PEOPLE are being asked to help the conservation of swifts by recording nest sites or where they see a ‘screaming party’.

Swifts are currently returning from Africa to breed and can be seen in many Dales villages and towns, although populations are in steep decline across the UK.

Groups of screaming swifts flying fast and low are a sure sign that birds are nesting locally.

The project is being run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in partnership with the Sedbergh Swift Community Group.

Ian McPherson, a member of the national park, said: “Screaming parties of swifts are the sound of summer in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. As more birds return over the next few weeks, the parties will get bigger and louder.”

To find our more, visit:yorkshiredales.org.uk/park-authority/living-and-working/wildlife-conservation/swift-conservation-project