Sir, – Notwithstanding the Environmental Protection Agency's concerns about bird droppings on Sandymount Strand ("Seagulls '10 times more polluting to beaches than people'", April 4th), I sincerely hope it is equally concerned at the apparent crash in Dublin city's common swift (Apus apus) population. In two bus journeys, from Dún Laoghaire to Finglas and back, in the third week of May, I noted only two birds, one each in Ballsbridge and Finglas, in the sky.
Only a few years ago, the swift was a familiar and prolific summer visitor across the skies of the city. It was a precious summer migrant, even in the heart of the city, to remind one and all that the vagaries of an Irish summer were not sufficient to deter the species from returning to its summer breeding home from its winter destination in South Africa. Not anymore, it would appear. – Yours, etc,
PETER DOYLE,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.