Nuthatch

#Nuthatch seen yesterday on these nuts. I think their dusky blue-grey outfit is the most lovely colour

A Wren

A #Wren - I think they are lovely looking little things. I've been really hoping the wren I've seen in my garden would make an appearance this month. I've not seen her for a while and have been worried a neighbourhood cat might have seen her... however I'm sure it was her flying from the garden yesterday morning,  and then I definitely saw another yesterday evening.

Also playing with labels/extra info idea...

A Buzzard wears a necklace...

A #Buzzard for yesterday's #alicesaprilaviary drawing.

I saw two buzzards close up, one on a fence post and the other in a larch. Then more later in flight.

As I've mentioned before I've enjoyed reading about each species as I go, Wikipedia described the Buzzard as having -a pale 'necklace' of feathers' which I'd not realised before. I've been tempted to write facts about them or label features as I go but decided against it in general. However I may play with some card or print designs that builds on this idea!

Never seen in the garden as photographed but I thought it went nicely with the spring blooms and brick.

Dunnock

A Dunnock and yesterday's amazingly blue sky.

There is a Dunnock that often perches in this hedge in the garden or balances on the top of the fence.

Confession: the stick perch is a real stick...

Collared Dove

A #CollaredDove seen yesterday, on a chimney keeping watch on the world.

Also... I have a new book! A giant book of birds, an eBay find that I'm enjoying greatly. I realised only after embarking on this challenge that I didn't actually have a bird book at home! 

It is not one for out and about but for a coffee table or lap and reading up on the species at home.

A couple of books on woodlands have helped me out as you may have seen (Green Woodpecker) and I've used other people's bird books when I've stayed with them (Swallow). Google has also helped but I really don't enjoy finding images that way.

Red Kite

A Red Kite from yesterday.

Drawn late and not my best but that's part of what drawing everyday is for me- there are guaranteed to be some drawings that are awful (or that I just don't like). 

However the liklihood of there also being ones I really like and am proud of also increases. Art & maths... or something!

#alicesaprilaviary and a hint of spring blooms in the background.

The winner is... the Coal Tit

There were lots of lovely little Coal Tits in the Rowan tree and on the bird feeder yesterday. There were lots of other birds too, but these fluffy little things won me over.

Jackdaw

A Jackdaw for yesterday. I saw several at different times during the day and so they became the species of the day for my Alice's April Aviary challenge.

I used to watch 2 Jackdaws that used to sit on the chimney of a house opposite and frequently drew them. My sister named them Jack and Jackie Jackdaw- I used to imagine their conversations a they sat up there!

A blackbird saves the day!

There were very few birds about yesterday... and so much rain I was getting a bit worried about what I was going to draw for my #AlicesAprilAviary challenge.

Then a blackbird saved the day! He only perched on a post, then a chimney, then an aerial very briefly and then was gone! That was enough to make him the species of the day.

There is also a hilarious little video of the blackbird winking ;) over on Facebook... click here to have a look!