Swift nest reportedly thrown in skip during house renovations in South Tyneside | Birds

It’s feared swift chicks will be thrown into a lurch during house renovations on South Tyneside, despite rules supposed to stop nest destruction.

The Northern Swifts Group (NSG) was warned on Tuesday that at least one nest had been destroyed on a street in Jarrow where houses were being renovated by South Tyneside council.

A single snail found in a badly damaged nest was captured by Laura Crompton from Pawz for Thought, a local wildlife rescue centre. Although he was dehydrated and in poor condition when he was found, he is said to be stable.

Nest debris was also seen in a container used by contractors, which was removed from the site without allowing NSG representatives to carry out further inspection, and damaged nests were found where many birds were reported. South Tyneside council is investigating the incident.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is illegal to disturb wild bird nests while they are in use or being constructed.

NSG’s Sue Hope told the Guardian it was unlikely that just one nest had been destroyed as swallows tend to nest in colonies. Nests also tended to contain two or three swiftlings. He said he saw at least 10 swallows circling above during his visit to the area on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s a terrible thing for this to happen,” he said. “Swifts are magnificent birds; you can’t help but marvel at their absolute joy. And they are in sharp decline. The government is not doing enough to help them.”

Hope said the incident highlighted the need for councils to inform developers about how to properly deal with bird nests found on properties under construction.

Swift numbers have fallen by around 70% in the UK since 1995 as their habitat disappears. They tend to nest in buildings, but few of the modern species have eaves and small cavities that they like to use. A recent study showed that migratory birds return to the same nests year after year.

Construction work and renovations are often fatal to birds when holes are filled and nests are blocked, knowingly or unknowingly. In April, there was outrage when nest holes were filled with new nest boxes during the renovation of the Derbyshire railway viaduct, which Network Rail later reopened.

In May the government refused to redraw its rules for new homes in England to require the installation of “speed bricks”, which allow nesting without damaging the fabric of the building and cost around £35. They are compulsory in Scotland.

A South Tyneside council spokesman said: “We are aware of concerns that swiftlets may have been damaged during roofing works carried out on Lulworth Avenue in Jarrow by a council-appointed contractor. As soon as this was brought to our attention, further works were suspended until further ecological surveys and assessments were completed.”

The municipality requested a detailed report from the contractor.

The spokesman said: “South Tyneside council takes wildlife protection very seriously and has launched an urgent investigation. Before any roofing work begins, a full ecological survey is carried out and contractors are given ‘toolbox talks’ about appropriate action should a nest be found.”

“We will continue to work closely with the contractor and relevant ecological experts to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect wildlife and comply with all relevant legal and environmental obligations. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage as our investigation is ongoing.”

Roofing contractor John Flowers Ltd has been contacted for comment. The company told the Guardian it would not answer questions about the matter.

In a separate incident last year, with the intervention of a local swallow group in Consett and the involvement of Durham police, the company agreed to halt housing works to prevent possible damage to the birds’ nesting areas.