Arachnida (1): Who's been hiding in the Escallonia?

An early morning visitor to our garden!

Beautiful Birds (28): Of Owls and Corvids

© Caroline Gill ... a work in progress

So much has been happening and I have got very behind with my posts, so this will be something of a round-up.

I wonder if you have been enjoying Springwatch on the BBC? I have particularly pleased to see the Puffins (probably my favourite bird) and the Short Eared Owl on Skomer. Fellow blogger, Adam Tilt, posted a terrific photo of the Little Owl he watched on the island. 

I have had great fun in my art class attempting my first 'stylised impasto' piece in oils: I have yet to finish it, but I hope you like what I think is a European Eagle Owl, painted from a photo I took of a rescue bird some time ago.

Speaking of creatures in flight, we thoroughly enjoyed an event at the recent Hay Festival with Mark Cocker, author of 'Crow Country' (5 star IMHO ... see my Amazon bookshelf in the right side bar here), in conversation with Rosie Boycott and fellow Guardian 'country diarist', the mountaineer, Jim Perrin. I ventured to ask a question at the end about the place - or lack of it - of adverbs or adjectives in this kind of tight writing, much to the apparent amusement or bemusement of some of those in the room!

Bird Count (4): May 2011 ... plus 'Best of the Rest'

Newts

It's time for my May 2011 update, and I'm ashamed to say that I spotted very few 'first in 2011' species of bird. It is for this reason that I have 'cheated' and combined my complement of living creatures for this month. The birds are all first sightings of the year: the others may not be. My thanks to those kind bloggers out there who helped every so often with an ID.  

WORDLE for JUNE 2011 ~ species seen

If you are interested in my wild flower count for 2011, you can find the current tally by clicking here. I wonder what new items will be added in June ... The Ram's Horn Snail was perhaps the most unusual sighting: it was rather camouflaged and I initially wondered if I had spotted a leech!

P.S. I have just realised that the Dock Beetle appears twice ~ sorry!