Gods of the Morning

For more than three decades, John Lister-Kaye has been enraptured by the spectacular seasonal metamorphosis at Aigas, the world-renowned Highlands field center. Over the years, the glen's wildlife has come to infiltrate his soul, whether it is a warbling blackcap's cascading refrains, whooper swans hauling winter along with them, pine martens causing havoc in the hen run, or a regal roe buck strutting in the broom and gorse, suddenly gilded by a fiery ray of sunlight. He has come to understand intimately these creatures' movements, but increasingly unpredictable weather patterns have caused sometimes subtle, sometimes seismic shifts in their behavior. This study follows a year through the turning of the seasons at Aigas, exploring the habits of the Highland animals, and in particular the birds--his gods of the morning--for whom he has a lifelong passion. This affectionate and wise celebration of the landscape and the birds that come and go through the year is a lyrical reminder of the relationship we have lost with the seasons, and a call to look afresh at the natural world.