The passage of the sun

23 April 2012
11.30pm

The sun set about two hours ago and for the following hour of dusk, the trees were alive with the sound of bird song.

Birds always seem to be most active at dawn and dusk or at least they sound more so than at any other time of day.

My parents' garden in England, while surrounded by other gardens and not cut off from roads or other houses, is fairly secluded. It is surrounded by a high hedge and when sitting in the back garden on the bench looking over the fruit trees and flower beds, one feels quite cut off from the outside world. Dusk has always been beautiful here, with the sound of the resident blackbird getting ready for the night. The combination of the birds singing goodnight to each other together with the comparative quietness of the surroundings focuses the sound.

The occasional passing car still disturbs the evening peace. Having come so far, I would like to experience the real wilderness while I am here so that I can hear the birds undisturbed and appreciate my surroundings as they are meant to be appreciated.

Two hours after sunset, it is still possible to see where the sun is. It is half past 11 and yet the sky to the north is lit up from underneath where the sun has barely dipped beneath the horizon.