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How many times have you realised that something wonderful is just under your nose, so close that you don't even notice it? That is the case with the Thatcham Discovery Centre, one of our local wildlife reserves, just on the other side of town to where I live, just outside Newbury.
It's not one of the places I did not know about - it has been there certainly since my boys were small - we used to walk there, feeding the birds and taking my Mother for picnics. But I hardly remember visiting since she died, nearly 14 years ago - I guess I had just forgotten about it in some vague way. Now, with the spring air blowing the cobwebs away from my mind, all I want to do at the moment is be out and about, savouring the time of the year. So what better thing to do on the 'official' first day of Spring than take a walk around the lake with my camera, breathe in the air, sit peacefully with the birds? I can't really think of anything more enjoyable - and free! - so take that walk with me...this is what I saw...
Canada geese swimming in formation
The Dipping Pool - part of the educational facilities at the centre - notice the seating amphitheatre and tables for investigating what comes out of the water
Wild daffodils down the bank to one of the peaceful viewing points
A sandbank with canada geese and Mallard poking about
Goldeneye
Alder catkins, some 12-15 cms long
A pair of courting Great Crested Grebe
Dog Violets
Black-cap gull
Pochard
The willow stand alongside the centre, already almost fully green
The elegant courting dance of the Great Crested Grebes
It would have been a special day, yesterday, (as days wandering the Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum and Gardens always are for me), if it had only been for the explosion of springtime colour through the wintering brown earth. The bursting gold of the daffodils and narcissi, the yellow clouds of blossom on the Hammamelis, the pink airbrushing of the early cherry blossom. The appearance of different plants, alone, always gives me an infusion of joy, an immediate reconnection, though primarily my visual sense (though also though olfactory scents) with the totality of the natural world, of which I am just a tiny part.
Dried Miscanthus stems
Iris reticulata
Euphorbia chariacas 'wulfenii'
All this would have been enough...but I also had the pleasure of sitting in the warmth of the garden Pavilion restaurant, able to tuck into delicious Thai lentil cakes and green curry, drinking Elderflower presse and savouring what the gardens had to offer (swathes of wild daffodils spreading down the hill, the Winter garden full of colour and already beckoning me) before we made our foray out into the wild.
The heather beds in the Winter Garden
These two pleasures would have been enough...but I also had the most wonderful encounter with another species. We had walked down to the Great Pond, past the Gunneras still wearing their winter hats and for all the world looking completely dead (before they make their own grand entrance out into the world again in a month or two). We were walking up to Jermyn's House, past the Himalayan gardens and Ghurka Memorial, climbing up though the valley of burgeoning camellias, azaleas, and early rhododendrons. gazing upwards at the new blooms.
Camellia japonica
Magnolia grandiflora buds opening
Rhododendron
Distracted enough, that I almost stepped on a little Robin, bobbing about around my feet. I sidestepped, warned Alec to ‘take care!’ and fully expected the little bird (it was a vividly red-breasted cock Robin) to flutter off into the undergrowth, where a hen Blackbird was also bobbing about, fossicking in the bark chippings for insects, happily unafraid of us, but keeping her distance.
The friendly Robin
But the Robin did not keep his distance. He reduced it, hop by hop, bob by bob. He quite clearly fixed his gaze upon me, looked up at me, cocked his head from side to side, hopped closer and closer - and sang to me. He did not just sing. He sang to me. He connected his gaze with my eye, and addressed me as clearly as I have ever been addressed - by dog, by cat, by human.
He attempted to communicate with me - I did not understand what his message was - but a message he was quite clearly, and quite fearlessly, sending. It was not accompanied by any aggressive gestures; he came closer and closer, (about 30 cms away at my shoulder, when I sat on a bench) still fixing his eye constantly with mine. He warbled softly and most beautifully, directly to me, and I was immensely moved.
I suspected that he had possibly been hand fed, though when I asked one of the staff exiting the building if that was the case, he said, no, nobody there had been doing that to his knowledge, and so wasn't I lucky to be having that encounter anyway? I found it almost impossible to respond to him, because I was, quite simply, choked and overcome. Words are inadequate to describe the emotion I felt, I just know that there are many of you reading this that will know just exactly what touched my heart. One day, we will understand Them.
Helleborus orientalis - the 'Lenten Rose' - under the still-bare trees
All these things would have added up to a most delightful day - but even then, there were more special things in store. There is always an exhibition of some artistic nature in the Pavilion; yesterday, three artists were setting up their wildlife paintings in preparation for today's opening of the exhibition entitled 'Inspired by Nature'. I felt particularly deeply engaged with the art of one of the exhibitors, Daphne Ellman, who works mostly in acrylics and had produced a captivating series of paintings depicting various animals and plants present during each month of the year in the UK.
These monthly 'portraits' have been turned into a calendar, which was a lot more affordable than the originals, but still fell into my 'well, I *could' afford it, but *should' I?’ category. While I pondered, Alec stepped in, generously purchasing the calendar as my Mother's Day gift for today from him. The calendar is set for 2013, but before then, it will most certainly be dissected and framed (though where in the world I am going to find the wall space, I really don’t know!)
All these things would be more bounty that anyone could expect on one day - but the final treat was presented when I asked the artist if she did any teaching at all? One of my 'goals for the year' has been to get back to some creative activity, which I have always needed, and for a long time now have not really pursued. She answered affirmatively, and said she had a two day workshop coming up in April. I have a 30th Wedding Anniversary coming up in May, and once more, before I could do any pondering at all, Alec leapt into the breach and paired the two together!
The Birch Grove
Narcissi with Pulmonaria - a planting idea...
...and another idea - wild planting along the rustic hurdle fence to the Children's gardens
Now I have the happy anticipation of the upcoming weekend, as well as the actual pleasure of taking part. How’s that for a long-lasting gift – and don't you think my cup more than ran over yesterday??
Share a sip from my cup by listening to that Robin's song, welcoming Springtime, as well as myself!
This is the delicate result of two days freezing fog ...just a dusting of frost left on the garden at midday - but the trees catching the fog at higher levels and, at -2C, freezing into layers of delicate crystals.
In the herb garden, a couple of milder days over the weekend allowed one of the ponds to thaw slightly - enough to capture the footprints of the pheasants which have obviously taken a stroll over the surface, before freezing again. Taking a drive cross-country to Hungerford this afternoon, the effect was multiplied by many thousands of times - and enhanced by every field and hedgerow similarly embellished - sparking against the still, mysterious fog which continues to hang in the air. Truly beautiful - but unfortunately only in my mind's eye now - I forgot to take my camera - so here is a little more of the winter wonderland at the bottom of the garden here at Autumn Cottage.
They were there when I got up at 7.30...popped in on several occasions during the morning, and have now just left for the cover of the bushes when they spotted me with my camera. Not a competition winning shot...but evidence that these often stroppy males can get along together when food is in short supply. The story will be different after Christmas, when they seek to impress their wives!
Two other regular visitors to the feeder each morning...the ever present little Blue-tits, and a solitary Pied Wagtail, which pops down and immediately takes its fodder up onto the conservatory roof. Entertainment of the highest pleasure, all while I enjoy a cuppa. Lucky me!
For the last three days I've been fascinated to watch this live webcam broadcast from Derby Cathedral, where a Peregrine falcon has hatched four chicks in the last couple of days. This afternoon I was lucky enough to look in when she had returned to the 'nest', with a tasty morsel for the chicks, which she proceeded to feed to them by ripping bits off and delicately proffering them to each upturned beak in rotation.
She is sitting again now, but if you peek in occasionally, you too may see the white fluffy bundles with beaks - it can become very addictive!
(Image above screen captured from the Derby Cathedral site).
I've had a distinct case of cabin fever this past week - the snow was new, fresh and magical last week - by this week, when we had another heavy fall on Tuesday night - it had become an inconvenience at best, a darned nuisance at worst. It kept me frustratingly indoors, as what had been powdery snow last week became packed ice which was almost impossible to walk upon - and certainly impossible to drive on (the juddering that I had been hearing over the last few weeks from my car innards was not, as I had thought, the automatic gearbox playing up, but the ABS anti-skid system cutting in on the dreadful road conditions!)
BUT - one good thing to come out of my enforced housebound state was the time to watch the birds coming down to the feeding table. I'd forgotten what a pleasure it is to watch even the common birds that live in the woods surrounding the cottage...many of which are not seen for large parts of the year (they are in the woods :-)) - but in the recent snow they have been more than willing to visit. The photograph above shows the Greater Spotted Woodpecker that I sometimes see - and often hear - on the other side of a telegraph pole in the garden - but here he is, down at the peanut feeder yesterday morning.
I normally would never get the chance to photograph this bird, as woodpeckers are very nervous - but this is taken through my office window, at quite a distance, so that I could not be seen. Considering the distance, the awkward angle, and (shamefaced admission) the fact that the window is very much not as clean as it should be, I am pathetically pleased that it came out at all. Next step for me is to contrive a hide in the conservatory window, from where I can work on the art of bird photography. Should only take the rest of my life to become proficient...but hey, I've got that available!
Oh, and by the way - the temperatures have risen beautifully over the last 48 hours, and the snow is GONE! I will be out and about again next week - methinks it has been far too long since the Antiques Arcade got a visit from me - I need to balance a surfeit of the natural world with a bit of the more artificial one right now!
The snow had all but gone yesterday - on the roads, anyway...so that I was able to get out and escape the cabin fever I was developing for a couple of hours. But--famous last words...by 9 pm it was falling thick and fast, adding another 4-6 inches overnight and causing the roads into town to be closed.
The birds are becoming ever more desperate for food - this afternoon, I spotted this cock pheasant (about 24 inches from head to tail) at the bottom of the bird-table, and both green and greater spotted woodpeckers launching into the peanuts. Both birds inhabit the garden, but rarely come up this close to the house.
There is a thaw forecast from tonight, though - hopefully up to 7C on the weekend, so fingers crossed that these poor birds will soon have more than the twice daily offerings from my bird-table to eat! I also want to get to work on the veg garden - that will have to wait, though - at the moment, I can't even FIND it!
The poor old patio, shivering in the cold
While others can't wait to get up to mischief...'come on out, Pip - the (frozen) water's lovely!'
Its a VERY hungry time for the garden birds...we've had snow non stop for 24 hours, so I am glad that I topped up supplies of birdseed and peanuts yesterday before the snow started. Now each day the garden visitors get multiseeded bread, grated cheese, peanuts and wild bird seed - on the table, in the feeders and on the ground. Water is replenished and the cats are locked in!
I was lucky enough to get these shots by just hiding behind a pergola post - the birds are so desperate that they did a good job of ignoring me in an effort to stoke up on as much energy as they could before early nightfall again. They sure need to keep warm at the moment. Only amateur shots, though - methinks I'd just love to take a wildlife photography course and learn to do it properly.
Blue-tit
Getting ready to attack the peanuts!
Such skill in dealing with a seed held by the foot
Long-tailed Tit - one of a family of five that mobs the bird table each day. Not easy to see in this photograph, they have a delicate pink colouring on their undersides
A Pied Wagtail - one of the ground-feeders
'Birdies stay out THERE...pussycats stay in HERE...by nice WARM radiator'
...and we return to Greenwich Mean Time here in the UK, I invite you to take a few steps with me along the walk I took through the woods this afternoon. It's unseasonally warm here at the moment, though more seasonally wet. So in-between the showers, this was how I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours. (Correction - not strictly in-between the showers.,..but those that caught me out found me sheltering under the canopy of leaves that were still on the deciduous trees, and the thick cover of the conifers!)
Right - have you got some comfortable shoes on? Come on, then...follow me!
(click on any image to enlarge)
Still green, but the beech leaves are falling
Debris from conifer logging
Fungi, feather, leaf
Oakleaves in stages of decay
A stand of pines
Logged pines left to decay in planned management
Multicoloured beautiful beech tree
Returning to the earth - the circle of life
Cathedral of the trees
Sunlight after shower
On the way home - looking across the fields
A sumach glowing through the gate of a private garden
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