Vidya Wolton

Finally, after five years of trying to entice birds into our small patio garden a flock of sparrows arrived on our carefully positioned bird feeders, together with a Great Tit. This was a momentus occassion and long overdue as birds had been thonging to a nearby buddlea on the other side of our fence and wall boundary just recently. Hopefully there will be more to come. The drawing here is of Sparrows in a similar vein on a friend’s bird-feeder out in their West Wight garden. This is a well established haven for birds, positively buzzing for much of the year.

Inspired by ‘Springwatch’ we went in search of a heronry within protected woodlands on the island. This is a public access nature reserve bordering on marshland and known to be one of two heronrys. Our hopes were high as I searched the treeline to the cocophany of what I took to be young magpies and the melodic warble of a bird that proved completely elusive (much to my frustration). I’m putting it down as a big question mark Garden Warbler and will have to refer and/or differ to someone a bit more in the know. As for the herons, they were conspicuous by their absence. I did however enjoy the colour sensation of this old wood; a wall of greeens into the canopy in the soft evening light. Perhaps we’ll return at another time of day or make a sound recording to play back! The woods are certainly a vibrant place to be this time of year.

Yesterday’s visit to Quarr Abbey was rewarded by a couple of prime photo opportunities. Firstly, there is the demonstrative and persistent cat which causes great concern as it follows visitors along the path. It turns out not to be missing (as indicated by helpful poster). The other great feature at the nearby cafe has to be the birdlife, including a limping Pheasant and the cheeky Robins coming as close as they dare. I was able to do a few quick sketches of the Robin and am very much centering on bird images at the moment back at the studio. It seems to be a time for consolidating on past work in the run-up to my exhibition at Quay Arts at the end of April.

I have to say that today did seem like the first day of Spring and beckoned me out to the wilds of the Medina Estuary for a spot of birdwatching. To my delight there were Brent Geese congregating at the water’s edge and although a regular feature over the winter, they looked most striking today. The highlight of the walk was a seemingly insignificant wading bird which I thought was a bit out of the ordinary and my instinct was telling me it might worth further enquiry. Fortunately, hubby was equipped with his camera and we managed to get a snap for verification. I’m awaiting expert opinion, but it looks to be a Marsh Sandpiper, which is a Eurasian migrant putting in an appearance about a month earlier than expected. I am in a state of anticipation as I await confirmation. The footpath was breached in several places and finding the path not always easy, as seen here in an attempt to get to the footbridge.

Requiring some fresh air inspite of heavy showers, hubbie and I were well placed at lunchtime for a walk along the coast at Seaview with a brief excursion to the nearby birdhide. There is the welcome presence of Brent Geese feeding at the water’s edge and even within a deluge of heavy rain and hail stones we are able to get this shot of the Brents with the Spinnaker Tower of Portsmouth in the background. The light was actually quite interesting for photography and colour in the gloom seemed heightened after a morning stint of photo manipulation in Photoshop.

Well, not the best photos to do justice to this charmer but have to credit hubby with being able to get something identifiable whilst I peered through binoculars to get a better view. We were on one of our regular jaunts, a local walk across scrubby farmland and down to the River Medina. This is actually the Greater Spotted Woodpecker and we were treated to two separate sightings along the walk. I’m generally keeping the bird theme alive in my artwork alongside birdwatching as an enthusiast. I like to think I can look with both an artist’s eye as well as that of an Ecologist. One informs the other as when any science meets the arts.

Today included a little foray to the Garlic Farm where we were treated to a Red Squirrel doing its thing at the feeding station, where it sat posing for the camera and nibbling on nuts. I was able to do a quick sketch and also one of the Highland Cattle across the road. We had come via the RSPCA Centre. A pair of lively Chinchillas were on display and  prone to diving from one level to another in their cage. I took advantage of these antics and did a quick sketch of the albino whilst trying to make reassuring noises in a bid to get it to stay in one place.