I followed them. Not hiding or stalking, just dipping in and out of their path on soft feet. They led me to a clearing, and we sat together, maybe my owl hat blurring the line between human and animal just enough that I was welcome. Wings whirred around my head as a foraging flock passed through. A jay hopped among the branches, and squirrels woke and stretched above. They dozed in the puddle of sun, and I felt I could lay down there with them, accepted as just another thing-of-the-woods. Not much feels as good as the undeserved trust of a wild thing.

I cam across these snails on the pavement one morning after it rained. I just had to relocate them so they didn’t get run over! Photo: Jenny Crane

The buzz of her wings made a tiny, soft gust against my skin. My camera was close and she wanted to check me out. I felt a quick, reflexive pulse of fear, but held still, letting her explore my fingers and lens. She paused, washed her face EXACTLY as a cat would- licking her feet then drawing them over her eyes, head and antenna. Then she returned to the scrap of meat- a crumb fallen from a sandwich- and began to chew off a morsel. I was close enough to see her strong little jaws working to bit off a portion, the fuzz of hair, the micro joints in each leg flexing as she pulled it away, then flew away, shakily, as if slightly too heavily laden in the effort to provide. Small, but determined.

She spotted me; oscillating ears snapped to the front, head raised, feet twitching, sniffing the cool morning air, straining for clues to my identity. I kept motionless as we sized each other up, a game of chicken; who would flinch first? She did, though not from fear. This was a suburban fox who gave no regard for a nosy human, and she had sensed something far more interesting on the path ahead. She took a few steps forward, sniffing the ground, then seized upon some nugget of yumminess, (I didn’t see what) before dashing into the bushes with her prize.

Blue skies with cool breeze

Waves caress the hot shingle

Summer on soft wings

I almost walked into this golden-ringed dragonfly perched in the grass while she ate her catch. I was very close, to the point where I could hear her mandibles chomping away on some unfortunate fly , and was blown away by the size and colours of this beauty

It’s just a duck.

Just brown.

No big deal.

Except…

Maybe…

It’s tones and shades.

and whorls and swirls.

some green, some blue.

More than just brown.

She’s beautiful.

Since the gyms were closed, I’ve been doing more exercise outside. One morning, I couldn’t sleep so I went for a run in a local field. It was very peaceful, and I stumbled across this little rabbit having an early breakfast. Running outside makes me feel doubly energised, and I enjoy it far more than the treadmills.

Well, they’re just cute aren’t they.

I was trying to write an essay, (unsuccesfully) when I kept hearing some noise outside my window. Eventually I went to look, and was delighted to see this bird with two noisy babies! I found out they were sparrows, and now whenever I’m tired of writing I take a break to watch them and the other birds in the garden.

I was waiting to cross the road and happened to look down, where I saw a tiny weed with a delicate pink flower growing out of a crack in the pavement. I was so small, yet so powerful, pushing its way through the concrete- I often think of that little weed when studying gets on top of me.

I was taking a short cut down Queen’s Lane, when I felt eyes on me. I looked up, and spotted all these beautiful carved animals on the building! Now, I look up all over the city, and am always seeing interesting gargolyes and sculptures.