Rebuilt in 2018 after a devastating fire, Northenden Golf Club is now a modern brick building with high, straight walls of the type that are ideal for swift boxes. The club stands alone, overlooking the golf course, surrounded by plenty of trees and right next to the River Mersey.
One or two of our members had commented on its suitability for boxes – a tweet from us on May 2nd 2023 said the building was crying out for swiftboxes. As it turned out, one of our members, John Dwyer, was a Northenden member. Co-operating with the former Lady Captain Hazel Foster, he set about the project.
There was so much space and the club members were so keen to contribute that they decided to go for something spectacular. They eventually settled on two fibreglass 4 chamber units from Impeckable Nest Boxes. These were over £200 each and would cost as much again to install. However, John’s beguiling fundraising did the trick and, in April 2024, using a scaffolding tower, Olly from Didsbury Fix and Fit and Danny, the club handyman attached the impressive new swift homes. They also included an electronic calling system. At dawn and dusk, throughout the summer, swift noises will call passing swifts to inspect the premises as a potential nesting site.
This will probably be a slow process, it may take a couple of years of swifts visiting the boxes before they settle. However, the hope is that, eventually, there will be a thriving swift colony at Nothenden golf club that will expand year on year.
