No swallows yet, but yesterday I was in the garden having tea with a friend who asked "do you ever see ospreys here?" "No", I replied, "but there are some on the reservoir the other side of the hill".
Five minutes later she shouted "look up!", as an osprey flew overhead carrying a 1/2lb trout 
.
Brilliant
I won't ask which reservoir as some b###### will have a go at them. I've been watching the Arkaig osprey cam for several years now. They changed nests last year (probably to get away from several thousand people watching their every move) but the new nest now has a camera too
. The new-last-year female Dorcha has laid her first egg so the season is under way
We did wonder about ospreys and bird flu but the thought is that as they don't predate on birds (total piscivores) or allow any other birds near them apart from their mate, they are unlikely to catch AI. For swallows, they do cuddle up to each other more, but also don't eat other birds, so I wonder if they will succumb. I'm unsure with Bird Flu if transmission is direct bird to bird or if mud or whatever trampled and pooed on by other birds, will transmit it. Presumably as we have to disinfect our boots and tyres, it's not only bird to bird. Watch out swallows, don't stop in Les Landes in France!
