August 18, 2012
IT’S been a long old journey
from April to here, and the Hymer hasn’t even left the front garden.
Family matters have kept us
in England
Billed as ‘The Birdwatcher’s
Glastonbury
If you want to buy absolutely
anything sludge-green to wear, look no further; likewise if you’re intending to
upgrade your binoculars, telescope or camera.
Otherwise, like me, you can
eat scones with jam and cream and wander round collecting holiday brochures and
maps to help plan future trips. One
bonus was meeting up with our best man, Sav, who now runs Wrybill Birding Tours
in New Zealand
If browsing palls, you can
take your pick from a series of lectures. One by the writer and broadcaster
David Lindo, known as The Urban Birder, couldn’t have been more appropriate for
the situation we find ourselves in at present, needing to stay close to home.
He took as his starting
point a quote from Proust: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in
seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” He went on to talk about the
natural wonders that are all around us, if we only look up and see them. I knew
just what he meant.
I’d been strolling with the
dog in an adjoining field early on Thursday evening, before the crowds arrived
and turned it into a temporary car park.
As he sniffed his way slowly
along, I stopped and turned to take in the view.
I was just in time to see a
beautiful barn owl swooping out of a line of tall trees and circling close by, with
a young fox sitting motionless by the hedge opposite, watching us from a safe
distance. It was one of those much-needed moments that just make you feel better.
