After the wettest April on record, and a very cold May so far, this striking picture of swallows lined up on power lines above the RSPB Fairburn Ings might finally herald a change to warmer weather.

Paul Miguel, a local photographer who took the picture at the nature reserve near Selby, was surprised to see so many of the summer visitors in one place. “They were all huddled together on telegraph wires just outside Fairburn Ings. I took the picture at about 6.30am on a particularly cold morning for May. There were well over 100 birds lined up together.”

The arrival of swallows has been a welcome sight at the nature reserve.

Chris Woolner, visitor experience manager, said: “The wildlife here at Fairburn Ings has had a disastrous couple of months weather-wise, with torrential rain and flooding taking their toll. Swallows have arrived very late this year. We expected to see them weeks ago but, as you can see from Paul’s picture, they seem to have arrived all at once.”