Mum! Mum! Feed me!....

....is probably what this fledgling swallow was tweeting, waiting for an incoming parent to drop a juicy bug into its beak. Not that I speak fluent swallow, but I've observed a lot of young teenagers. ;-) I saw the feeding happen several times but didn't manage to capture it - parent bird stayed on the wing so it was all very fast. The youngster had a sibling sitting a little further along the cable and they were being fed alternately. Had to brighten it and heavily crop, but I hope you can still make out some downy bits of featherage.

This was at the allotment, where I spent an hour or so lifting the remaining garlic and shallots, watering and sweating profusely. The french bean plants (both dwarf and climbing) are looking wonderful - although a couple of weeks behind schedule they're catching up fast and with not a single fatality so far. No slug damage - hurray for the nematodes! And no snail damage for the moment since for the last week or so it's been too hot for them to venture out.

I had a day's leave (a day I had to use up as it was surplus to the amount of unused leave I can carry forward to the next leave year). I think I need a holiday. Watch this space.