Flowerhill is a Swift hotspot. A recent BirdWatch Ireland survey revealed this area of Navan to have the highest concentration of Swift nests in town, making Flowerhill a very important area for this threatened animal. The Irish word for Swift makes reference to the wind, and Flower Hill was once also the home of one of the most iconic wind experts in history: Born in Navan, Sir Francis Beaufort (1774–1857) was an Irish hydrographer and creator of the Beaufort wind scale. His family home was demolished to make way for the new road at the top of Flower Hill. His memorial plaque underneath a large Cypress tree is located nearby.
The Beaufort scale is a measure that relates wind speed to what we can see around us. Its full name is the “Beaufort wind force scale”. It ranges from Force 0 (“Calm”) to Force 12 (“Hurricane Force”). What would you say is the force of the wind right now? Here are some examples:
Can you feel the wind on your face? Force 2 is a “Light breeze”: Wind can be felt on face; leaves rustle; wind vane moved by wind.
Do you see small branches moving? Force 4 is a “Moderate breeze” which raises dust and loose paper; small branches move.
Are all the branches of the tree moving, would opening an umbrella be difficult? Force 6 is a “Strong breeze” that puts even large branches in motion; whistling can be heard in telephone wires.
Anything stronger than a Force 8 will see twigs breaking off trees and will slow down your progress around this AudioTour of Navan! Listen out for the sriiii-sound of our Swifts.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Don’t leave litter in bins that are full already: even a Force 2 wind might pick them up and spread them far and wide.