The Peace of Wild Things

'When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.'

Wendell Berry: 'The Peace of Wild Things'

When I woke (really early) on Wednesday morning and switched on the TV to hear the news of the election in the USA, it was evident even then that 'the orange one' was pulling off a major comeback. I am gutted; terribly disappointed on so many levels, and not a little fearful of what it means, not only for America but for the whole world order. 

I decided I could either spend my day watching the endless analysis and become even more depressed, or treat myself to a trip out. So I hopped in the car and drove a few miles to Leeds, to the Rodley Nature Reserve. It was peaceful there, especially when I first arrived shortly after it opened and there were few other visitors, though the hides soon filled with other birdwatchers. It was a very still day, not cold, and at first there was a slight mistiness in the air, giving a softness that I really enjoyed. 

There were enough birds to make it interesting. I've rarely seen so many grey herons in one small area. There are four in my photo below and there were others around too. The small, sleeping ducks in the foreground are teal. 

I was able to identify gadwall, widgeon, shoveler ducks, mute swans, teal, mallards, lots of black-headed gulls, lapwing, moorhens, coots, little egrets, magpies, crows, various tits, robins, chaffinches and other small birds. There were some little grebes (dabchicks) diving merrily like small clockwork toys. There was one great white egret, an elegant bird that's beautiful to see. My biggest thrill came from spotting a water rail, a secretive wading bird that was skulking around in the margins of the reeds. I think I've only ever seen one once before. In the garden where they have seed feeders I enjoyed watching several pairs of bullfinches, again a bird that I rarely see but very lovely with a black head, grey wings with black and white markings and a bright pink breast (though the females are paler). 

Many of the leaves have fallen now, and there are few flowers left. These large white umbellifers stood out. No idea on the exact plant; they're all fairly similar to my eye. 

The teasel's spiky seedheads provide winter food for small birds like goldfinches - and were once, apparently, used in the textile trade to 'tease' or raise the nap on woollen cloth. I’ve noticed that National Trust properties often lay them on chairs that they don’t want visitors to sit on. Useful plants! 

Anyway, I enjoyed my trip out and it did, at least, stop me from doom-scrolling all day!