Wild Things columnist Eric Brown describes one of his most exciting wildlife moments of the year, witnesses an intimate aerial moment and suggests ways to ensure one of Britain's oldest birds continues performing acrobatics in our skies.

Sometimes anticipation can be almost overwhelming and when the actual event arrives it proves a bit of an anti-climax.

This cannot be said about the happening that unfolded for me on Friday May 5. I had been peering out of my bedroom window for several days searching for a certain shape in the skies. All I could see were clouds, outsize insects and the usual bird presence like pigeons, crows, magpies and gulls. Not that there's much wrong with those but they didn't promote the excitement associated with an expected arrival.

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Then suddenly at 9.58am on May 5 there it was a dark, unmistakable scimitar shape cutting relentlessly through cloudy grey skies. A swift. Back from Africa and hunting insects before showers ended proceedings for the day. What a contrast it must have been swapping sunny African skies for English cloud and rain.

Swifts had been seen crossing the southern English coast for at least two weeks and I knew from past experience they should show up in front of my house during the first week of May. Now the first had arrived and summer could officially begin. As I watched, that memorable shape was joined by two more, ducking, wheeling and darting around to grab flying insects. Later the same day a hobby appeared with prey in its feet and I feared it might have been one of the swifts.

I am very lucky to have swifts nesting nearby. I have never been able to locate the house they use but at least their proximity means I see swifts in flight every day. They number from one to four. Can this mean there are two pairs in the area or just a single breeding pair and others passing through ? Last year I observed seven swifts at one time although this probably included juveniles as it was towards the end of summer.

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Anyway I continued watching this year's visitors and was rewarded with swift behaviour I have never witnessed before. Following a couple in binoculars as they swooped across my house rooftop, I saw them briefly merge into one before parting again. Mating on the wing ! Amazing. swifts do everything on the wing. They eat, sleep, drink and mate. The only time in their lives they will touch down is in the nest under house eaves. If one has an accident and is grounded their short legs are useless at launching them back in the air and assistance will be needed for them to get airborne again.

Sadly these remarkable birds that emerged from caves to breed alongside humans are dwindling in numbers. Swifts strong decline to between 50,000 and 60,000 breeding pairs here means they are red-listed as birds of greatest conservation concern. They could soon disappear from our skies unless we act. House repairs and refurbishment often denies swifts access to nesting space required for their single brood of two or three eggs. Please consider erecting a swift nestbox or incorporate a swift nest brick into your house wall. Obtainable from the RSPB or BTO. The swift skymasters deserve our co-operation and provide superb summer entertainment.

Further reading: Swifts and Us by Sarah Gibson published by William Collins £16.99.