Residents in one Dyfi Valley town are celebrating as the first swift couple has taken up residence in some recently installed swift boxes.

It can take years for swifts to show an interest in nest sites, with some never being occupied, but those in Machynlleth have become home to a brood this summer.

In March 2024 volunteers installed 16 nest boxes for Common Swifts on the north and west frontage of the town’s Co-op store as part of growing efforts to save the endangered bird.

Swifts are on the red list for being threatened with extinction, having seen a dramatic 76 per cent decline in numbers in Wales since the mid-1990s.

This week, eagle-eyed residents spotted a swift pair moving into a nest box - more quickly than the average take-up time.

Elfyn Pugh, who founded the Dyfi Valley Swift Group, said: “This is really exciting news, it was a big gamble, and it has paid off.

“These are probably first-time breeders, and they may have paired off and checked the box out last summer.

“Swifts nest in their fourth year of life.

“We won't check the nest chamber at this early stage of incubation as they are prone to desert the nest if disturbed.

“We are really crossing our fingers that the eggs will hatch and the swifts will raise their chicks successfully.”

The 16 boxes have 34 cavities to house the nesting birds who often mate for life.

More good news came from conservationists last week, that these birds will likely use that nest for life.

A new study found swifts loyally return to their nests each year after their incredible journey to Africa.

The research highlights the importance of including swift boxes or hollow nesting bricks when renovating buildings previously used, and including them in new builds in areas once popular with swifts.