Briony's January Journal ~ The Art of Noticing
From a wellbeing perspective, there is such value in simply noticing and being present. With that in mind, I have taken a few minutes each day to stop doing and simply listen to what the land is telling me.
[Main picture: Common reed bunting, an amber list species, photograph by Stephen Pullen]
1st January –
A clattering of jackdaws flood the skies heading South East to roost. A falcon perches on the trees in which the treehouses are nestled. Greylag geese make themselves at home on the scrapes. A landscape teeming with life – hopefully a model for 2025.
Greylag geese 6th January –
An inquisitive robin potters outside the office window, defending his territory whilst keeping his eye out for louse, earthworms and anything else he can get his beak on. Water sits on the land, reflecting the sky. Wetland birds enjoy the expansion of habitat.
7th January –
All seems quiet on the land yet the hedgerows are alive with pied wagtails, collectively hopping from twig to twig. One can see the hot breath of the longhorn cattle in the distance as the temperature begins to drop.
8th January –
Elmore is transformed into a frozen wilderness. The wet landscape is transformed into one which crunches underfoot. A heron lands in a distant field, almost prehistoric looking in its flight.
9th January –
The swim lake freezes over – a hole hastily cut for swimmers to dip into. Hoar frost appears on the teasels in the hedgerow and we take a minute to admire nature’s artistry. A plucky pheasant still forages in the adjacent field, despite the cold.
10th January –
A bold, red sky greets the day. Supposedly a warning, but of what? Even thicker ice sits atop the lake and reflects the sky like a Turner painting. If one sits quietly, a flash of blue appears as the resident kingfisher takes advantage of the ice hole to find himself some breakfast.
11th January –
A buzzard perches on a bare tree, surveying the Narnia-esque landscape for any small mammals not deterred by the cold. Jackdaws cackle in adjacent trees as though sharing a joke to one another. Despite the cold, the sense of aliveness just below the ground is palpable, if one stops to listen.
17th January –
The catch of cold in the air has gone, leaving it it’s wake the gentle promise of warmer, lighter days to come. The distinctive call of geese can be heard as they fly around the bend in the river.
20th January –
Pheasants aplenty, and a Reeve’s muntjack bounds around the scrape in front of the treehouses. The drumming of a woodpecker can be heard from the woods, and the prints of an otter are clearly seen nestled amongst the tree roots in a ditch.
24th January –
The storm that has wreaked havoc on the rest of the country gives Elmore a more gentle greeting, yet still creates texture on the surface of the Groundless Pool, making the reeds dance in a synchronised dance. The usual chorus of birds is quiet, hiding from the wind, perhaps.
25th January –
For the first time in months one can feel the warmth from the sun as it burnishes the land in gold, signalling the first tentative tendrils of Spring. The smell of woodsmoke from the sauna is nostalgic and comforting against the crispness of the water, a reminder that it is still very much January. Three Canada geese chat to themselves as they fly Northbound along the Severn, a fourth lagging behind and honking as if to say “hey guys, wait up!”
27th January -
On viewing from the treehouse, one can see the wetland encroaching out onto the fields. Our two resident swans stand out pure white against the moody muted January hues. A roe deer grazes elegantly on the dry patch of land amongst the wet.
by Briony Cobb, Nature Ecology and Wellness Guardian at Elmore Court
