July 18

A magpie lands on a flat roof. It hops along the edge, looking for food. Something catches his black bead of an eye. It’s in the plants just below the edge. The magpie peers over, stretches out and then panics, flapping its black and white wings to get its balance again.

     It shakes himself, composes itself. Then it tries again, stretching out a little further – but again the panic of wings and a shaky composition.

     The magpie hops on and comes back, brave enough for another try. I can’t see what it’s reaching for but it must be a treasure because it tries again and panics again.

     This time the magpie makes an irritated chicker chicker call and hops on. As if it knows it’s being watched, it waits a few humiliated before flying off, before admitting defeat.