All Day Ebb and Flow

On a fine but decidedly chilly spring day, Algy perched on a mass of slimy seaweed, watching the tide come in. He was intrigued by the increasing flow of clear water through a sandy channel between the rocks. With each tiny wave the ripples advanced a little further and the drying seaweed got a wee bit wetter and more colourful again. Algy knew that in a few moments more he would have to hop into the air, if he didn’t want his legs and tail feathers drenched with salty water, and he wondered just how long he could wait… He was reminded of a haiku by Buson:

The spring sea
all day ebb and flow
ebb and flow

Algy wishes you all a beautiful, calm and peaceful weekend xoxo

[Algy is quoting a translation of a haiku by the 18th century Japanese master Yosa Buson.]

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Back to the Beach :)

The weather had been unpleasantly wintry in the latter part of April: temperatures had dropped to near freezing, bitter northerly gales had brought frequent showers of sleet and snow, and all the creatures of the west Highlands, Algy included, had taken cover and tried to keep warm as best they could.

But as the month drew to a close, the weather began to change, albeit very slowly, and on Wednesday the wind dropped and the world was filled with light. Although it was still very cold, Algy stretched himself out on the sand in front of the sparkling sea, and marvelled at the beautiful colours it could display when it had a mind to… He was surprised to find a substantial scattering of sea shells on this stretch of the beach, where they only rarely appeared, and wondered how so many could have got there so quickly.

When the gales moved away to visit Algy’s friend @funnyful in Sweden, the wind started to swing round and the weather began to change. Before long the world was full of colour again, and as Algy relaxed on the hard, storm-hammered sand, he could detect fresh new autumn scents and tastes in the air, mingled with the usual sea salt…

Algy leaned back on the rock and watched the waves swirling all around him, pulling the sand and the seaweed backwards and forwards with a delightful, gurgling, swishing sound. He wondered how long it would take for one of the waves to splash his feet… It was a pleasant game to play on an idle Sunday afternoon 🙂

After another dismally grey day, the sun came out once more, and Algy flew down to the sea. Although Algy is certainly not a sea bird, nor indeed a water bird of any kind, there is nothing he enjoys more than perching on a rock by the edge of the ocean, listening to all the sounds it makes, and relaxing as he watches the waves roll in…

Algy hopes you will all have a happy and peaceful weekend, and will be able to perch somewhere pleasant and relax 🙂

There are few things a fluffy bird enjoys more in fine weather than perching on a rock very close to the ocean, just watching the water swirl around and about, and listening to the gurgling, glugging sounds that it makes.

Algy knew that autumn was on its way: the days were growing shorter very noticeably now, and there was a familiar but indescribable feel to the air which told him that the summer visitors would soon be heading south… But for the moment the swallows were still swooping low over the sea, and although the sun was not managing to climb so high in the sky, the colours were still those of late summer. So Algy leaned back on his rock and let the cool wind sweep through his feathers, trying not to think about the long, dark winter ahead…

It was a beautiful late summer’s afternoon, so Algy flew out onto the rocks in the middle of the Bay of the Sand Islands, found himself a rather knobbly perch, and leaned back happily on the warm stone. The chilly north-westerly wind was admittedly brisk – in fact, it made his hair feathers stand on end – but the sunshine was exceedingly welcome, and the air was fresh and invigorating.

As Algy gazed at the gorgeous colours of the sea and listened to the sounds of the water as it swirled around the rocks, he felt exactly as though he was on holiday, like the many summer visitors to the area… and then realised that actually this was his home! He wondered whether the summer visitors had any idea what the Bay was like during the endless cold, wet and windswept days of the dark half of the year – but then decided to think about something else. Just now the Bay was bright and beautiful – and even comfortably warm in the sheltered spots – and although winter was not far off, it was not here just yet!