Swifts arrive with us in late April and are slipping away at the end of July so we don't have their company for long each year. But they are close neighbours given that almost all swifts nest in our roofs!
What did they do before buildings? Swifts must have been dependent on old trees and I guess in the time before Humankind cleared the forests there would have been a lot more old trees but it's difficult to guess whether swifts were much commoner or much rarer in those times. The RSPB nature reserve at Abernethy Forest is one of the few places in the UK where there are tree-nesting swifts, and one day I'll make a special trip just to see them.
We are asking for help with information about swifts as they have recently been put on the Amber list because they are declining in numbers.
At our Headquarters at The Lodge we have put up swift nest boxes and played tapes of swift calls this year - and, rather amazingly! - some seem to be interested. It is too late for nesting this year (probably) but maybe these birds will be back next year. Let's hope so.
The sound of swifts screaming is a sound of summer - redolent of warm beer, cricket, garden barbecues and the hum of insects.
I found this rather nice article in the FT about swifts http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d81d3cd4-61df-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html