A Picture for Sunday - Wise Owl

You wouldn't want to be a mouse with this owl watching you.  He posed nicely on a stump at a display at a country show in County Wicklow, and kept a careful eye on everything going on around him.

A Picture for Sunday - Chaffinch

Easily the chirpiest little bird around at the time, this chaffinch was singing away at the top of a hazel tree and kept me entertained while I was busy digging the other day.

A Picture for Sunday - Robin in the Reeds

Robins pose so nicely.  This one was by the lake in last Sunday's picture.

A Picture for Sunday - White Pigeon

This pigeon might look all whiter than white, but he was being very naughty and pecking at the flower buds on the tree.

A Picture for Sunday - Seagull

Very handsome and very irritating.  Gulls make such a dreadful racket.  This one was lording it on the walls of the castle above Alicante.

A Picture for Sunday - Yellowhammer

Looking out from the top of a hedgerow, this smart little yellowhammer stayed put long enough for me to get a few photos.  This picture is a bit fuzzy, but I don't care.  I have been hoping to get a half decent picture of one of these little chaps for years.

A Picture for Sunday - Blue Tit

Eating peanuts yesterday afternoon from the feeder just outside my cousin's dining room window.

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Flights of Fancy - Exhibition at Midsomer Quilting

Last week I visited Flights of Fancy, the exhibition of Angela Knapp's work at Midsomer Quilting, and was totally bowled over by her work.  She has combined her fascination with birds, her artistry, and her skills with needle and thread to produce a beautiful collection of pictures.  As depictions of birds they are incredibly accurate - I identified this peregrine falcon straight away.

This one foxed me, though, because I was thinking of British birds and I was thrown by the scale.  It is a humming bird, with subtle shades of blue, turquoise and rusty reds and browns.

Next to the visitors' book Angela had left her scrap book open, so as well as enjoying all the pictures, visitors could read facts about the birds and see how she had prepared each piece.  Also, Angela was on hand, working on her exhibit for the forthcoming 12 x 12 exhibition, so she showed me how she achieves such amazingly realistic effects. 

It was an absolute delight meeting Angela and seeing her work.  If you want to find out more about the exhibition, and read about her techniques, visit her blog at The Cary Made.  Or, better still, if you are able, visit the exhibition!

A Picture for Sunday - Two Young Storks

On a tower in Avila in a huge scruffy nest, these two youngsters were waiting for their next meal.

A Picture for Sunday - Robin

Every gardener's friend.

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A Pretty Picture for Sunday - Mr. Drake

A particularly smart mallard living beside the crystal clear water of the upper reaches of the River Test.

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A Pretty Picture for Sunday - Goldfinch

Gorgeous little birds.  They come back every year to nest in a bay tree overlooking our garden.  Not the clearest photo, but I was sitting on the draining board to get a view out of the kitchen window. Lucky I didn't drop the camera in the sink.

A Pretty Picture for Sunday - A Duck in Bath

I have been to Bath today, and while there met three ducks out for a walk, just down the road from where I saw this noisy blighter.  The ducks were much better company, very keen on the crumbs I chucked at them.  One was more enthusiastic than the others and gave me a quick peck...

... resulting in this rather brilliant photo of a duck's-eye view of Bath

A Pretty Picture for Sunday - Six Cygnets

It was very windy yesterday.  They were sticking close together and close to mum. 

A Pretty Picture for Sunday - Lesser Black-Backed Gull

He was strutting along the pavement in Bath as if he owned the place.  Well, he does.  He's Lord of the Bins.

Note for Sue Deere - corner of South Parade and Duke Street.  Legs in the background are the crowd coming out of last week's match against Leicester. 

A Pretty Picture for Sunday - A Siskin having a Snooze

..or was he just a bit dazzled by the sun?

...No, it's a she.  It's Monday today, and I have just had another look at pictures of siskins...

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