I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for being here. There are SO many Substacks you could sign up for, and I don’t take the fact you’ve invited me into your inbox for granted. Writing a newsletter can sometimes feel like shouting into a void. I know there are hundreds of you here, but it’s usually the same handful of people who leave a comment or reply to my emails to tell me about the things they’ve been noticing or connecting with in nature. I know this doesn’t mean the things I’m sharing aren’t necessarily having an impact, but I want to make sure that this space is serving you. I want this to be an email you look forward to opening and to share things that genuinely interest you, or that you find useful.
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Thank you! Here’s to a nature-filled 2024!
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Notice in Nature
My noticing prompt for you this week is simply to notice one bird, then stand still and watch it go about its business for at least a minute or two. Really watch it and see how it behaves. Maybe it’s a pigeon on your neighbours’ roof, or a gull picking through a bin, maybe it’s a wren hopping from tree to tree, or a nuthatch performing acrobatics. Maybe you can’t identify it at all, but noticing it led you to notice something about the tree it was in, or prompted a conversation with a stranger. Let me know what you find!
It was my birthday this week and I was presented with a lovely moment along the river near my house when I suddenly noticed a goldcrest hopping about in the trees. They’re one of my favourite birds but I’ve never seen one so close to home. What a treat! As usual, I’d forgotten my binoculars, so as I stood there squinting, trying to make sure I’d identified the goldcrest correctly, I was also treated to a show by a flock of long-tailed tits too, always a joy to watch. You never know what stopping to notice will lead you to.
Aww thank you for sharing my guest piece again, Zabby!
And, once again, we're sharing experiences as I was also watching a goldcrest in our garden the other day (through my bins, obvs). I think it was also the first time I'd consciously seen one.