Bird of the Month March: Eurasian Jay
I have chosen the jay as my bird of the month for March. Jays are woodland birds and we are lucky to live on the edge of a wood. Our neighbours have lovely mature gardens with lots of trees which brings
Bird of the Month February: Mute Swan
My bird of the month for February is the mute swan. Here's why: Swans have been really visible this month. At the start of the month the pond near us, at Tweedbank, was frozen solid and the swans stood awkwardly on
How to help your garden birds stay healthy
We really love putting food out for the birds. Pig helps me scoop the peanuts and sunflower hearts and roll lovely round fat balls into the feeders. He's very serious about carrying them back out to the garden without spilling
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.7: CONKERS
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 7 of my sketchbook-learnings.] I'm a little behind with my update on the chestnuts. Things have been really very busy in my little
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.6: July, August, and the last of the Greens
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 6 of my sketchbook-learnings.] These are the last few weeks of the dense, dark, green canopies. Slowly, slowly the golds will creep in
Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
We are just back from a much needed few days by the sea. I've always been of the opinion that the closer you are to the ocean, the better you feel. I've just googled "why is being by the sea
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.5: May, June, Flowers and Environmental Justice
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 5 of my sketchbook-learnings.] In my last update I was celebrating the new green leaves that had burst forth all over the two
Woodland Wildflowers: A Lock-Down Diary
I've been absolutely fascinated by the woodland in spring this year. I missed three months of the woodland last year with being either too heavily pregnant to walk very far or stuck in the house recovering with the new-born. Whereas
Pencil Drawing: Collecting Inspiration
This is part two of my mini series on pencil drawing. Part one was about the materials I use. You can read it here. In this post I'm going to talk about the inspiration for my drawings and how I record
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.4: April, Nests and Buds Bursting
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 4 of my sketchbook-learnings.] In my March update on the Drygrange Chestnuts, it was all about the sticky hard buds that had been