The tower of St Peter’s Church has four new additions behind its louvre windows.
New Swift boxes have been installed as part of a campaign called Swift Streets by the Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN). They were put in place by Roger Maynard and Tim Norris from Hampshire Swifts, the makers of the boxes.
The goal is to try and attract Swifts to use the boxes in their nesting season each year. The initiative was started by Sarah Swift, who got her neighbours to install Swift boxes and then approached PeCAN about making it a campaign for Petersfield.
Melanie Oxley, PeCAN’s nature recovery lead, said: “It has been extremely successful, we’ve now got over a hundred nest boxes in Petersfield.
“Spaces available for Swifts to nest in are becoming vanishingly rare. New houses are built without allowing space for Swifts as they go inside the building, under the roof and find a little ledge to make their nest on.
“They don't build a nest on the outside and that is one of the reasons it's believed that numbers have gone down and insects which they rely on.”
Melanie added that the Parish Parochial Council at the church and The Rev Will Hughes have been extremely supportive of the venture.
In addition to the boxes, an electrical box was also installed, it plays the call of Swifts and will get switched on in May. That is the month the birds will start arriving and the hope is the call will attract them to the boxes.