Changing the Guard

Littlebitofbreadnocheese.

Teacher-teacher-teacher.

Even a skylark on the edge of Harleston last Tuesday.

The signs are there: spring is creeping in and winter is sliding out.

Nature is amazing in the way that it permeates every aspect of your life.  A site meeting today turned to stone curlews, followed by a farm tour and the strange savannah-esque spectacle of starlings riding the back of great mud-wading sows.

This morning was a cracker.  Pearlescent clear sky and the sun trying to force its way above the horizon.  Freezing cold and a frost underfoot, still only March remember.  The farmer was out ploughing at 6am, following yesterday's muck-spreading.  Everyone's getting ready.  Yet it's not an event that happens on a particular day or at a set time.  It just happens, it's like many things that you only notice when you look back.  And looking back now I can see how time has played out and the changes have quietly happened without any fanfare.

The fieldfares roost at the base of the reeds by the viewing platform.  Each morning I put them up, unintentionally, and they burst to the sky making their peculiar call, clearly annoyed.

The peeow of reed buntings, I always find myself double-checking it's not the ping of bearded tits.

Jenny wren and her feisty tik tik tik, always on the front foot.  Canada geese lifting off in pairs, everywhere pairs.  Roe deer.  Great tits.  Swans.  The collared doves on the bricks at home, tendng to each other like doting lovers.

Big sky, backlit reedbeds, frosted molehills underfoot.  Is he there?  Another morning drawing a blank.

There.  Far end of middle fen.  White, slightly bouncing flight.  Quartering.  Turn.  Drop.

Right to the spider pools or straight on.  Decisions, decisions.  Spider pools.

He's coming back my way.  Find a bush and try and use it as cover while still affording as wide a view as possible.  Tracking with autofocus now but still ISO800 and a slowish shutter speed.  Autofocus struggling to keep up.  Pan left and half press.  Hold.  Hold.  Here he comes, he hasn't seen me, bloody hell he's faster than I thought.  Straight towards me, then he looks up and veres away to his left.  Did I get it? (Nope.)

I follow him towards the wood and take position against the trees at the side of the path.  He's hunting in front of me.  A roe deer puts up and flashes his white rump as he bounds away.  The owl passes right over him.  Perfect harmony but playing in different keys.  Two worlds, same view.  Wow.

More shots then it's back as the sun is coming up.  Absolutely beautiful day.

Spring.  Welcome.