A Longford nature enthusiast is appealing for people in the county to take an interest in swifts and help conserve their numbers when they breed here every summer.
Larry Mitchell who lives in Longford town has taken a keen interest in the welfare of the birds for the past several years and has attracted several to nest at his own home by using specially licenced calling systems.
Swift numbers are in decline worldwide and have gone from being amber listed, to red listed, as being in serious danger over recent years.
The main reason for their decline are new building regulations which leave no nooks for them to be able to build their nests.
Larry Mitchell works with Swift Conservation Ireland and has managed to help put nesting boxes in several areas around the county, as well as working with new buildings like Edgeworthstown library in putting in specially made bricks which cater for nesting.
He says he'd like other people to take up the cause of these birds when he isn't able to in the future,
