Swift boxes are normally thought of as 'external' or 'internal'. John Crowther of Stroud wanted to retrofit swift bricks into his stone walls.
When John removed a stone, he found that there was no cavity and the space created was L 290mm x D 125mm x H 100mm. First thoughts of fitting an S Brick would have reduced the 125mm depth to about 100mm, which might have been enough space, but a 10cm depth for a bird with 175mm wing-length is a bit of a squeeze, though Swifts can nest in a space this small.
As we wanted to give the Swifts a little more space, and John preferred not to install another external box, we compromised by making 2 face-plates to close off two spaces. At the same time we added 12mm to the 125mm giving an internal depth of 137mm. Though not as unobtrusive as an internal Swift brick, it resulted in a neat solution.
To keep water out of the nest chamber, there is a layer of sealant between the face-plate and the wall
The material, 12mm MgO board, was left over from the stand we shared with Genesis Nest Boxes at Futurebuild - now a 4000-bed hospital.
The following pictures illustrate the concept:
When John removed a stone, he found that there was no cavity and the space created was L 290mm x D 125mm x H 100mm. First thoughts of fitting an S Brick would have reduced the 125mm depth to about 100mm, which might have been enough space, but a 10cm depth for a bird with 175mm wing-length is a bit of a squeeze, though Swifts can nest in a space this small.
As we wanted to give the Swifts a little more space, and John preferred not to install another external box, we compromised by making 2 face-plates to close off two spaces. At the same time we added 12mm to the 125mm giving an internal depth of 137mm. Though not as unobtrusive as an internal Swift brick, it resulted in a neat solution.
To keep water out of the nest chamber, there is a layer of sealant between the face-plate and the wall
The material, 12mm MgO board, was left over from the stand we shared with Genesis Nest Boxes at Futurebuild - now a 4000-bed hospital.
The following pictures illustrate the concept:
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| 2 face-plates showing outside and inside |
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| One stone removed and face-plate installed |
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