This weekend, while sat in the garden enjoying a short break in the fleeting sunshine, a familiar chattering filled the air.
Looking up, I spied a group of swallows, wings thrumming and twitching, balanced like tightrope walkers on a nearby telephone wire.
Despite the recent inclement weather, summer must finally be here.
This photograph, which features both swallows and house martins, was taken by RSPB photographer Nick Upton at the Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve, near Angermunde, Germany.
Like the swallows I saw, it seems to capture the spirit of the south and the promise of sun. Take a look at RSPB Images to find more pictures like this one. You can order a print or canvas of any you like.