Angel of Spring

by Christina Rossetti
I did want something special for my 300th blip but could never have in my wildest dreams imagined getting an image of the shyest of birds - a Nightingale.

Multitudinous thanks for the terrific staggering response... the stars and hearts pouring onto my little owls yesterday. To say that I was over the moon is rather an understatement...very touched and thrilled doesn't even come close :)) Spookily as I'm typing this it has reached 300 which in itself couldn't be more appropriate and I can't believe they have fluttered to the top line of the favourites page too. Today has just got better and better. So so many thank yous!! I never imagined for a minute that I could manage to get as far as 300 consecutive blips and it has only been with massive support and encouragement from this lovely blip community (and Hubs who has been a trooper going along with it all) that I've been transported into a different world and learnt how to use a camera! I say that loosely as there are still a lot of buttons that I'm clueless about.

I had no idea today what to blip and by 2:00 this afternoon was panicing slightly. In the end having ditched a few blue-bottle shots I grabbed the car keys and headed down the motorway...totally undecided as to where to go!!

Ending up in Highnam woods with Tilly in tow, I set up in a hide by a pond just expecting the usual stuff with a resigned sort of feeling. From the distance I thought it was a warbler to start with but looking down the lens with extender on to get just that bit closer I saw it obviously wasn't. Inconspicuous too because it's small with rather drab brown plumage . It was difficult to get a clear shot because it went into the pond for a quick bath hidden by the reeds and grass - quite furtive... constantly checking. I was barely breathing and keeping my fingers crossed that Tilly wouldn't choose that moment to bark at anything! For every ten people who have heard a nightingale there can hardly be one who has actually set eyes on this bird. It is a summer visitor and would have recently arrived from S.Africa.

To add to this it then hid in the thick undergrowth and gave me the most tremendous virtuoso performance singing it's little heart out. Such a variety of notes, such gusto and volume pouring melodiously down onto the pond, which was illuminated by the sunlight. It was the most magical moment. I did feel to be the luckiest girl alive - someone must have told him it was my red balloon day!