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A Calendar of Haiku - April
Sunshine streams through the bedroom window; curtains blow gently in the morning air and dust motes caught for a moment - shine like tiny golden stars.
”There's the cuckoo! … Everyone looked up and listened as the notes came indoors from the copse by the garden. His voice travels that little distance with ease, and can be heard in every room.” ...
sunshine ... filling every room, the cuckoo’s call
The Hills and the Vale 1909 - Richard Jefferies
Listen out for them from around the 14th April. Sadly, I haven’t heard a cuckoo here for a good few years now.
The photo was taken one early morning last April, looking straight into the sun through a dusty, rain spattered, bedroom window.
The recording in this post is used here under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. This and many more can be found at the excellent resource - Xeno-Canto
Next month - ‘Sedge Warbler Sing’
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Thanks, Clive. Lovely! Hope you’re OK in these Dark Times. At least the haiku keep on coming – they serve to sustain the present moment and all the moments from the past.
We’re keeping well thanks Colin – you and yours too I hope.
I’ve got a years worth of haiku – but I’m running out of pics!
Sunshine and a warm but blustery South Westerly has seen the Raven – two pairs – playing in the wind above the hill fort.
The garden Poplar are well out into leaf, and the slightly incongruous large black buds of Ash on the trees in the lane are about to burst. The white flowers of blackthorn are patchy this year – I think the leaves will be out before many have flowered. And the banks of the lanes are a profusion of golden yellow dandelion.
The Magpie are definitely nesting in the Ivy growing through a fork in the Poplar nearest the house.
Hello Clive! Just checking to see if I can comment now. I enjoy your haikus very much – and the cuckoo’s call! How nice that you know the Quantocks and the Mendips. I grew up by the Quantocks and my mother now lives near Nether Stowey – where I heard three cuckoos in three combes a year ago. A wonderful place and I know it well. Thank you for the beautiful collection of treasures on your blog, including Richard Jefferies
So glad that you are able to comment again Jane. Hearing the Cuckoo calling in the combes must have been quite something. I have fond childhood memories of holidaying in and around the Quantocks although only learnt later in life of its connection with Wordsworth, Coleridge and Edward Thomas.
I love this little verse
Thank you Ashley – glad to have you back.
In this one it could have been the sunshine or the cuckoo’s call, or both that filled the room.
Here’s a slightly different version written as a one-line haiku
sunrise … the cuckoo’s call fills the room
Here we are enjoying both the beauty of an April sunrise and the cuckoo’s call at the same time – the call of the cuckoo full of sunshine itself
Another warm sunny and cloudless day after a cold almost frosty start. Among the many Goldfinch on the feeders a single male Siskin dropped by briefly – only the second sighting this Spring.
yellowhammer singing very sweetly, and brimstone and peacock butterflies. Such a beautiful spring in a London garden! Clear skies, slowing down and creative works indoors. No walls with inner freedom.
Oh how lovely Jane. I miss them so …
evensong … yellowhammer sing a sweet refrain
We’ve yet to see many butterflies – a single tortishell today on the dandelions in a sunny corner – the first for the year.
No walls here either!
Another bright sunny but fresh morning with a blustery east wind.
Among the Goldfinch on the feeders a pair of Siskin. It does begin to suggest that they are not winter visitors but come here to nest.
First Chiffchaff of the year singing from a streamside copse around the back lanes
The run of hot sunny days continues – I think it’s the hottest so far. Only a gentle breeze to ruffle the feathers today.
First Willow Warbler of the year singing down by the river.
A few butterfly about – Orange Tip, Small White and the odd Tortoishell!
It is a very beautiful spring.
Isn’t it great, Jane. As I was hanging out the washing this morning, something caused me to look up. And there very high up in a perfect blue and cloudless sky was a single Buzzard – just cruising effortlessly right across the sky – no wingbeats – silent flight. Absolutely stunningly beautiful! A rare moment.
The arrival of spring/summer migrants continues to make its way to our corner of North Wales – the first Swallow today.
At least 3 Siskin on the feeders this morning. Very petite – smaller than our Goldfinch. Think 2 males – but all a bit flighty.