Swifts are bigger and stronger than martins or swallows and they are sooty brown all over. They may be seen in summer dashing over rooftops, their strong scythe like wings seeming to slice the sky.

Swifts, perhaps more than any other bird are masters of the air. Their life is spent on the wing – they actually sleep on the wing too – landing only to nest or in very bad weather. Like us, they are adapted to urban living, depending almost entirely on small holes in buildings or under the eaves. Their nest consists of feathers, straw or paper cemented with saliva. The nest is inside the fabric of the building and not visible from the outside.

Most modern building methods deny access to swifts and may critically affect swift populations. Some builders and architects are incorporating simple nest sites into new houses and refurbished buildings – but you could help too. Further details are available from the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership.

The House Martin

They are very much town birds and if you have an oldish house with eaves, you may be lucky enough to have them nesting beneath your roof.

House Martin flight is high and fluttery. Watch out for the white underparts and rump and the wide forked tail. They often fly in company with swifts and swallows, especially over water where the insects they feed on are abundant.

Nests are built of mud and are found on the outside of buildings, in colonies. One of the main things you can do to help house martins is to provide a muddy pool or puddle during the spring – most of our gardens are far too tidy! If droppings are a problem (especially if the nest is over a door or window) fix a shelf (255mm) 2m below the nest to catch the droppings.