That's it they've gone and taken our summer with them. Ever since our first season at TOFT in 1991 I have loved sharing my summers with these incredible creatures. Every year they arrive in the first week in May and leave in the first week of September taking their offspring with them to teach them the way back to South Africa and along the way teaching them a methodology to memorise the route back to TOFT for next year. How they meet this challenge is beyond me. All I know is I eagerly await their arrival, enjoy every nuance of their season as they raise their brood, teach them how to fly and then leave as swiftly as they arrive.
Last week I didn't need a calendar to know the date. You could sense it was time by the activity and excited noise in the rafters as they drew close to their incredible journey. What signifies it is time? Temperature change, moon phase? All I know is by Tuesday the rafters at TOFT were silent and the barn a lonelier place.
For me their departure heralds the beginning of the end of the season and I make a mental note to relish the dog days of summer ahead as the land begins to change and wish our visitors well and 'au revoir' until next May when we shall welcome them back again.
