Until recent years, Swifts where to be seen in numbers almost every day from late May until late July when they started their departure south. Looking back at the Erewash Valley B.G reports from 1986 through to 2005 and they state that a glance upwards and 20 - 40 Swifts would be seen hawking for insects over the reserve with up to 200 on occasions. It remained like this until a few years ago when numbers suddenly dropped to 10 - 20 Now, this June & the sky is empty, not even hirundines are to be seen. Occasionally an odd swift or martin might be seen, Lets hope we see more in the next few weeks as hopefully many young will fledge.

At least Mallard & Lapwings have done well, At least 12 young Lapwing have fledged and yesterday a chick about 5 days old was discovered, so it will be another 3 weeks before we can say 13 fledged assuming it survives Many nests of various species may have failed at the south end of EM due to regular visits of both LBB Gulls & a YL Gull which although not seen to have taken eggs or chicks they caused much disturbance giving the small colony of BH Gulls & the Lapwings in this area little time to sit or brood. Oystercatchers almost certainly laid eggs at one stage, but nothing became of it for the same reason. This is a new development as large gulls haven't been present in the past during the breeding season