First Swifts of 2008!

I know I've only just posted today but as I'm stuck indoors until the shed arrives, I've nothing better to do and I really can't stomach watching Sky News which will have nothing but election news (albeit piddling local elections) and whether Ken is still Mayor of London so I decided I might as well do some washing (I know, such an exciting life) and hang it outside while the big round yellow thing is visible.

For the last few days I've been keeping an eye out for the annual return of the Swifts and this morning, at about 9.00am, I saw them! The first three have successfully made the monumental journey of 14,000 miles from southern Africa to spend a measly 12 weeks here to breed and raise young before the trek back again. Others will soon join them and eventually they'll be dashing around and squealing with delight at being all together again. Every year I look out for them in the hope that they'll return, bringing the summer with them. Of course, the sad thing is that they're gone by the end of July, save for a few stragglers, and the skies are so much quieter then, and we're heading on the downward slope to winter. But let's not depress ourselves just yet.

I decided a little while back that if I were to come back as an animal, I'd choose a Swift. They're the UK's (if not the world's) fastest flying bird, are very sociable, live for around 22 years and always look as if they're having the best time, chasing each other about, flying REALLY high and then plummeting to skim the tops of the hedges. It must be brilliant.