Monday 30th March 2020, 10.40am (day 3,140)
Well, he’s feeling happy, at least. Or maybe belligerent, as robins are quite territorial. He may well have a larger territory than many people, at the moment.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Category Archives: Flora/Fauna
Duck couple
Friday 20th March 2020, 8.55am (day 3,130)
“Where have all the humans gone, duck?”
“I have no idea. But isn’t it quiet. And isn’t the air feeling clean?”
Checking up on spring
Thursday 19th March 2020, 4.20pm (day 3,129)
We all risk missing spring this year, don’t we. I, however, intend to do my best to keep an eye on its developments. Without a spring, the year will just suck. Well, y’know, even more than it already does.
I see little potato people
Tuesday 17th March 2020, 2.30pm (day 3,127)
So, it’s happened then. Britain is in a state of lockdown. Except maybe it isn’t, maybe it’s all voluntary, because with this government, remember that they don’t really have a clue about anything very much.
Either way I suspect I will be seeing a lot more of Hebden Bridge and home in the next few weeks. Or possibly months. For now I will do my best to keep this blog going, why should it become another victim of this pandemic? But how long I will sustain any creative juices in a world with greatly reduced horizons, I don’t know.
I must already be going slightly crazy, anyway. In these sprouting potatoes (for life, and the garden, must go on) I see little people, sitting in their boxes having a pre-planting natter. Or in the case of the couple to bottom right, a gentle cuddle.
(Clarice) Starling
Friday 13th March 2020, 2.20pm (day 3,123)
This was one of those where I worried about whether the focus would be on the bird or on the foliage. But it worked out alright in the end. As a big fan of The Silence of the Lambs I cannot help but call this starling “Clarice”: love the winter plumage, all the same. Nor would I mess with that beak.
Vixen
Wednesday 4th March 2020, 12.30pm (day 3,114)
While out in the countryside today I was very surprised to encounter this fox at such close quarters — and even more surprised when, on seeing me, it didn’t run away, but simply sat down and looked at me, as if it were a pet dog awaiting a treat. It did then amble round a little, clearly well aware of my presence but seemingly unbothered by it. On the other hand, cute and cuddly though it appeared, I suspect this was a vixen, with cubs nearby, hence its interest in keeping an eye on me — and so I kept my distance until we’d got its photographic model duties out of the way.
Mathilda, again
Tuesday 3rd March 2020, 3.00pm (day 3,113)
Mathilda makes it on here for the sixth time, and there are only four people who’ve been on more often (and one of them is me). I just pass through her territory quite often. As she is clearly getting rather old, it’s actually nice to confirm she’s still around. The sad thing is that no one will think to tell me when she finally passes on.
Enjoying the sunshine
Saturday 1st February 2020, 1.25pm (day 3,082)
Glorious day in Bucharest, sunny and around 17ºC. Surely the warmest 1st February I have experienced anywhere except Brisbane in 2013, and that doesn’t count. I was not the only one taking this opportunity to relax.
Abort, abort!
Friday 17th January 2020, 1.45pm (day 3,067)
If this fake owl sitting at the top of a building on Bridge Gate ever did deter the local pigeon troops from settling there, it’s long since stopped working. In fact, this photo was supposed to be of a whole bunch of them sat around and on it. But a second before I clicked the shutter, one of those intangible signals went through them all and off they flew, leaving me just with these last two in take-off mode. But I like it, as it makes it appear as if they have in fact decided to abort a landing — maybe, just maybe, because of the ‘owl’.
Exploring
Thursday 16th January 2020, 11.05am (day 3,066)
The extreme close-up may make this slug look bigger than it was — it was only about half the length of my little finger. A mere baby. I wonder what a slug’s family life is like; probably not very extensive. They get to explore the world in their solitary way from a very early age.
Being 42 