Midsummer Musings.

Its been a strange month in many ways what with family circumstances (If you knew the whole truth you would not believe such things could happen all at once? Daughter(depression), Mother(alzhiemers),Aunt(died!),not to mention Lynn's chemo treatment!!!). One of the few things that keeps me sane is the chance to grab a few hours birdwatching and to sit with Lynn and finish my sketches! And then there's the wierd weather that can't seem to make up it's mind what to do? Has autumn arrived early? Wait a minute! Its stinking hot today with a chance of thunderstorms! Who knows what next week will bring? An early autumn does have it's compensations though? It means that migrant birds are arriving from the arctic breeding grounds still resplendent in their breeding plumage! Recently I had Wood sandpiper,Green and common sandpiper,Black-tailed Godwit and some gorgeous Black-necked grebes visit my local patch in the Lee valley. From the continent I had the pleasure of a Hummingbird-Hawk moth in my garden as well as a juicy selection of butterflies!

Check out my Black-Necked Grebe and Wood Sandpiper sketches following a recent visit to Rye Meads RSPB reserve on my local patch in Hertfordshire. Gorgeous!

There have been lots of families of warblers moving around my local patch recently including Willow warblers, Whitethroats and small groups of Blackcaps. The best time to see these is very early in the morning when the mist is heavy in the trees and the air is cool and still. I even had a fox run straight past me so close I could have touched it! Silence is golden! As the day warms up I can hear Turtle Doves and the first lark! Sometimes I don't want to leave!

I re-visited some old sketches and memories from earlier this year and came up with this watercolour of Yellow Wagtails seen at Titchwell in Norfolk from the new Parrinder hide. I seem to remember there were seven of these beauties on the brackish marsh. I hope you like this?

With a bit of luck I'm taking Lynn to the Birdfair at Rutland in August? I'm going to pick the brains of some of the artists there for any advice or tips and to drool over their work! I will try post my next ramblings at the end of the month? Best wishes to everyone.