Diana Webb
Leatherhead, Surrey, England

How to Observe Birds

She approaches with the slow rhythmic tapping of two metal sticks as firmly and purposefully as a heron. We offer her a place on the wooden bench. No, no she says she'd prefer to stand.

From her backpack she produces a well-thumbed book, opens it to display a page profusely annotated in a small dark script, proceeds to explain the differences between grey wagtails, male and female, adult and juvenile.

'Did you bring your binoculars?' she asks.

We confess that we don't possess a pair.

'Oh well,' she says resignedly, 'in that case you wouldn't be able to bring them would you.'

such whiteness
from afar     the perhaps
of an egret