The Dawn Watch

Maya arrived at the wetlands before sunrise, her notebook tucked under one arm and her binoculars [1] around her neck. The air was cool and the reeds along the bank [2] softly in the early breeze. She moved carefully along the boardwalk, placing each foot with [3] so as not to snap any twigs or disturb the stillness.

The first bird she noticed was a heron, standing absolutely [4] at the edge of the water, like a grey statue. It was waiting for a fish to drift within [5]. Maya sketched it quickly in her notebook, not taking her eyes off the bird for more than a second.

By the time the sun had climbed fully above the treeline, she had counted eleven different species. She noted each one, pressing the page flat so the morning wind would not [6] her records. A [7] movement in the rushes caught her attention — a moorhen, paddling out from its hiding place with calm, steady strokes.

As she packed up to leave, Maya felt a quiet [8] at having spent the morning so well.