Already?

The word is that the swifts are leaving early this year, which is sad news. The departure of these magnificent birds always brings home the passing of summer - high summer, which this year was all but non-existent; indeed the swifts, wheeling and sickling through the air undeterred, were one of the few signs that it was indeed summer, despite all indications to the contrary.
 The swifts were very lively over my road on Friday evening, circling and screaming and feeding up - and then, the following morning, not a swift in sight, and only a couple to be seen, later, from the train window. On Sunday - a wonderful surprise - a dozen or so were circling lazily over the garden, and yesterday perhaps half that number. This evening there were only two stragglers - but I saw half a dozen from the train on the way home. Perhaps there will be a few more days before these mysterious beautiful birds fly off. Here's hoping...