Copse magic

Very chilly day, but I went for a little trot as I had to work from home later in the day and needed to move.

I took the opportunity to monitor two of my Sentinel Trees for the Woodland Trust and I saw some badger footprints, which I photographed and sent with locations to the Badger Trust. Shine that halo!

The rewards were remarkable. First, a group of four kites circling in the sun. Three landed on a tree ahead of me, and were scared off as I lumbered over.

I watched them... always I am in awe of their grace.

Off I plodded through the mud and clag to the copse. I trotted around it and when I reached the Ancient Oak, I felt drawn in. It won't be long before the nettles and brambles prevent me from walking amongst the threes, so I heeded the call. The Ancient Oak was as magnificent as ever.

At chest height on the trunk, I saw a little plant growing.

How's that for taking advantage of the slightest opportunity?

Just above, well, they looked like faces. The tree people?

I cut through the copse, heading toward another oak at the opposite side which is one of my Sentinel Trees. As I walked through the green light, I saw a white shape bobbing up and down at hip height. I couldn't make sense of it until I realised that it was a roe deer running away. Or, rather, bounding away. The white bottom bouncing in the gloom! I thought of the roe buck I'd seen near here in the late summer. The oaks and the roe. Ah, and the roe I had seen on the wildlife camera in the grove down in Devon, where the tree has now fallen. As i walked on, my eye was caught by a crow sweeping silently through the shadows and then, yes! The deer again, a richer brown than his surroundings.

I stepped from the shade of the copse into the chill sunlight and looking above, saw a pair of kites approaching me over the trees. Each in turn circled above me, tilting their head to look down at this two legged creature calling, "Kite! Kite! Hello, Kite!"

In Thom van Dooren's book, he talks about recognition. Not just acknowledging the other, but giving them due recognition; saying, "You too are a citizen of this earth. You too have an interest in what occurs." The kites, I guess, are one of the few non-humans content with the status quo.