Every year I celebrate with a bottle of champagne the sight of the first swallow. Every swallow that makes it back to share our summer- against very many odds- is a miracle. They are a symbol for the plight of our other-than-human neighbours. The lucky ones who make it back indicate that some connective tissue required to transport the birds along their migration routes remains alive. Let’s ensure the task of being a swallow (and all those creatures they feed on and that feed on them) is less fraught with human-induced peril and abundant with multitudes of bugs.