Touched by the world I love

I went for a walk today, through the trees, in the snow, with the temperature well below zero. It was a lot of fun seeing the woods I am so used to seeing carpeted with Bracken and shaded with leaves, naked except for a white frosty overcoat on each twig of every tree and a blanket of snow on the ground broken only by the footfalls of the tiny animals who reside in these Birch woods - Rabbit; Fox; Pheasant; Partridge; Water fowl such as Greylag Geese, Muted swans, Grebes and Coots (Moorhens); Muntjak deer and Chinese water deer.

Hello I'm a Chinese Water Deer (Click here)

And I'm a Muntjak Deer, very common, get shot a lot. (Click here)

I walked with my feet crunching through the blanket of snow which lay not too thickly on the ground. I could hear the occasional call of a far off Crow or Magpie but otherwise things were so quiet that I was aware of my own noise.

I found my favourite spot in these woods. I had brought a flask with me filled with boiling water and I carried a bag with this, some herbal teabags and some fruit. I had also brought my folding chair which compacts nicely into a slimline bag to sling over my shoulder. I sat down and made a cup of peppermint tea.

Satisfying my cold blood with the hot drink, I nestled into my chair and looked at my surroundings. Amoung the far trees there was a low fog hugging the branches but for some distance it was a clear view and the sun was breaking through. When I looked up I could see a pale blue sky through white, glistening twigs overhead.

All around me was quiet so I closed my eyes and began to meditate. I focused on the blue sky above my head and imagined that I had a direct link to the universal energy of Creation. Under foot I could feel the ground and I thought about the vibration of the Earth. Around me I could feel the cold and breath the crispy air and I absorbed the beauty of the innocence of it. The air felt clean and woods felt reverent, spiritual almost.

I heard the chipping call of a Robin then heard the fast beat of bird's wings nearby. Slowly I opened my eyes and investigated these sounds. All around me, in the trees, flitting from twig to twig was a flock of Pied Wagtails; I had never seen so many together like this and certainly not so close to me that I could have touched them. I sat very still and watched, marvelling at the perfectly innocent instincts of the birds.

I'm a Pied Wagtail (Click here)

Find out about me (Click here)

The Robins danced and I'm sure I saw a tree creeper, they were all so close to me as though I were just one of the gang. The moment lasted for about 10 minutes then as if nothing had ever happened, they were gone and I sat in silence once more.

I could scare believe the event which had taken place. Never, in all my years as a gardener or a naturalist have I ever been witness to this behaviour from birds. Now, it may just be that I was in the right place at the right time but you have to see how I was meditating while this began, focusing entirely on natural, universal, living energy which I think of as Creation.

Was this Creation's way of communicating with me, giving me a sign that he felt me and wanted me to know?

I like to believe it was but regardless of this, I shall carry the memory of this day all of my life.