'By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea we wept . . .We hanged up our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof .'
Psalm 137
A dialect version of Psalm 137
The Weeping Willow, Salix babylonica is beginning to put out bright yellow green leaves. It actually originates in China as does Forsythia, which is beginning to take over from the less flamboyant Winter Jasmine.
Blackbird rules of engagement;
- Don't attack a rival when he's flicking his tail, pretend to be busy looking for a worm
- But, when he flies away, pursue.
A grey day; wet snow. Smaller birds (and frogs) aren't so obvious. The resident Wood Pigeons are still about and a Grey Heron glides gently down along the edge of the wood, turns about and descends to the beck-side. After a twenty minute fishing session it sets off again, flying right over our house, a few metres above the roof light window of my studio.
I notice that the heron has the same wing colour scheme as the pigeon; grey, white band with black tips.
Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail;'richard@daelnet.co.uk'
