One swallow doesn’t make a summer

Tweet

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, as the old saying goes, but one swallow nest does make me happy! I have a small place in Wales and this included some very tumbledown old buildings. But one by one I have been getting them repaired and re-roofed so they can be used again. And then I started to wonder why no birds were interested in sharing these new facilities. There were openings to the outside, and safe nooks and crannies that could be exploited. But at first there were no takers. But this summer I have new tenants! A pair of swallows decided that the end wall of the old stable was a suitable nest site, and in early summer we could hear intermittent twittering from the nest they constructed there, as each time a parent arrived some excited chicks became very vocal in anticipation of food. By now the nest is empty but I’m happy to think that I helped a swallow family feel at home. And I can watch the swallows swoop up and down the field and be glad I contributed in a small way. Maybe next year this swallow family might have some neighbours! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2025.