The Cute and the Not So Cute

We went over to the meadow this morning to check on the woodpeckers. We were pretty sure we wouldn't see them but when we got there one was still in the nest and we found another chick hanging around in the nearby trees. A parent came back once while we were there to feed the one still in the nest.
It was so cute watching the chick climb around in the trees, it wasn't quite so graceful as the adult, a bit fluffier and rather than just shimmying along like woodpeckers do it was a little wobbly and kept having to flap its wings to keep balance. It was quite a treat because we thought once they left the nest we wouldn't get to see them again.

On the way back home we found this chunky beetle thing (my research tells me it's a cockchafer). Will picked it up to take home for further inspection or something, we don't really know what we were going to do with it and then just as we got to our front door it's legs started moving and we freaked out because we thought it was dead (and are wimps). Will put it down under a bush thinking it would recover itself but we went outside later and it was being eaten by ants.

Nature's so lovely.

Random Shots ~ Mouse House Mash

A tiny little mouse we found on our street.

A beautiful house near the meadow.

A dinner. Sweet potatoes, chorizo, mushrooms, spinach, yum, yum, yum. 

Illustration ~ Biscuit Spread

This is my favourite food these days.

I totally didn't just eat it straight out of the jar with my finger while I drew this...

The Meadow ~ Exploring

We went to the meadow again. How could we not with the weather being so nice?
This time we poked around in the overgrown bits more which was pretty fun. We checked up on the woodpeckers first. They're still there being noisy as ever but the chicks are poking their heads out of the nest a lot even when the adults aren't around so I guess they'll be gone soon.



I might be interested in wildlife things but I know I don't want to meet what is living down there.



Will is at his happiest when he is up a tree.

The other night Will took me to the meadow at dusk to see the bats. He'd seen them the night before (I'm lazy so I didn't go with him) but I had to overcome my laziness to go see the bats because, bats.
It was the coolest thing ever. They were flying right over our heads and catching bugs right in front of us. Once one actually flew in between our heads, they get so close it's crazy. It was brilliant.

The Meadow ~ Woodpeckers and Damselflies

After spending the morning yesterday fighting with html trying to make my website pretty (it's slowly but surely getting there) Will and I went for a walk round the meadow. There's all sorts going on there at the minute. The cows have been about munching away but they've left now to let the wildflowers grow.



Will found a Great Spotted Woodpecker nest! You can sit so close to it and watch the parents come in to feed. We're not sure how many chicks there are but they are constantly (literally) making noise and are sticking their heads out to get the food so they must be getting pretty close to fledging we reckon. It'll be kind of sad when we walk over there and can't hear them anymore. Also, we thought it was weird that they were making so much noise. I thought baby birds were quiet when the parents weren't around so they won't get eaten. You can hear these guys from quite far away, it's how Will found the nest. Any bird enthusiasts out there know if this is normal?



 We sat down by the river and were surrounded by Common Blue Damselflies (I've had the bug book out for identification). They're so pretty.

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by what we have just down the road considering we live on the edge of a city. Good old Norwich.

Sketchbook ~ Watermelon and Tears

That's me crying because the washing machine broke (sitting in amongst the dripping clothes that I'd put all the tubs I could find under to catch the drips) and then me still crying because sometimes when you start it turns out you can't stop and it's not just about a washing machine anymore it's about everything. Fun times.

P.S. I did eventually stop crying.

Week 22

Day 148 - These never stop being cute.



Day 151 - You should probably ignore the background of this photo. My studio is awful at the moment. ('At the moment' means a lot longer than a moment...)



Day 153



Day 154 - I think I've decided that weeds are pretty so I can stop fighting with them.