12.
of Arrowhead high-pointed over the water;
and almost missed, the twin-headed powder
blue of Skullcap content to thrive more
modestly in the shade.
From Flora to Fauna: now the ballpoint
had to give way to binoculars. There were
butterflies of a couple of species, unspeci-
fied for want of a note, and three inches of
gauzy green dragonfly. Just legible is the
entry "Wasps", so wasps there must have been.
A guarded "crrr" betrayed the presence of a
Moorhen in the reeds.
I glanced at my feet and a full grown
Water Vole moved at blurred speed to cover.
It would appear that the creature might have
been as interested in observing me as a
species, as I was in all the others excluding
Homo Sapiens, for, a minute later from a
different stance I glanced down a second time.
The Vole was in the open again, and only
disturbed when my eyes were actually upon it,
but its speed was such that I still was not
sure what I had seen. To be accurate, I
booked it as a Vole because it had not the
tail of a Rat.
Observation of nature is correctly
regarded as a pursuit for relaxation, yet
there I was observing all I could under
pressure. It could fairly be said that I
was in a bit of a whirl. In truth, on this
occasion the phrase took on an unusually
literal reality. The surface of the pool
and the vault of air above it was in a whirl -
I suddenly felt tempted by my sub-conscious
to substitute hirondelle for whirl - yes,
the air was in an hirondelle of bird flight.
The word will serve the occasion, even while
admitting that Swallows may have been absent.