Hello world, and welcome to a surprise first instalment of Morwin's nature watch, thanks to the great randomness of life interrupting my writing schedule.
Animals do have a way of bumping into me. They like me, I think, and I like them - I often think that they accept me as one of them . Or maybe they just take one look at me and think "...meh, he's just a harmless hippy anyway, who cares". Sometimes I imagine they even think that I should tidy myself up a bit - I'm giving animals a scruffy reputation whilst out in the wilds.
Anyway, meeting our world's delightful creatures face-to-face is always a great experience, sometimes scarier than others, sometimes more irritating or painful than others, but always delightful in some way, and always impressive.
Today's gift from nature was meeting a sparrowhawk, in a kitchen in Kent, Southern England.
I've been watching mother sparrowhawk circle in the sky for months, and recently I heard a more wobbly-voiced call in the air - baby sparrowhawk was out of the nest, and joining her in flight.
It looked to be going really well, but we all push our luck. I think, this once, the clever sparrow got away and the hawk overshot into the kitchen.
Getting a hawk out of your kitchen isn't easy. The poor kid was tired and edgy, hiding, breathless, behind the houseplants after trying endlessly to fly through the glass window.
But, as I tried to help, there was always a suspicious eye staring at me, and a sharp open beak warning me to stay away.
Then, just like that, the kid figured it out - as quick as a flash, it took one great swoop into the room, back overhead, and out of the door to freedom. Great to see such an impressive bird, and to watch it fly free without my face being clawed at.
Thanks again nature; great start to the day.
....and sorry for the chilli plant little hawk, I hope you found some soothing yoghurt to sit in in another kitchen.