Mostly birds and frogs

I noticed on Tuesday quite a large flock of swallows over the lake. I have never seen them arrive this early in the year. Normally they are here about the middle of April but sometimes we get a couple a few days earlier but this time there were at least twenty. This is heartening because there were not many last year and when they started breeding they were decimated by a Hobby that must have come over with them.This was the first time I have seen one, and I had to dive indoors for my trusted RSPB book to ensure I had identified it correctly. I got a really good look at him ( or her, strangely I only ever saw one) as he went to dispose of his catch in the wood shed and would fly right past me when I went to investigate the noise, and oh boy was there a commotion.The swallows are very much loved here even when they are dive bombing you in the yard because you are too close to their nest,being follically challenged I often feel they are trying to plough a furrow in the old napper.One of my favourite sights is them criss crossing in front of me skimming the lawn when I am mowing seeing how close they can get to the machine.When you get that close you appreciate what smooth almost fluid movements they make.
The other interesting event this week has been the frogs annual 'get together'. The edges of the pond have been boiling with activity with clusters of dozens of frogs the size of footballs mixed in with the weeds oblivious of us watching them - they surely must be easy pickings for predators. It's a shame so many of them don't survive as in those quantities we would surely be slug free enabling me to grow hostas  - mmm hostas!The battle to keep the delphinium shoots intact would be easier too.