Local housing association Accent Nene is working in partnership with South Cambridgeshire District Council to help stop the decline of Fulbourn's remarkable summer visitor, the swift. Special measures to encourage and protect swifts are being taken by Accent Nene on the Windmill Estate in Fulbourn, near Cambridge, where work has recently begun on redevelopment which will create around 270 new homes.

Swifts spend most of their lives in the air and nest in crevices mainly within houses and other man-made structures. They have been in decline in recent years due to demolition of old structures and re-development works, especially when roof eaves have been repaired which closes nesting holes.

Accent Nene undertook a survey of swifts in Fulbourn in 2006 and up to sixty pairs of swifts were shown to be nesting on the Windmill Estate. To ensure that the birds carry on nesting in Fulbourn, Accent Nene has provided new swift boxes throughout the estate and there will be around 120 integrated swift special nest bricks in the newly developed houses so that nesting continues into the future.

John Walton, Accent Nene development and regeneration manager, said: "We are working on the re-development of the Windmill Estate in Fulbourn and understand how important these iconic birds are to the local community. After hearing about the decline, Accent Nene was determined to do its bit to help. With the development of around 120 homes in the first phase of the re-development we are in a unique position to provide homes for both people and birds."

Demolition work has now been completed in preparation for the first phase of the new development at the Windmill Estate. Despite the extent of the works currently underway, nesting swifts have again returned to the site.

Rob Mungovan, ecology officer with South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "Fulbourn is a great place to see swifts as the estate provides the colony with nesting sites and the surrounding farmland provides insects for feeding. The phased approach to redevelopment will be important to retain swifts in existing nest sites while others learn to use new sites.

"Accent Nene has taken advice from SCDC on how relatively simple design features can be incorporated within the new buildings to provide new opportunities for a range of bird species.

"Working together with Accent Nene it is hoped that we can retain this special summertime bird. The work that's been done on the Windmill Estate is really heartening and it is great to see migrating swifts have returned to the site. Hopefully they will breed in the new boxes and continue this important swift colony in South Cambridgeshire."