SWALLOWS

There are three swallows nests at the stables this year, Stuart told me a few weeks ago. The birds tear past just over your heads if you are sitting out in the coolness of the evening and into the stables to feed their young. It's a little bit unnerving to start with but you do get used to it.

However, yesterday Gillian and I could hear a lot of twittering coming from the walnut tree a few gardens over but couldn't make up our minds what was causing it, well, it was birds of some kind. It sounded like hundreds of long tailed tits having a meeting! We didn't think any more of it.

As I was getting something to eat at 'teatime' I heard the noise again and this time there was an ever- changing crowd of swallows just outside the kitchen window, landing, taking off, zooming round in pairs and singly. The photo above was taken through the kitchen window. I went outside and found even more birds were sitting on the phone wires.

 I tried taking closeups as they weren't bothered by me standing almost beneath them and got these before they decided they'd had enough and flew away.

I've never seen swallows in our lane before and I hope they return before they take off for their winter home. It seems a bit early to be thinking of departing. Have you seen them gathering yet?