ONE SWALLOW DOESN'T MAKE A SUMMER...

Well, yesterday saw our swallow return to the terrace after his overwinter in Africa, but he must be checking the workings of his GPS as he has arrived to freezing temperatures and a day of hailstones and east wind. 
He's a lovely little fellow always chattering and for the four years we have been here, and I suspect before that, he has installed his wife on our terrace and they have nested and had their family, to the delight of our cats (who have fortunately only had one).  It's worth the mess, except when you forget and pull your chair for lunch right underneath them, more sauce anyone?
Last year the chicks were getting so fat, no sign of them leaving home, (typical teenagers) that they broke the nest.  Stan climbed on a chair to install a piece of cardboard as a temporary fix, but frightened them so much that they took the plunge and went for their first flight!
Recently we have been lucky to see the Hoopoe, also back for his Summer holiday, and we stopped the car last week to watch a Golden Eagle soar overhead with his eye on some lunch, what a majestic bird. So I guess that Spring is there somewhere, we shall  have to be patient this year, but I do love the hot evenings of late Spring when it's  possible to sit on the terrace 'til late listening to the cicadas and watching the bats swoop around our heads and out again.  

I suppose by then we'll be complaining of the heat and flies!
Bring it on! 

Stan took this nice photo near the village, in so Spring is evident. 

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