Some good news for a change. There used to be great numbers of swifts and house martins around this area but have not been seen (or heard - they scream) for years. My old house has wide eaves and the house martins used to build their mud nests within them on the back wall. There is a large dewpond nearby from which the mud came. It was magical to see the birds swooping in and out at speed feeding the chicks and then to see the fledglings leave.
It's a very elaborate structure. The council have built an earth bund around the perimeter of the common and have seeded it with poppies and marguerites. A lovely sight.