Too swift for me

Loving watching the swifts swooping above our house. I'm told they're actually brown, but look black against the evening sky.

I really like their scythe-like wings and forked tail, probably why they are such superb fliers - the fastest of all in level flight (recorded at over 100km/hour). It may also help that they only weigh as much as a Creme Egg!

They also live a long time: one bird here in Oxford was found dying in 1964, 16 years after it was ringed as an adult, and therefore likely to be at least 18 years old.

Apparently they can even sleep on the wing, but these ones looked very awake!