The University of the Self #104

Birdsong, Botany and Betterness Part 29

Birdsong, Botany and Betterness Part 29
This article is a continuation of part 28, which can be found here.
Part 30 can be found here.

Image description: I have painted a tiny piece of slate (about 1 x 3 inches) with a blue background onto which I have painted four white swans flying in a line with their wings open. I painted this a few years ago to remember a time when I saw these four swans flying like this in the sky, where I now write my diary.

“Laid out before us like a map, it is a landscape we revisit throughout our lives to navigate our way through the unseen future. The past may be another country, but it is only the land we feel that we possess. In the absence of a physical kith, it might be the closest thing we have to knowing where we belong – and where we want to go.” (from ‘All Before Me’ by Esther Rutter)

Image description: a page from a notebook - the page is cream with faded stains and age marks upon it. Written in black ink are lists of birds and some notes - these birds and notes are listed below.

Newcastle lies to the east about twenty minutes to drive to also. We’re kind of equidistant between Newcastle and Hexham. Mickley behind Prudhoe, a little to the south/south west from where I sit. Ditto Stockfield. We aren’t in the pure, wild, raw of Northumberland, but just to be in any part of Northumberland has never ceased to seem a miracle to me. The north tree line is the beginning of Whittledene Wood, where there are more of these historical off-grid cabins. Now that is a truly fairy-tale place, all twisted willow, dapples and peace.

The volume of the bees and wasps in the hedge behind is phenomenal. 8.25 a.m., we are watching four Great Tits bouncing and blancing on a still-flowering blue Chicory plant, pecking and chirping. I love the Chicory flowers – yet when I pressed one, all the blue from the petals vanished – only the indogo of the stamens remained – as if blue is something that cannot be captured – as elusive as the colour of the sea – to grasp it as pointless as trying to hold on to a handful of sky.

I have noticed a sudden flush of Red Admiral butterflies over the last couple of days. Twice this morning I have been graced by the temporary brooch of one. If I listen, really lean in and listen to the plants, I can trace the almost undetectable cracking, popping sounds of plant language. I can hear the smallest scrapings of what sounds like teeth. My face is sweating, it has become so hot.

Common Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Willow Warbler, Rock Pigeon, Rook, Eurasian Jackdaw, Eurasian Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker (which was tapping on the Silver Birch), Eurasian Linnet, House Sparrow, Eurasian Wren, Gray Wagtail, Eurasian Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Treecreeper, Common Chiffchaff, European Robin, European Goldfinch, Ring-necked Pheasant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Barn Swallow.

8.42 a.m., the mild tootle of the Newcastle train. I am sure there are both Martins and Swallows in the sky - now, a huge number skimming, skimming. Skimming the cream of insects from the milk of the field. This is the story of my landscape. I am bird intoxicated.

18°C. I had the most amazing dream last night – this is the second dream/vision which involved a spider. I dreamed there was a nest from the skirting board to the floor, about twelve inches high, twelve long – a semicircle, which had the outer appearance of rendered cobbles, but in miniature. The nest was golden, and like a sandwich but with the filling missing. The structure of the nest was made from oats. I knelt to peep inside, and the inside bottom layer was studded with what looked like more tiny cobbles. Suddenly, from the centre of the roof above, the hugest spider, the size of my hand, slowly descended and hung above the cobbles, head downwards, and reached her long front legs out to dabble at the tiny cobbles below – she was the colour of deep gold, yet her whole body was transparent – see through gold.

Image description: this is my watercolour painting of the spider nest from my dream. The painting is done on white textured watercolour paper and there is a yellow wash in the background. The best resenbles a sandwich or a cake without its filling - there is a gap in the middle from which a yellow spider hangs head dow, with four legs visible. The nest is yellow/gold and looks as if it is made from tiny cobbles.

As she descended further, I saw she had dark, brown-golden eyes and a square patch of white on her huge abdomen. I looked at the tiny cobbles again and noticed they were starting to move and wriggle. They were all her babies, and she was tending to them, gently waking them up. Suddenly, they all shot out their one, parachute length of…

Image description: this is my watercolour painting of the spider from my dream. The painting is done on white textured watercolour paper and there is a brown wash in the background. The spider hangs head downwards - four legs down, four legs pointing upwards. The spder is golden yellow and has a square patch of white on its head and a rectangle patch of white on its body. It has six brown eyes.

“The May sunset was red in clouds, and there was still half an hour to twilight. The dry slope was dotted with rabbits – some nibbling at the thin grass near their holes, others pushing farther down to look for dandelions or perhaps a cowslip that the rest had missed. Here and there one sat upright on an ant-heap and looked about, with ears erect and nose in the wind…along the brook, all was plain to be seen, empty and quiet. The warren was at peace.” (from ‘Watership Down’ by Richard Adams)

Image description: a page from a notebook - the page is cream with faded stains and age marks upon it. Down the right-hand side are two decorative ink stamps I have put on using black ink – they are the word ‘peace’ and a clump of Bullrushes with a butterfly floating over. Written around the text and images in black ink are lists of birds and some notes - these birds and notes are listed below.

…silk, and all the babies began to fill the air like a golden cloud. I opened the door and out they flew. I dream-searched the spider on the dream-internet and discovered that it was the Golden Oat Spider, the rarest spider in the entire world, never before recorded in the UK, and I must report it to the Spider Society. I obeyed, and before I knew it, many spider specialists descended on the place with plastic shrouds, tunnels and lights (it was admittedly very similar to the scene in the move ‘E.T.’ when the alien is discovered). They told me the spider had appeared due to the acres of oats which had been sown (which is actually real-life true), and thanked me for my discovery. What a dream it was. I think my subconscious must have been dredging up much of what I have noticed since starting this diary. I must paint a picture of it while it was fresh in my mind. I don’t usually dream – but twice now, spider visions.

9.14 a.m., front. I was attracted out by a wonderful Gull-sound, and saw, way up high, the gorgeous spectre-silhouette of a Cormorant, all alone, flying like the steadiest, surest arrow east to west. I will look up their call, but I get the impression somehow that they fly without song, like swans. Two Pheasants just crash landed like catastrophes over the garden and into The Alders. I also add Song Thrush and Eurasian Blackcap to today’s community chat. I looked Cormorants up on Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s site and you can see them all year round. PHALACROCORAX CARBO. Habitats: freshwater, costal, wetlands, towns and gardens, so yes, I am sure. PHALACROCORAX CARBO SINENSIS also possible. 2 Cormorant species. Black-headed Gull calls – a flock of them are feeding in one of the north fields, where the 684 bus stops. Graylag Goose. Eurasian Jay screams and cackles.

31^st August, 6.14 a.m. Front. 13°C. A silvery-pale, grey and ice-blue sky, frosted with multi-toned, fast-moving clouds – pink, peach, lilac-grey, lemon. The clouds somehow look hot with light, as if dawn’s sun is swallowed up inside them. Bright blue as well, higher up. A fair breeze, enough to tousle The Seven. Gulls in the sky larger than Black-headed. One Eurasian Magpie perched on top of a nearby TV aerial. Always, many Common Wood Pigeons in the trees, the sky. I can hear a cockerel crowing, so I suspect that soon it will be identified as Long-eared Owl.

A bad night with bowel issues – I am left now completely weak and drained. All of my body is shivering and shaking, especially my legs. All my energy has drained completely out. A Ring-necked Pheasant is on the road outside our gate, honking and ka-ka-ing. They have some volume, that’s for sure. Between the gaps in the gate I can see his sienna plumage. There isn’t much warmth to be had this morning – my lower arms are exposed and they are quite cold. Magpies everywhere.

Image description: a page from a notebook - the page is cream with browner stains and marks upon it. At the top os the page two words are pre-printed - ‘America’ and ‘Canada’. Written in black ink are lists of birds and some notes - these birds and notes are listed below. Top middle and botton left are two black rectangles that used to contain stamps - now the top one has a thistle seed pressed inside and the bottom one a faded white, yellow and purple Snapdragon head.

One of them flew over me and took a very good look – I could see its little intelligent eyes. Eurasian Skylark, European Greenfinch, Willow Warbler, Coal Tit, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Jackdaw, Common Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Blackbird, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Eurasian Wren, 6.42 a.m., a Eurasian Kestrel has just hovered above me – tuned in an arc against the sun and its whole body underneath was illuminated as if it had been freshly gilded – what a stunning occurrence!

6.44.a.m., five Gulls flew over in a tumbling group. Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Blue Tit, Goldcrest, European Robin, Dunnock, Great Tit. Sunlight is hugging the trunks of The Seven. Western House Martins have just appeared – how quickly and cleverly they occupy the sky! The wind is trying to disorder my book but I have weighted one side with a large ball of macrame chord and the other side with my non-writing hand. Common Raven. I sneezed twice and startled the Pigeons. A Bumblebee above, twisting and turning along the invisible roads only it knows. Two Jackdaws have just flown over, heading west, but their shadows come before them and that was truly wonderful. Meadow Pipit.

The Cordyline has grown so tall – its many slender, sharply pointed fingers seem to be pressing invisible piano keys – like it is making its own symphony with the wind. Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap. I must go in but I don’t want to leave someone’s name out, especially when yesterday, I was writing a piece about the importance of names. I am glad I waited – for now Eurasian Jay and Common Buzzard are here, 6.59 a.m.

7.00 a.m., I swear I just saw two Egrets, flying over east to west. I don’t know what to think – my mind is in a whirl, my heart is thudding. They were so white, white as angels, and their wing tips were tinged with grey. They flew together so steadily, calmly, thoughtfully. Did I just see them? Or were they a waking dream? Were they actually two Gray Herons who were soaked with so much light that they had, for a moment, bleached white?

Image description: this is my watercolour painting of a bird that is a mixture of Egret and Heron. The painting is done on white textured watercolour paper and there is a blue and purple wash in the background. The bird is facing to the right and is flying, side-on. The birds head, wings, tail and underbelly are shades of blue-grey, brown-grey and white. Its eye is yellow with a black pupil and its beak is yellow and black. Long black legs stretch out behind.

8.24 a.m., back. 16°C. Sky almost cloudless, brisk wind, blue sky. Sun now too bright to look towards. In fact, it’s so bright that it’s hard to look around. I did a little research and found that Egrets are sighted in Northumberland and are not rare – Little Egrets and Great White Egrets (I think it was), so yes, I could, I really could have seen them. Perhaps they were just passing over and I won’t see them again.

Beautiful warmth sinking down to my bones. Strange that right now, it is too bright to see the colours of the landscape. Birds as earlier, though less of them. The nettles sway like worshippers overcome by the wind’s spirit. 8.43 a.m.

18.14 p.m. Back. 18°C. We’ve had some rain this afternoon, as well as hot sun. The kind of weather combination that makes the grass spring back and green up with sugars. Grey-blue sky mixed, some stunning layers of cloud. Golden long swipes of evening sun beaming along the field. Our bench is under the shadows of the hedge. I was at my friend’s farm this morning – Swallows still plentiful in Stamfordham. She hasn’t had any House Martins this year. Huge flock of Fieldfares in the top of her field rising up a few metres then back down again repeatedly.

The sky above me right now is busy with House Martins – they are flying so low above I can see their little white tummies. As they plunge and swoop, I get the same sensation in my tummy as I would on a roller coaster. My son came today, so I found a brief outlet for my unused mothering energy – I still haven’t managed to dial it down. Perhaps it never does. Beautiful Herring Gull flew over, low again, east to west, giving us the eyeball. The castle shines, its flagpole beaming. The far side of the field has become much redder. This evening has a real sense of peace about it. The House Martin’s wings are like brilliant knives. European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Common Chiffchaff…


Please consider helping me to keep on sharing my articles with you…

I have currently left my Substack free, but if anyone should feel like sending me a tip (although there is no pressure to do so) in exchange for my tips,
you can ‘buy me a coffee’ here . Or here, if you would like to make a donation.

Every little bit makes a big difference. Or please do subscribe, which you can do either as paid or free. Either will let you see my articles. Many thanks.
If you like the article you have read, please do click the like button — I’d love to know you are out there.

I must add the usual disclaimer here: I am not sponsored or paid by any of the websites I link to (I do this in an attempt to help others find information, and I may or may not agree/disagree with any/some of the content) — sharing does not immediately equal endorsment. I also hope I haven’t written anyting that might offend anyone. I try very hard to be as considerate and kind as possible.