Eagerly awaiting the first spring arrivals! Spring hasn't truly began for me until the Swallows have returned. Not only do we get birds arriving in the Uk but we also have a lot of birds leaving the country to return to their breeding grounds. With so much movement going on, this is by far my favourite time of year as you're likely to see anything from early arrivals to late departures. This is why I generally I turn my focus to upland. Our upland habitat is vitally important and greatly un-appreciated by most. Our mountains create updrafts that birds use to migrate and navigate the land so you're likely to see migration fairly high up. Our coastline is another great place to witness this migration and if you wait long enough, you may just be able to get a close encounter with a bird that will appear very tired after the long flight. This happened to me last year as a Wheatear pair landed on the coastal wall and was so exhausted they couldn't even fly away from me. Good photo opportunity but not so great for the bird if predators are lurking.