They're Here !!!!

OK, as if on cue (and in fact they are), the barn swallows showed up two days ago (6 May).
They immediately set out fluffing up the oldest established nest in the woodshed. This is literally right out the backdoor, above the garden implements rack. They don't seem to mind that rakes and shovels poke around within inches of their nest (they do fly away, but are back real soon). And every year at the solstice, when we have a picnic, there will 5 fledglings big enough to be hanging over the edge and in spite of 50 odd folks milling about in and around said woodshed, the parents will fly right by with the continuous supply of food for those fast growing kids of theirs.
So predicatable, but always fascinating. See last year's over the bulb nest.

No, it's not Capistrano

The field swallows arrived two days ago (29 April), but I neglected to make a note at the time. The barn swallows, some of which will nest in the woodshed, should follow in about a week. Not sure if their flight is longer or they are slower or what, but they always seem to follow the field swallows by a week.