Workers on the electricity line have helped residents in a village to install nest boxes for endangered birds.
Overhead line experts from UK Power Networks installed the boxes for swifts and kestrels in Warnham, near Horsham.
Paul Maynard, a linesman at UK Power Networks, supported the project with his colleagues Ben Parkes and Ritchie Mulhall.
Mr Maynard said: “Working at height is part of my job as a linesman so I wanted to help.
“I’m passionate about wildlife and enjoy helping my local community. We’ve got the equipment and skills they needed to complete this project.
“Swifts and kestrels are struggling due to climate change, pesticides and a decline in insects as more of us keep our gardens tidy and loss of wild fields and hedgerows. Everything is against them, so we are just trying to do our bit for nature conservation.”
Electricity line workers used cherry pickers to install the nest boxes (Image: UK Power Networks)
MOST READ:
Alison Ingram, a wildlife artist and part of the community group Wild About Warnham member, welcomed the project.
She successfully rehabilitated and released 16 swifts last year after she witnessed the threats they are facing first-hand.
Swifts are endangered (Image: UK Power Networks)
Alison said: “The swift boxes were difficult to install in the apex of the buildings and we needed someone with a cherry-picker. They were brilliant chaps and it was a fun two days.
“We have a small population of swifts in Warnham and they prefer to nest in small gaps in roof soffits. As people carry out home renovations, swifts lose their natural nesting sites. Often people aren’t aware they’ve got swifts nesting in their eaves as they are only here for about three months of the year and nests can be inadvertently destroyed.
“Swifts are long-living birds and completely loyal to their nest sites so once they lose their nest they often won’t breed again. Their numbers are in steep decline due to a lack of nest sites and loss of insects. It is a worry, but it is positive there are so many people interested in helping them and we hope the decline can be stopped.”