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Friday 10 June 2016

One swallow does not a summer make

One swallow does not a summer make
One swallow does not a summer make - Aristotle. 
But many swallows surely must! A couple of weeks ago we were extremely lucky to see swallows hunting insects over the river two days on the trot. At least, they had potential to be swallows..... or swifts...,. or some kind of martin. But swallow-like nevertheless! On both occasions the swarms of birds must have been at least 50 strong, although impossible to make much more of  judgement than that. They were such agile fliers; zooming like a bullet, then chopping and changing route in a fraction of a second. They were amazing to watch. Some flew so close, we could feel the whooosh on our faces.
One swallow does not a summer make
Alas, with my 50mm prime lens they were nigh-on impossible to capture at all. This is perhaps the best illustration I can offer. Specks above a tree!  
One swallow does not a summer make
Above: I love the little flowers atop these long stems.
Below: Catkins and feetkins
One swallow does not a summer make

One swallow does not a summer make

 New growth in the river and leafy reflections
One swallow does not a summer make

One swallow does not a summer make
One swallow does not a summer make
The fluffy seeds from the tree above had all got caught up amongst the tiny flowers growing below it. So pretty.
One swallow does not a summer make
  I love the light shining through the fresh new leaves
One swallow does not a summer make
Once again, I'm seeing these tiny delicate purple flowers cropping up but have no idea what they are. Any suggestions?
One swallow does not a summer make

One swallow does not a summer make
There's beauty to be found everywhere!
Sophie