All creatures great and small

"He prayeth best, who loveth best
All creatures great and small."

Many thanks to Marcia who reminded me of these lines near the end of the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". There is certainly something spiritual, if not supernatural, about connecting with the wildlife who live around the house I live in. The skinks (Egernia cunninghamia) are in Fred's rock wall or close by. Some years ago I spent many hours with them, especially with the first adult male who had made tracks over the paddock to come onto the house site after building was finished. The rock had been blasted and the wall begun. A slight tip on his tail had him easily recognised, and we got close. I observed things like the gatherings that happened as birthing was to take place. Since those days (20 years ago?) their fortunes have waxed and waned. We are not always here; I misread the signs of dryness and heat, thinking that this year the garden is growing well after good spring rains. But last year's youngsters are very rarely seen, if indeed those very few sightings are not simply me hallucinating! It is still dry. It has certainly been hot. (The hottest January on record and 4degrees hotter than average.) The animals around us know it. In the heat I do not go out and sit with those who live here on the outside. I miss the stillness and that attitude of prayer that was perhaps in Coleridge's mind as he wrote these lines. Talking and singing with the magpies is the closest relationship, but rather "busy" as well as I sort out sunflower seeds for Caruso, and currants for "Aunty" (the mother) and then disappear quietly inside so that the male can come and take some of the food.

But watching the small birds is a delight and a wonder. Wrens fluffing up in the bird bath and spraying water everywhere. Again, we have not seen as much of their youngsters this year. A clear sign perhaps that this has been an extremely dry January here, and the world is suffering. Even insects seem to be scarce. A couple of weeks ago we were watching the Banjo frog (Limnodynastes interioris) despatching a couple of ants and a beetle and trying to catch a spider at the back door. This week there are very few moths, or anything, attracted to the light at the door. I must cultivate a deeper prayerfulness and attention in these times of loving connection to the denizens of yulungaburra!

"He prayeth best, who loveth best
All creatures great and small."