We usually get things later further up north, and the flora is always later too. I too think the Swifts are here later.

For me, range is probably not as important as charging times and availability of charging stations.
I'd happily do with 200miles +( and I mean real world range),if rapid charging was readily available.

The swifts usually arrive at our house on 11th May, they were a couple of days late this year. We normally have five swifts nests around the house, this year there only seems to be three. There are certainly less of them screaming around.

We currently have a racing pigeon which has adopted us, the owner has been contacted and is sending a courier to take it home. I suspect it may be a Volvo pigeon judging by it's navigation system. It was released in France to race home to Chester, it has ended up in Northumberland!

I was in Krakow last week and the main square was full of swifts (or swallows, I always struggle with which is which), swooping around and screaming in the air. Been many times in the summer before and never seen them before. Maybe if there is enough food further south (and East) then there is no need to come to the UK? Or maybe Brexit has put them off.....😉

Swifts probably as in a city they are more likely than swallows.

Swallows have the long forked tail. Swifts shorter forked tail longer wings.

Although I am more interested in whether the 'B' cars actually do get better mpg in the real world.

But nothing really changed from the D4 to the B4. You have an extra electrical motor but the diesel engine remains intact.

Yes. If, when the car gets above eight years old, as an example, and the leccy motor or other expensive component fails that is associated with it, then there is surely nothing stopping the car from being driven as a standard diesel D4. Just remove the little battery and disconnect the cables to the motor. It might not be quite that simple but it will be doable I’m sure.

I thought that all of these "mild hybrid" systems used an electric motor which provided the boost when necessary, but also acted as the starter motor and alternator. I suspect that disconnecting the cables to the motor would result in the car never starting.

I am sure that I will be corrected if I am wrong.

Having said that, I would be delighted to receive a B4 in lieu of a D4 for no extra cost.

Yes that's what's important. You are getting a B4 with an underlying discount of 2k.
And I wished my D4 had 200 hp :_:

I have not seen one yet but I do hope that they don’t rely on the new unit to be the starter. It does make complete sense of course and i’m afraid that you are probably correct. When I see one at the dealer, will be sure to have a good poke around. A similar system is also about to, or is already fitted to JLR cars.