near and far

A surprise of snowdrops at the top today. Rook sounds like a paper jam, other birds pink and churr. We meet our friend the International Labour writer, sit on a bench above the spreading city and talk of Venezuala, Chile, Cape Town, Sao Paulo. A chummy stripy dog, like a badger on holiday, plays tig with Minnie.

birding it

Dogless, a walk to shake the winter blues. The volunteers are having a lunchtime smoke in the walled garden. Two upwardly mobile great tits check out the deceptively spacious charms of a tree hole. Static of starlings in the scribble of branches.

a new year

Minnie runs among the Vodka bottles, lager cans, fag packets, sticks from sky rockets spread over the hill in the sober morning. Last night the park will have been a vantage point for the theatre of the big city sky. Birds, encouraged by the mild weather, sing with just a hint of spring in their voices.