Ever wondered why meditation retreats and monasteries of all spiritual traditions are often found in the mountains or deep in the forest? There are many benefits of meditation in nature—it’s a place where wisdom and perception come alive. Meditating outdoors activates our senses, making our practice more alert and wakeful. At the same time, the usual distractions seem far away and somehow less important. Many meditators find it easier to let go of their worries and their electronic devices when they’ve got such a satisfying alternative: mindfully communing with nature.

In Asia, the accomplished meditators of yore believed that isolation in the wilderness was conducive to advanced mindfulness training. They would retreat to hermitages carved into mountains or hidden among the flora of the jungle and spend time in deep contemplation. Many ancient poems and chants evoke the wonder of such retreats. A verse by Han-shan, a 7^th century hermit who lived on Cold Mountain in China, describes this experience beautifully:

Today I sat before the cliff,
Sat a long time till mists had cleared.
A single thread, the clear stream runs cold;
A thousand yards the green peaks lift their heads.
White clouds—the morning light is still;
Moonrise—the lamp of night drifts upward;
Body free from dust and stain,
What cares could trouble my mind?

(From Cold Mountain: 100 Poems by the Tang Poet Han-shan, translated by Burton Watson, Columbia University Press)

Photographs by CRUSH Photography©

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021 CRUSH Photography©

Acknowledgements: Extract taken from Mindworks

Hits: 7

Any one who has ever taught a bird watching class or led groups of beginners will be familiar with the rare birds seen by their group. And sooner or later one of them is bound to report ‘ a brilliant yellow bird with a bright red head’. And they are usually convinced it is some sort of tropical bird – it must be really rare. But it is a sighting of this bird, which oftentakes some time to be accepted as ‘only’ a green woodpecker, which can fire the enthusiasm of many beginners. The yellow is in fact a yellowish green, confined to the rump, which becomes very visible as the woodpecker flies away with its bouncing ‘undulating’ flight.

There is no question, the green woodpecker is one of the most colourful of all the birds native to Britain. And they make themselves very obvious by often feeding right out in the open in the middle of lawns, where they can be relatively inconspicuous while feeding, but when disturbed become very obvious as they fly away. Unlike the other two species (the Greater and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers), they are frequently to be seen on the ground, and this is because they have a great love of ants, and will return day after day to a favourite anthill to feed.

The largest of the three species of wood pecker found in Britain, Green Woodpeckers are also easily recognized by their laughing ‘yaffle’ call. Like many such obvious birds they have a wide range of old country names and while standardization of the names is obviously an advantage for birdwatchers, I can’t help feeling that we have lost something when these old names are lost :

Like the other woodpeckers, Greens do drum, but their drumming is neither so resonant nor harsh as the other two species, nor as frequent – they rely on their laugh to demarcate their territory. In Europe the closely related, though duller, gray-headed woodpecker is also found – but this is a more difficult bird to find, and one that even keen birders often have trouble in seeing.

Article By John A Burton

Photographs by CRUSH Photography©

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021 CRUSH Photography©

Acknowledgements: Extract taken from https://birdsofbri more...

Hits: 13

In moves that endanger Waders, a bird that has benefited from climate change will soon be decimated, an expert warns.

The Iceland-based black-tailed Godwit – a wading bird that winters in Britain – has enjoyed a 10-fold population increase compared with 120 years ago. But British expert Graham Appleton said Iceland is planting forests to offset carbon emissions, which in turn will damage the nesting habitats of Waders such as Godwits.

It is also planning wind-farms which can occupy nesting areas. Writing in the journal “Perspective” Mr Appleton said: “It seems like the land-use pattern of the last 1,000 years, which have been largely favourable for Waders, are now in reverse.

This is an interesting article published in the Daily Express Newspaper on Monday, the 09 August – always worthwhile looking at the big picture before jumping to conclusions about Climate Change in particular.

All images in this blog are taken by CRUSH Photography©

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021 CRUSH Photography©

Acknowledgements: Extracts taken from the Newspaper - T more...

Hits: 24

Key information

The twittering, wheezing song and flash of yellow and green as it flies, makes this finch a truly colourful character. Nesting in a garden conifer, or feasting on black sunflower seeds, it is a regular garden visitor, able to take advantage of food in rural and urban gardens. Although quite sociable, the Greenfinch may squabble among themselves or with other birds at the bird table.

Greenfinch populations declined during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but increased dramatically during the 1990s. A recent decline in numbers has been linked to an outbreak of trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease which prevents the birds from feeding properly.

What they eat:

Seeds and insects.

Measurements:

Length: 15cm Wingspan: 26cm Weight: 28g

Images by CRUSH Photography©

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021 CRUSH Photography©

Acknowledgements: Extract taken from RSPB

Hits: 16