Beech Avenue

This morning  I went for a lovely local  walk with a friend. We walked along this avenue where the  buds on the beech trees were just breaking open to reveal their  bright green leaves. We saw, and heard, both a Whitethroat and a Blackcap, but no sign of  Swallows yet. The paths are so hard and dry, as we have not had any rain for at least two weeks.