95% Mortgages For Birds And Bats

Broccoli, bread, beads, seed swaps and bird boxes were just some of the goods on offer at Fulbourn Community Market on Saturday 23 March.

Nest boxes were on sale and representatives of the village swift conservation group were recruiting volunteers to sign up for a survey. Feeling roughed-up by wind-blown snow drizzle on this March Saturday it was inspiring to imagine heady July days. The screaming of swifts as they scythe cerulean skies is the epitome of intoxicating high summer.

The Swift Group was formed to protect Fulbourn's nationally important swift colonies as old housing stock favoured by the birds was demolished in 2008. A conservation collaboration between South Cambs District Council, developers and community resulted in new homes for people and birds. Surveying the skies in 2012, the Swift Group was thrilled to see up to fifty swifts at a time. Applied Ecology and the RSPB cite the new housing development named... you guessed it The Swifts as a screaming success.

A batty film I came across shows that Fulbourn is just one example of burgeoning biodiversity projects within new housing developments. Made by teenagers in a workshop by Cambridge Film Consortium, Bat Hotel interviews Cambridge City Council's nature conservation officer Guy Belcher and artist Loukas Morley. Residents at the award-winning Accordia development received funding to turn a second world war pill box into a des res for bats and kingfishers.

Orchard Park, a new development north of Cambridge has its own nature blog set up by residents, and there's going to be a talk and education event on 10 April 2013.