Magical Morning

 Saturday 7th January 2012.

Nearly missed my sunset photo this morning. Not that I woke up late, just dawdling down to the spot where I take my photos from, raising my binoculars once too often. It's so warm the great tits and collared doves have started singing their springtime songs.

Sometimes you get two sunrises as a thin line of cloud often hugs the horizon. The second can be more dramatic as the sun tips its head above the cloud.

This is not unusual enough to justify the title of this post though.

That honour goes to the magical Merlin which cut through the morning air and scythed its way across the meadow. These diminutive falcons are masters of flight, capable of amazing speed and agility, performing astonishing acrobatics and twists and turns in pursuit of their unlucky prey. As it crossed the field towards the meridian obelisk (it's in that clump of 3 tall trees you can see in the top left picture) flocks of finches, starlings and woodpigeons split apart in blind panic and scattered like exploding fireworks. This is only the second merlin I've seen here. If it stays, it'll only be for the winter as it breeds in more northern climes. The local meadow pipits, which did not show themselves this morning, would probably rather it moves on before then!

After that exciting start to the day, I set to work planting trees. I finished putting in the edible hedge, then a greengage to replace the one tree I Iost last year (still clinging on to the hope that it comes back). Next, a line of poplars, then ten small-leaved limes and ten sweet chestnuts. These multipurpose trees are scattered around the veg plot, the forest garden and the orchard. Some I shall coppice to make harvesting easier and to produce poles. Others can grow to their full size and grandeur.

I made slower progress than I planned today, and when darkness halted my outdoor work for the day, I was fast asleep within 20 minutes! I woke up mildly aching, but in a good way. Anyone who's done a day's hard physical work in the open air will know the feeling I mean.

Tomorrow, the birches, dogwoods, willows and the evergreens. That's the aim. If it doesn't quite work out, there's always another day... Except I found out today that the next 400 trees will be arriving on 19th of this month!!