From my lockdown window – 25th April 2020

I set my alarm early today for a planned visit to Gloucester Park. However, the day dawned grey so I deferred that visit and stayed at home until early afternoon when the sun finally appeared and prompted me to take a walk up to St. Nicholas Church instead.

However, being up so early allowed me to listen to a singing male Blackbird from 4:45 a.m. which was joined by a Song Thrush at 5:45 a.m. 

I again saw a Sparrowhawk for the 6th consecutive day from my lockdown window. I saw it at 19:20 endeavouring to soar on what ever was left of the thermals produced by the sun that eventually appeared around midday. However, it was being persistently mobbed by a Carrion Crow before flying off.

I recorded the following species today (heard only records in italics):

Blue Tit
Robin
Dunnock
Wren
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Goldfinch
Sparrowhawk
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Since beginning to write this blog in mid-March, Venus has shone brightly in the western evening sky on most nights. Venus is, on average, 25 million miles from the Earth and it is estimated to be 4.6 billion years old.

That puts in to some perspective how infinitesimally small humanity is in terms of both scale and our time on our own “Pale Blue Dot”. 



“There is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves”.

The last 4 months, since the first deaths from COVID-19, pales into total insignificance and irrelevance.

Yet, at the same time, tackling and eliminating COVID-19 is hugely significant for the future health and existence of our species.

I would like to personally survive this (no surprise there). I hope that the human race survives this to emerge in what could become a better place and with a global community that is prepared to work cooperatively and constructively to tackle other shared threats to humanity, not least the existential threat of the climate emergency and biodiversity extinction.

In recent days, Venus has been seen in close proximity to the waxing crescent Moon.

Beautiful night skies to contemplate.

Photo: Venus from lockdown window

Photo: waxing crescent Moon from lockdown window

💚🦆 🦉 🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature