Screaming of the swifts

Spring is getting close to top speed and ready to burst, full-stride into early summer.

We've had an outstanding few days on the weather front, helping to remind me that when we get our dose of decent sunshine, there's nowhere better to be.

The evenings now draw on incredibly late and it's still light enough to walk the dog at 10pm. Those dark, dank winter days seem like someone else's memories, so distant do they seem while I sit sipping a G&T watching the sun go down.

Surely someone somewhere has carried out a study which proves that people are happier when it's sunny? As I write, I can hear kids playing outside, and the smell of burning charcoal wafts through the open window as barbecues get dusted off and wheeled out for a chance to cremate some meaty offerings.

Birdlife is frantically busy, nest-building and chick-rearing, with barely time for a few hours' sleep before the sun is out once more and the whole process begins again. Cats are prowling all hours too, taking their massive toll on our songbirds.

Another added benefit of having a dog is that these furry feline marauders are kept out of the garden. Diesel's training is going well, with multiple retrieves and even some water work taken in his not inconsiderable stride. The light evenings mean fitting this in after a day's work is no problem. The children adore him.