Feeding swallows at Parsley Hay

Today we finished our walks along the route of two old railway lines in Derbyshire, covering Alsop to Parsley Hay on the former line to Ashbourne, now called the Tissington Trail. And it didn't rain! The first day with no rain for what seems like weeks. Last year we did all the accessible Cromford and High Peak Railway.


At Parsley Hay there is an excellent café, with tables outside where you can eat your own food if you want and look at the views. Nesting under the canopy were four swallows, almost ready to fly. The parents were flying in with food, but they didn't hang around long. About a second from landing at the nest to flying off again is all it took for the transfer of some tasty morsel to one of the babies.

I managed to photograph the four expectant beaks, and the parent, but didn't get the lightning-quick beak-to-beak moment.


The birds didn't seem to mind all the human activity just a few feet away.

When I get back home I'll be able to crop and zoom to improve the look of the bird photo.