Tuesday, 24 March 2020

How will the countryside manage without us?



The spring weather has been so heart-meltingly beautiful lately.

Our reward for grounding the polluting aeroplanes has been cobalt skies and tiny twists of white cloud.  Just like the clear weather when the planes stopped because a volcano erupted in Iceland a few years back.

And combined with that, there has been the time to enjoy the sights of spring.

Over the last week I have stood with Nigel and Pascoe and watched:

 a coot diving to the bottom of a moat, then rising swiftly upwards as if in an elevator,

male moorhens battling over territory like an aquatic display of cock fighting,

a little grebe hunting for food by zipping along underwater.

“What is this world if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”

In the warm weather this week, I’ve had my first sightings of the fabulously colourful brimstone, peacock and tortoiseshell butterflies.
Not to mention the naughty bee fly with its intriguing life cycle.

Violets and wood anemones are blossoming and bluebell leaves are pushing through, readying themselves to blossom in a month’s time.

So it’s going to be tough if we stop being allowed out to exercise.

But just like with the planes stopping, there’s always an upside: perhaps the wildlife will be glad to have a break from us disruptive humans!








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