Even then he limits himself to a look outside before returning to the comfort of his bed. As I set off the sky is brightening and a blackbird has begun to sing. To the west a full moon is slipping behind the trees. A hedgehog ambles along the pavement on its way home.
A dozen of us, members of the Cardiff Local Group of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, the Friends of Nant Fawr Community Woodlands, and Cardiff Naturalists, meet by the Wild Gardens, at the top of Roath Park Lake in Cardiff. Bats flit above the trees. Along the path by the lake, normally busy with people returning from work, families taking the air, and children on bikes practising newly learned skills, a fox strides home. He stops, stands motionless, ears twitching, staring at us. We are intruders into what at this time of day is his domain. He decides that we are not a danger and he trots on into the woods.
We walk up through the Wild Gardens, the air thick with scent of wild garlic. Low-slanted sunlight backlights the hazel leaves, illuminating their translucent freshness. We pause to listen to a goldcrest. Two crows chatter, a blackbird’s song weaves through the trees. Our walk is punctuated by the explosive call of wrens. Along the path, that on weekdays will be busy with children ambling to school, we hear the cliff-chaff call it’s name. We amble along the Nant Fawr stream, clear and energetic after yesterday rain. As it tumbles over the pebbles, light is scattered around us.
This has been an opportunity to deepen our knowledge. We pause to learn about the recently laid tunnel put up to monitor dormice. With the help of the more experienced amongst us we practice identifying birds by their call. In total we identify 24 species of birds, including a treecreeper and blackcaps.
It is however the song thrush that epitomises the morning. We stand in awe in the presence of this prompter of poetry. It’s bathed in the gentle light of this spring day. It looks up to the sky and across the canopy. It is singing, not to us but to the morning. The complexity, the individuality of the song, the enchantment of the melody leaves us in respectful silence.
As we wander back through the woods we talk about the birds and wildlife that we have been privileged to see. We have shared the benefits of being immersed in nature, in this normally busy urban space, for a couple of hours, on this iridescent morning.
Today we have been able to lose ourselves in wonder, Our commitment to play our part, together, in restoring nature is reaffirmed. When I return home the dog is up and about. I’m so glad that I didn’t choose his option and stay in bed.
Rob Pickford
Chair Cardiff Local Group WTSWW.
