The little oak bush thing on the front page shows a "tree" who has been repeatedly "flayed". A hedge cutter goes around the Reserve To keep paths clear and these machines use horrible spinning blades that leave torn branches. But this little tree has risen again and again, only to be crudely cut back again and again. It's only managed to rise about 8 inches. Just behind it, an ash and two oaks grow by a Scot"s pine. These trees too are flayed, and the oak in front is in a bit

These are the feathers of that mysteriously eaten pigeon, with a fly seeking sustenance in the down. I can't quite get over that pigeon. Who killed it? Who ate it? Did they finish it after I left? Were they watching me, unseen? Was the squirrel I heard calling warning me or warning this unseen predator? Was it a sparrowhawk? That seems the likeliest answer, surely. When I looked at the half-eaten corpse, the feathers had been torn from the breast and the ribcage pierced, with

Cherry leaves are beautiful in the autumn. I imagine that there is as much excitement about Kyoto in the fall as there is in the spring. The leaves on that photo on the front page were in the little copse of planted trees managed for the game birds. Yesterday, I showed pictures of the pheasants. I feel so sorry for them and the partridges who run around all panic stricken and then burst into loud clucking flight. It feels so horrible to cause such terror wherever one goes. St

...when the world is full of noises. I went to see Kairos and on the way down the track the hedges were alive with the wingbeats and rustlings of birds, mainly pheasants and partridges, but also blackbirds and chaffinches, robins and wrens. On my way to the tree, i saw a dead pigeon. Freshly killed, I thought, but totally uneaten. I could not work out why the predator had left it there. I sat by a tree. Listened to the rustlings. Saw a squirrel. And a silent muntjac. And then

...gets sweeter every day, in every possible way.... lyrics from... The Cranberries. I started whistling this in the garden and then fell back into my bird call whistle and all around my head, wings and cheeps. No one wanted to be looked at, but they were there. The Garden Robin.... And Neighbour Robin... As well as Mr B, who was later subsinging sweetly in the acer, the starlings and great, blue and coal tits as well as the dear dunnocks. And the wren, known as the winter ki

I promised this and I have delivered!

The North Sea... I reached Harwich at twenty past six yesterday morning. We were up on the ferry by about a quarter to nine, at which point I booked a cabin and tried to sleep... dozed... dreamed... work up and did some work. Ate apples and peanut butter and then thought that I needed to stretch my legs. It took me a while to find a way onto the deck, but when I did... well, even before I got outside, just seeing the sea from the windows was exciting. The sea, the sea! (Isn't

I'm still anxious. Oh I've had enough of worrying about money and warehouses and AI and cats and projects and commitments and troubles...

I was sitting by the Wayfarer Oak when a group of fat six-month-old lambs started running across the field toward me. Wow, I thought....

There were also these rather pretty pink flowers. No idea what they are. And birds... um.... sort of... a great tit and a treecreeper,...

I had the most incredible experience! I went to check up on the ancient beech by the ruined church. She is doing OK despite plentiful...

I had gone into the wood to see Kairos. I don't think I will try to ID these. This is (obviously) not a fungus. I think the baby pigeon...

Back on bird feeding duty... but as I was also on puppy sitting duty I did not have the chance to head over the Majesty. October, and...

I mentioned that I walked a long way. I have not checked my steps, but I did take in Holland Park, Hyde Park and Green Park before...

When I was looking at the plane trees, it struck me that they recreate this mottled pattern... There's something soothing in these...

So, I still forget that we have a king now rather than a queen; a Labour government rather than a Tory one. Nor am I hugely interested. I...

The Garden Robin is still not keen on me - and even less keen on Tane whom he chased away with incredibly cross cheeps and chirrups. He...

i went for a walk with Leanne to Cottesbrooke - and what a fitting tree-tribute! You may recall that I was stung by wild bees when...

I went to visit the tree again because this tree is near the bird feeding station at the Reserve and I am on feeding duty for a while....

After the migraine, seeing Tane and visiting the crows, I went for a walk as I knew fresh air would help, but running seemed beyond me....