The Collin bit made me laugh, partly because the best bird guide out there is the famous black Collins bird guide!
Bitterns are wonderful creatures; I once walked into a hide at Minsmere where there was a Bittern walking in the open right in front of the hide. To say I was delighted is an understatement.
My most surreal bittern moment (all bittern moments are surreal moments) was when I was doing a very extremely long charity walk round the Isle of Wight, I’d been going for something like 19 hours and I’d had hiccups for about the last three, it was three in the morning and I was a bit delirious. So when I heard the booming of a bittern over the reeds at Bembridge Harbour I dismissed it as a figment of my walk-addled brain. But then it boomed again, a bit louder, and then again, like it was saying ‘yes, it really is me, LISTEN’. So I stopped and listened and it kept me going for the next couple of hours.
19 hours of walking is impressive/insane. I'm glad a bittern saw fit to reward you for your hard work though. Something I left out (for the sake of brevity, haha) was that walking between two hides before seeing the bittern we heard a cow mooing and got very exciting for a moment thinking we were hearing a bittern boom.
Have you seen there is one at the London Wetland Centre at the moment?
The cow/bittern thing is excellent and reminds me of the time I heard a corncrake in a south London wood but obviously it wasn’t a corncrake but I listened and there it was again, really like a corncrake but also, as it turned out, very much like – exactly the same, in fact – a retractable dog lead.
What a great post. I love Mull and Iona, though haven't spent enough time on either of those islands. I love herons too, Grey Herons always astonish me, particularly in flight. Nigel is my equivalent of what Colin used to be for you. And if you want to see an otter, try Edinburgh, it's relatively common to see them in our rivers.
thank you Juliet. Have you been to any of the other islands? I really want to explore more of them. I had no idea about the rivers in Edinburgh, maybe I'll make a detour there on the way to or back from Mull next time. Nigel is a great name to Colin people with. I think of Nigel, Barry, and Colin as equal name triplets.
I've been to Arran, Shetland, Orkney, Lewis and Harris, all of them well worth visiting. If you do visit Edinburgh, good luck with the otters, we do see them here surprisingly often.
Excellent piece, Sarah. Absolutely loved this. I have been trying to determine which aspects to comment on since reading it; there is so much wonderful stuff here. You are, as always, extremely humorous and fun to read. I share the same distaste for “Colin.” Describing the way you’d happily have worn your ex’s sweat as perfume was humorously illustrative. If leaving London because of the nightjars and nightingales led to pieces like this one, then I thank the birds (more than I already do). Was recently just watching YouTube video of a nightingale, wanting to see one in the flesh.
I enjoyed the way this is laid out, the ways you share about your experiences, the Bittern, everything. I am excited to read your duck month essays, greasy and personal. It’s often the writings we are apprehensive to share that are strongest. This piece was so wonderful, thank you for sharing, I did miss new pieces from you the past couple weeks.
Thank you so much James. I always look forward so much to reading your pieces too.
The nightingales are really special, they're not the most beautiful looking birds but it's still amazing when you get to see one belting their song out rather than just hear it. They come to such a small part of England and are only singing for a few months so I always feel lucky when I get to hear them
It's other peoples most vulnerable writing I often enjoy the most (some of your pieces about your TBI I've gone back and read multiple times) but I always feel so weird posting them myself, apprehensive before and after
I've spent much time watching video of a nightingale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdlIbNrki5o). The UK was never on my list of birding destinations. Why the fuck not? (I try not to curse on Substack but appreciate that you do.)
Vulnerable writing is hard. An upside is it reduces the heavy stuff. When I write about the TBI, it's just a thing that happened, easier to sit with. I worry my adulation grows tiresome, but it'd be a privilege to read what makes you apprehensive. Dartford Warblers, bitterns(!!), bird courtship, etc. remain a privilege too.
I have just begun to delve into the world of Ivor Cutler, directed there by Spike Milligan's dedication in the front of Unspun Socks from a Chicken's Laundry! My inner monologue likes to speak in his accent sometimes.
I enjoyed reading this and will reflect (boom boom) on it for the rest of the day.
That's such a great voice to have for your inner monologue. Speaking of books has just reminded me that there's a wonderful children's book by Ivor Cutler called Meal One, it has the most gorgeous illustrations in it.
waterbirds have long been my favorite kind of bird. By my house, a small park with blue herons. When I was 7-10, riding my bike, thinking about the birds being solitary and graceful - peaceful and contemplative...but yes we anthropomorphize everything.
I love this post. Want to go back and re-read. Thank you for sharing some of your history. How fun to read about how you come to love London, your friends (yes I feel that special need to write "best friends" with a heart too)
The internet is weird and I'm a little life-punch-drunk right now but thanks for this beautiful post. In some way, makes the world seem smaller and more full of love.
p.s. I would like to document better where I live..for you to see. close to a great marsh with lots of migrating cranes and egrets...will do better to try and share!
I would LOVE to read more about where you live, I love the way you write Briana. You're so lucky to live by a marsh. What kind of cranes do you have there? I think I associated you with cranes before actually. Have you ever seen that Northern Exposure episode where Chris and Ed dance with the Sandhill crane? Also, thank you. <3
I love this so much Sarah. The birds, the crying, the Colins. I was going to be called Colin if I was a boy, which is a joke in my family. I was plagued with Margaret instead. Beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you. Margaret is a beautiful name, but I'm sure you would have been part of the the good pr drive of the name Colin if you'd been given it, along with that cake and RSPB worker.
Great post Sarah.
The Collin bit made me laugh, partly because the best bird guide out there is the famous black Collins bird guide!
Bitterns are wonderful creatures; I once walked into a hide at Minsmere where there was a Bittern walking in the open right in front of the hide. To say I was delighted is an understatement.
This reads like a very good walk with a special friend who lets you see inside her lovely head.
My most surreal bittern moment (all bittern moments are surreal moments) was when I was doing a very extremely long charity walk round the Isle of Wight, I’d been going for something like 19 hours and I’d had hiccups for about the last three, it was three in the morning and I was a bit delirious. So when I heard the booming of a bittern over the reeds at Bembridge Harbour I dismissed it as a figment of my walk-addled brain. But then it boomed again, a bit louder, and then again, like it was saying ‘yes, it really is me, LISTEN’. So I stopped and listened and it kept me going for the next couple of hours.
19 hours of walking is impressive/insane. I'm glad a bittern saw fit to reward you for your hard work though. Something I left out (for the sake of brevity, haha) was that walking between two hides before seeing the bittern we heard a cow mooing and got very exciting for a moment thinking we were hearing a bittern boom.
Have you seen there is one at the London Wetland Centre at the moment?
The cow/bittern thing is excellent and reminds me of the time I heard a corncrake in a south London wood but obviously it wasn’t a corncrake but I listened and there it was again, really like a corncrake but also, as it turned out, very much like – exactly the same, in fact – a retractable dog lead.
And yes, the Wetland centre bittern(s) are regular winter visitors but didn’t know one had stuck around.
What a great post. I love Mull and Iona, though haven't spent enough time on either of those islands. I love herons too, Grey Herons always astonish me, particularly in flight. Nigel is my equivalent of what Colin used to be for you. And if you want to see an otter, try Edinburgh, it's relatively common to see them in our rivers.
thank you Juliet. Have you been to any of the other islands? I really want to explore more of them. I had no idea about the rivers in Edinburgh, maybe I'll make a detour there on the way to or back from Mull next time. Nigel is a great name to Colin people with. I think of Nigel, Barry, and Colin as equal name triplets.
I've been to Arran, Shetland, Orkney, Lewis and Harris, all of them well worth visiting. If you do visit Edinburgh, good luck with the otters, we do see them here surprisingly often.
Excellent piece, Sarah. Absolutely loved this. I have been trying to determine which aspects to comment on since reading it; there is so much wonderful stuff here. You are, as always, extremely humorous and fun to read. I share the same distaste for “Colin.” Describing the way you’d happily have worn your ex’s sweat as perfume was humorously illustrative. If leaving London because of the nightjars and nightingales led to pieces like this one, then I thank the birds (more than I already do). Was recently just watching YouTube video of a nightingale, wanting to see one in the flesh.
I enjoyed the way this is laid out, the ways you share about your experiences, the Bittern, everything. I am excited to read your duck month essays, greasy and personal. It’s often the writings we are apprehensive to share that are strongest. This piece was so wonderful, thank you for sharing, I did miss new pieces from you the past couple weeks.
Thank you so much James. I always look forward so much to reading your pieces too.
The nightingales are really special, they're not the most beautiful looking birds but it's still amazing when you get to see one belting their song out rather than just hear it. They come to such a small part of England and are only singing for a few months so I always feel lucky when I get to hear them
It's other peoples most vulnerable writing I often enjoy the most (some of your pieces about your TBI I've gone back and read multiple times) but I always feel so weird posting them myself, apprehensive before and after
I've spent much time watching video of a nightingale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdlIbNrki5o). The UK was never on my list of birding destinations. Why the fuck not? (I try not to curse on Substack but appreciate that you do.)
Vulnerable writing is hard. An upside is it reduces the heavy stuff. When I write about the TBI, it's just a thing that happened, easier to sit with. I worry my adulation grows tiresome, but it'd be a privilege to read what makes you apprehensive. Dartford Warblers, bitterns(!!), bird courtship, etc. remain a privilege too.
I have just begun to delve into the world of Ivor Cutler, directed there by Spike Milligan's dedication in the front of Unspun Socks from a Chicken's Laundry! My inner monologue likes to speak in his accent sometimes.
I enjoyed reading this and will reflect (boom boom) on it for the rest of the day.
Thank you so much Lyndsay.
That's such a great voice to have for your inner monologue. Speaking of books has just reminded me that there's a wonderful children's book by Ivor Cutler called Meal One, it has the most gorgeous illustrations in it.
I will look that up. Thank you!
waterbirds have long been my favorite kind of bird. By my house, a small park with blue herons. When I was 7-10, riding my bike, thinking about the birds being solitary and graceful - peaceful and contemplative...but yes we anthropomorphize everything.
I love this post. Want to go back and re-read. Thank you for sharing some of your history. How fun to read about how you come to love London, your friends (yes I feel that special need to write "best friends" with a heart too)
The internet is weird and I'm a little life-punch-drunk right now but thanks for this beautiful post. In some way, makes the world seem smaller and more full of love.
p.s. I would like to document better where I live..for you to see. close to a great marsh with lots of migrating cranes and egrets...will do better to try and share!
I would LOVE to read more about where you live, I love the way you write Briana. You're so lucky to live by a marsh. What kind of cranes do you have there? I think I associated you with cranes before actually. Have you ever seen that Northern Exposure episode where Chris and Ed dance with the Sandhill crane? Also, thank you. <3
I love this so much Sarah. The birds, the crying, the Colins. I was going to be called Colin if I was a boy, which is a joke in my family. I was plagued with Margaret instead. Beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you. Margaret is a beautiful name, but I'm sure you would have been part of the the good pr drive of the name Colin if you'd been given it, along with that cake and RSPB worker.