Nothing lifts my spirit more than seeing my first Swallow of the year in spring. It is a sign of long days ahead and that summer is almost here. European Barn Swallows (to give them their full species name) undertake incredible migrations from Southern Africa, over the Equator and across the Sahara Desert to reach Europe each summer. As if this was not amazing enough, they not only return to their country of birth but also return to the exact barn or shed they were born in. In late summer, young birds set off alone to return south. These journeys inspired me as child and opened up a sense of wonder with the natural world which I am delighted to say, I still possess. Swallows are my favourite species in the world. This young bird was photographed in the Comeragh Mountains, Waterford in June 2020.