It'll soon be time to go

It's hard to believe, but this tiny baby Swallow will be ready to start its migration to South Africa in only a few weeks.

When we'd finished doing bird ringing in our garden, we went to look for the nest (we'd already seen the parents swooping in with insects, and out with faecal sacs).

There were four small chicks in the nest - three were the right size, but the fourth was too small for us to ring (it'll probably be fine - it's just that its leg was just too small for the ring just yet).

Its three bigger siblings now have their uniquely-numbered lightweight metal rings. Maybe someone else will catch them on the way through England, or maybe even somewhere abroad.

When we'd left the shed, the parents soon returned to continue feeding their young.

Good luck, little birds.