a wonderful moment
This all sounds a bit mystical, but I had to share something that happened on my walk this morning. It follows on from a podcast I listened to which was recorded at Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival held in Hertfordshire, where there had been a talk with Rob Hopkins, he of Transition Towns fame. I had read an article of his ages ago, about how we can imagine a future where actually the aims of our species to create a world in harmony with nature and – equally important perhaps – each other, needs to be envisioned and encouraged. Of course, the media thrives on negativity, which is arguably the role it is obliged to play given that we need to be informed of potential dangers and problems. The enthusiasm with which those negative and problematic issues are covered is a whole other story but anyway, back to my lovely experience.
I regularly walk my dog along the Cuckoo Trail, a railway line from Eastbourne to Heathfield that’s been converted into a tarmacked track used by equestrians, cyclists and walkers. There are mature trees and scrubby pasture or extensive farmland either side, meaning it’s great for a wide variety of wildlife, as long as they don’t mind the disturbance of humans with their dogs, bikes and horses using the path. The hot sunny weather has been fantastic for the plants and insects, and many of the trees are laden with fruit, presumably in part due to the warm dry weather allowing the blossoms ad attendant pollinators to flourish. Although regular readers will know that I prefer cool and cloudy to heat and bright light, the thing that keeps me going while it’s sweltering is how much Mother Nature is enjoying it.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that the record-breaking temperatures are nothing to worry about, but here where the heat can be dealt with effectively by ensuring there is shade and water available, it is nice to see everything taking advantage of the conditions. We have a large Nepeta (catnip) in the garden which thanks to the watering from the water butt and mulching with comfrey and broad bean stalks, is bouncing with bees from dawn till dusk. The Cuckoo Trail is well shaded and the vast oaks and willows are a fantastic resource at the base of the food chain.
It was as I walked through a particular stretch I was stopped in my tracks by a wonderful sight.
I saw a family of Bullfinches moving through the trees to my left. A male Blackbird further up the track stopped and looked, and a couple of Magpies were beyond him. A pair of Dunnocks were pecking in the short grass. A Robin hopped across the track, and a Song Thrush lurked in the brambles. Blue Tits and Great Tits flew across me, heading for the upper branches of the oaks to join the Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests, and I heard a Green Woodpecker and its laughing call behind me. Goldfinches were chattering among themselves in the willow to my right, and Wood Pigeons clattered in the ash tree, feeding on the leaves. I have never seen so many birds naturally convening in one place and it was such a joyful experience, all the more special for being in an ordinary place on a Tuesday morning while out with my dog.
It really made me think about how this is a future we can all imagine, and if we help nature (including ourselves) to manage the various challenges, it CAN all work out. Providing food, water, and shelter by either preserving the natural provision or augmenting with nature-based alternatives is well within our abilities, and is something we can all do to help. I have grown lots of brassicas in my garden borders, and the white butterflies are loving them; the most I have seen at any one time is nine individuals, all fluttering around and laying eggs on the kale and nasturtiums. Yes, of course there are now caterpillars munching through the plants but the nasturtiums were going over anyway, having provided us with a glorious show of colour, and the bumblebees have adored them. I grew kale between the perennials as it’s an inexpensive border-filler, and the frilly dark green leaves are attractive foliage, and there are still plenty of non-caterpillared leaves to enjoy with dinner.
In the face of so much bad news and conflict, today’s little reminder of how much pleasure there is to be had in seeing lots of birds and butterflies really helped top up my positivity cup. Have you got any little wildlife wins in your locality?
