Early stroll. Morning sunlight embracing the trees. A vase of flowers illuminates a windowsill. The man who waits at that bus stop is waiting at another bus stop. That smudge used to be a puddle. Maybe someone is waving at me from that passing plane.

A stroll in ancient woodland today near Kenilworth whilst visiting family and the grandchildren. The woodland full of vibrant greens, speckled wood butterflies, foxgloves and rhododendrons with a soundtrack of blackbirds in full song.

#roadside #growth in the #sunkissed #mountains of #andalusia for this weeks #BlueSkyArtShow... #spain #grass #wildflowers #ECK #eastcoastkin #photograhersofbluesky #nature #wildlife

A blizzard of fluffy white willow and poplar seeds at The Meadows by the River Dee in Chester yesterday.

Early stroll. The sun’s huge confidence. That fallen feather has taken its last flight. I welcome a breeze’s breath. A woman in a bright red top stands under a bright green tree. Two wagtails outside the bread shop.

A thoughtful sort of day ahead. I must finally begin sorting through Mrs Emerson’s school things in her study - lesson planners, folders, little pencilled notes in the margins. Afterwards, I think perhaps a walk by the sea may be required, just to let the heart catch up.

Early stroll. I find a 5p piece on the floor; that’s almost a week of good luck. A watering can waits in a garden to begin its day. A squirrel runs past a bus stop. Vague memory of a bench where no bench is now. That tree is almost overcrowded with leaves.

The sort of Saturday sunshine that makes even a modest balcony feel like a small Mediterranean principality for at least an afternoon. 🍋🍹🌷

A favourite spot by the River Suir, Kilsheelan, South Tipperary. An outdoor writing table surrounded by greenery, birdsong and the gentle burble of the river.

Get your castanets ready. It’s Friday, the sun is making a rare appearance, and half term stretches ahead like a shawl flung dramatically across a Spanish balcony. Even Raffi seems poised to flamenco. 🌹

#MorningObservations Warm.Heat building.Swallows, Swifts & Martins sweep swoop & screech.The town clock chimes.A #cats curiosity is captured by a cowering cornered critter.A baby, a #coffee pot & pastries are passed around an alfresco #breakfast table.Springs multi coloured fanfare continues #ECK

Last early river stroll for awhile. A damp mist over the hillside, breaking clouds give glimpses of blue. Cow parsley shivers in the breeze. That snail will never be homeless. Two herons in stately flypast as swifts perform aerobatics over the river. Poppies bright splashes in the old churchyard.

No early stroll tomorrow because I’m off to Media City UK to prepare our Verb special from the Hay Festival. We’ll be recording our show there on Friday afternoon. See you there!

Late afternoon stroll. The river is liquid light glittering in strong sunlight. The driftwood from winter’s floods still piled up around the bridge pillar. Cow parsley waves in the evening breeze. A great tit has found a hollow in a trunk perfect for a nest. A swan’s neck rises above distant reeds.

#MorningObservations Warm. Hazy. A cheerful 'buenos dias' greets me as i step from my door. A toddler makes an ill judged dash for #freedom. Wild blue iris scatter the #mountains like Springs #farewell tears. An old white #horse searches for shade in shortening shadows... #ECK #morningrun #words

No early river stroll this morning. Just time for quiet reflection by the river.

Early stroll. A cat hurdles a low wall. A spillage of clouds has blocked one lane of the sky. Me and the bloke in the bus shelter raise thumbs to each other. A crow’s monologue. The trees are wearing their late spring collection.

Stunning evening skies over the River Suir this evening as the rain eased and the clouds cleared.

Late evening stroll. After rain the sky cleared, low sunlight painted a rainbow over the house. Down by the river the clouds were tinted orange as the sun set. A thin crescent moon appeared in the blue sky, full of soaring swooping swifts joining the melee of swallows and house martins.

Wonderful range of colours in these Japanese Maples

Early stroll. Rain’s soft greeting. A motorbike in deep discussion with silence. A tiny leaf in a tiny puddle. Yesterday’s pattern of pebbles is still on the pavement. That pack of slates: a roof-in-waiting.

Early river stroll. The land vivid green after rain, the river has risen Swift moving low clouds bear a mist of rain. Trees are bathed in sudden sunlight. Fish leap after flies the swallows have missed. An egret wears bright yellow bedsocks. A lone poppy stands sentinel in the old church yard.

Early stroll. The sun seems to balance on a tree. Mist by the river can’t decide what to wear. The seats of that empty bus like pews in a deconsecrated church. The man in the bus shelter wishes me a great day. The Running Woman running.

Early river stroll. A stately oak glows with green light. Words on the 9km marker stone are profound. The river has been to a wedding, the surface covered with confetti of blossom petals. An egret watches a heron. Reed beds glow in low sunlight. Song thrush and sedge warbler hold a singing contest.

In the garden today. A bumblebee departs from a columbine flower, wisteria glows in the evening sunlight. White wisteria tumbles down an old tree and iris are vivid in the shade of a Japanese maple.

Yesterday’s evening river stroll. The setting sun colours the sky with shades of peach and orange. Swallows and house martins soar joyously through the air twisting and turning, an air traffic controller’s nightmare.

Early stroll. A long thin cloud like a monobrow. A pigeon escapes a tree’s clutches. Five pebbles in the shape of a five on a dice. A dropped piece of paper could be a giant’s tooth from a distance. An ancient bearded man stands on a street corner.

Early river stroll. Wagtails strut on the path. Pale sun strengthens as the clouds break, willow leaves silvery in the light. Cuckoo flowers nod by the bridge. Blackcaps in full song. Jackdaws peer from bridge nesting holes. Hawthorns wear bridal veils of white as the heron watches the river.

Just now, evening on the River Suir, South Tipperary. A glowing sky filled with colour at the end of the day.

Afternoon stroll, sky clear after rain. Bright yellow buttercups on the river bank and tall yellow flag flowers contrast against the blue of sky and water. Swallows swoop low hoovering up insects. At the bend in the river the water reflects the sky. Daisies flourish from cracks in the old bridge.

Early river stroll. Wrens, blackcaps and chaffinches sing in the morning air. Rain drops dapple the river’s surface, lower than it has been all year. Swallows harvest mud from the bank lined with vivid yellow buttercups. May’s abundance of greens, cow parsley and hawthorn fills the woodland.

Blooming beautifully. Small patch of wildflowers in the grounds of St. Nicholas Church, Blundellsands.

The laburnum in the park is looking good this weekend.

The baby spiders in our hedge are starting to grow!

#MorningObservations Mild. Patchy cloud & sun dappled hillsides. Flower crosses adorn pueblo balconies. A cat tiptoes across the plaza. Spilled earth tumbles from a broken flowerpot. The spirit lifting song of a nightingale. The #soft low lit magic of the morning... #BlueSkyArtShow #ECK #sunrise

Here’s a poem called ‘Life of a Naturalist’.

Hello—The Book of Birds by me & the artist Jackie Morris is published…today A re-imagining of the field guide/bird book for our age of wonder & loss, from Avocet to Yellowhammer. Jackie has painted over 300 original artworks for it; I’ve tried to let language soar, glide & plunge. For the birds!

I like this message.

Stuff of nightmares. Spotted in the garden today. An ant desperately tries to escape being trapped in a web which is home to hundreds of baby spiders.

Please vote tomorrow.

Here’s one for you @imcmillan.bsky.social

Mary’s Poet’s Corner evenings are always well attended and much better than those written about here.

Who wouldn’t choose this? I’ve eight shades of autumn in skeins on the table beside them are five shades of sky, a river shimmers below in the basket with all that I need to make fire. 'The Gleaning' Fay Musselwhite A new collection Out now from Longbarrow Press longbarrowpress.com/2026/04/30/t...

Listen. Can you hear it? That's the sound of masses of insect pollinators, feasting on the blossoms of a wild apple tree in the sunshine, amid naturally regenerating native rainforest. Rewilding's soundtrack.

Afternoon stroll, Little Crosby. Hawthorn blossom in the hedges, a harlequin ladybird strolls across the cow parsley. Small tortoiseshell butterflies dance in the air then rest on brambles. Woods full of bluebells and red campion but worryingly silent, no birdsong to be heard.

Yesterday afternoon. Only the iron men are solid shapes in all the softness of light and air, the sky above Crosby beach was all layered shades of grey, the distant wind farm almost lost in the greyness. #IronMenCrosby

The #sun through the #pines on my #morningrun creating #shadowplay on the #road for the #BlueSkyArtShow... #ECK #eastcoastkin #axarquia #malaga #España

We've heard many fine poets in Ainsdale, Southport, at our monthly evenings - this lot was no exception, (l-r) Saint Vespaluus aka Stephen Porter, Ruth Aylett, Cath Holland & Lania Knight - a fantastic end to the season. We'll be back in October Thanks to @rondavies.bsky.social for his photography.

A fine afterglow colours the evening sky after a clear blue sky and warm summer like day at Crosby beach for the last day of April. #IronMenCrosby

Early stroll around Herbert Park, Dublin. Willow trees sway in the breeze, pink blossom petals flutter down like confetti. A grey squirrel noses the undergrowth for nuts. A hopeful male pigeon struts and pirouettes in courtship. A grey heron glides from tall tree to tall tree.