The Slugs come forth

MILD, DAMP SPRING WEATHER, and the slugs begin to appear again, gliding imperceptibly along their slime trails across the towpath. It is bright with a stiff wind from the west that animates the still waters of the canal into ripples and streaks. The whole row of hawthorns is now bright green, rather than peppered with new shoots.

Oilseed Rape is highlighting the slopes with increasingly intense arcs of yellow.

Wren and Dunnock pick methodically over a plant tub on the patio.

House Sparrows are cyclical in their visits to the garden. Suddenly there's a big group, perching, chattering, on the hedge and herb bed, as if suddenly it's happy hour.

The difference in character between a sparrow and, say, a Robin is that the robin seems bright, cool and accurate in its actions, while with the sparrow I'm always more aware of a thought process in progress. You can see them weighing up the potential gain and risk of an action, such as challenging a rival on the nut feeder.

Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail;'richard@daelnet.co.uk'