, due to the loss of nest sites associated with demolition or renovation of buildings. Therefore, this swift initiative with the Linenhall and ATU Mayo campus is a significant contribution in helping numbers increase.
A red-listed bird of conservation concern, the Swift, Swifts, or Gabhlan Gaoithe as Gaeilge, can live for over 14 years and pair for life, nesting in old buildings. When they find a nest site, they return to that exact same place year after year. If that nest site is no longer available, it can take a long time to find a new one, which thankfully some have on the walls of the Linenhall.
Swifts come to Ireland from Central and Southern Africa to breed, arriving in May and leaving in August. Phenomenally, in a single year they can cover up to 200,000km, only landing to breed. Swifts spend most of their lives flying, and sleep on the wing.
For more information, please contact the Linenhall’s box office team on (094) 9023733.