Week 22

We have had some beautiful hot sunny days and I have enjoyed sitting in the garden drawing feathers for my Week 22 page.  I listened to the birds singing and the bees buzzing as I  sat on the grass, sometimes chasing my feathers as they blew away in the breeze.   The larger feathers were drawn and painted at the kitchen table, with the sun streaming in and good light which helps with the details.  A birds skull found by my husband on one of our walks on the shore was added to the page.  It has an unusual beak and after a search he has found it to be a "Razorbill", the white marks on the beak helped identify it.  We often find dead birds and the sea can also wash them up onto the shore.  This skull was just as he found it  with the lower beak  missing .   I used my acrylic inks for the feathers and after drawing the skull gave it a light wash with ink to seal the pencil.   I chose some of the many feathers I found on the shore last week  and filled a double spread in my sketchbook.
Today we went for our walk about five o'clock.  Sadly the sunshine has gone and we have returned to a cold breezy day again. We had to wrap up against the chilly north east wind.   The shore was empty and we walked along the edge of the tidal river watching all the birds.  It was a high tide about one o'clock and now the birds were feeding in the water.  There was a huge group of ducks, I counted to  fifty so estimated there was about a hundred.  Large Heron gulls, black headed gulls and Oyster catchers were all searching for food at the waters edge.  Then the magnificent sight as the Heron flew over and landed in the water.  
I  searched  along the sandy banks to see what the tide had left in the tangles of seaweed and grass.  More crabs, whelks egg cases, feathers, oak leaves, different coloured sea weeds and bits of branches and leaves.  The jelly fish are now  thin round plastic looking discs  moulded to the grass,  dried out with the hot days. The grass has grown and the pink thrift is taller with out the sheep to eat it.  Suddenly my husband discovered  the find of the day, a beautiful spotted birds egg, an empty shell washed up by the sea.   A lovely subject for my week 23 page,  so look out for it.
We walked our usual route and talked about the high tide expected next Saturday,  what might it bring for my next page, something interesting I hope.   The two swallows followed us,  darting in front of us at high speed but no sign of the swan today.    As it started spitting, the rain made circles on the water and so we headed for home.  It was because of the rain I nearly smashed my precious find,  I had placed the egg in my hood to keep it safe, and forgetting about it being there I started to pulled it up!  It did arrive home safely ready to draw.  I hope the chick which hatched from it is also safe, as we think it is the egg of an oyster catcher.
Hope you like the pages.  As always, thank you for your comments, it is lovely to read them.  So  if you have time I would love to hear from you.                 Millyx.