The field below Tewit Cote
The garden with leaves fallen

And Hermes who I brought out to enjoy the autumn sunshine.
All posted from Nairobi on January 1st 2009.


This year we have had every kind of babies: baby ducks, rabbits, blackbirds, wagtails, bluetits, chaffinches, tree creepers, pheasants, the sparrow hawk and now a baby wren.
Wren's are already tiny birds, but this baby is very tiny - little bigger than my thumb.
He came into the house, then flitted to every corner to hide.
Eventually, I managed to catch him in a napkin in the fire place.
I held him carefully and took him outside.
As soon as I opened my hands he flew off into the field.
Lovely.

I was so happy to see this beautiful sparrow hawk chick come to sit outside my window.
The mother came back to feed the chick and they cried out to oneanother.
I was so sorry a few days later to find the lifeless chick in the field above the house.
Every feather was so perfect and so new.
Seems so sad. All the care and feeding that has gone into growing this beautiful creature.
The next day on my run, I watched as the mother searched the fields, crying out for her chick and listening for a reply.
I hope she tries again next year. It was a priviledge to have the company of the chick even if briefly.
Reminds me how precious and fragile life is.
I'm very happy to see frogs of all ages. The lawn is full of this years hatchlings who are tiny, but perfectly formed.
This one must be one two years old I guess.



Here she is in the evening sun light of July 20th.
And here she is last December:
http://tewitcote.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html
Grass in flower.
Wild mint, lillies and bullrushes.
Bullocks coming to see what is happening...