Spring – Ramblings of a (very!) amateur artist

May May May..!

“…May May May! May May booty! May May booty!” I have absolutely no explanation for the title and tagline this time. The headline is usually whatever pops into my head as I write or plan a post. So this is what it dished out this time! So, I’m a little late writing this and, asContinue reading “May May May..!”

“LarryBird’sMullet”

I’m not even sure where to start. The wonderful sights and sounds. The sea air. The wind (oh my gosh the wind!) and the rain. The birds and beasts. The wonder of this Scottish island. Perhaps I should start with a title explanation, for I’m talking about the beautiful Isle of Mull which I wasContinue reading ““LarryBird’sMullet””

April 2022: I was spun

“You spin me right ’round, baby, right ’round” – for some of you, you’ll hear the original version. For others, potentially like me, you may hear the Flo Rida feat. Ke$ha song that was presumably inspired by the original. Either way, I can confirm that I was spun in April 2022. What a month! IContinue reading “April 2022: I was spun”

“Bring me lots of beer, bring me lots of beer”

Last year, Lucy Lapwing introduced me to the world of birdsong and, more importantly, the techniques you can use to remember different tunes. Hence, blue tits became ‘tea lily lily lily’ and great tits ‘tea-cher tea-cher’. The difference between collared doves (coll-ared-dove, coll-ared-dove) and wood pigeons (wood-pige-on-PIGEON; wood-pige-on-PIGEON) apparent. Left to its own devices, thisContinue reading ““Bring me lots of beer, bring me lots of beer””

Naughty March

I have three words for you: never. trust. March. Forget ‘mad March’, the third month of the year is just plain naughty. While the UK basked in sunshine in the middle of the month, was I the only one remembering what had happened in 2021? The poor cherry tree in the garden basked in theContinue reading “Naughty March”

Can I get a “chiff chaff”

I have an enormous soft spot for chiffchaffs. They may have a rather ‘boring’ buff colour. Not the most ‘interesting’ to look at. But I absolutely love them. If you’re not sure what a chiffchaff is, I’d urge you to listen to a recording of this bird’s call. You may not recognise the song, butContinue reading “Can I get a “chiff chaff””

Stormy Feb

I decided on the title of this post before storms Dudley and Eunice hit the UK. And that all feels like it was way before the conflict in Ukraine. Without sounding too blue – and without forgetting how horrifying the conflict must be for those who are actually caught up in it, along with thoseContinue reading “Stormy Feb”

356 Days Wild: Week 31

Week 31 was a bit of a mixed bag. It was inevitable, really, that this would be a tricky time. All those hours, all that prep, all the build-up to a big event and then it’s gone in a flash. The summer school disappeared before my eyes and I wondered what on earth I wasContinue reading “356 Days Wild: Week 31”

356 Days Wild: Week 30

Week 30 was the first full week of my 200-mile fundraising challenge for Parkinson’s UK. To stay on track, I needed to walk at least 6.5 miles a day while running a big online work event all week. It was a big ask but I got there! Alongside the walks there were lots of wildContinue reading “356 Days Wild: Week 30”

356 Days Wild: Week 29

Week 29 was dominated by lots of practice walks for my August fundraising challenge in memory of my grandad. Walking always brings wildlife highlights and, this week, my ‘acts of wildness’ included:🌺 Admiring the beautiful hollyhocks dotted across town🌧 Walking in the rain🐓 Finishing some Yorkshire Dales chickens🐌 Rescuing a little snail I hope youContinue reading “356 Days Wild: Week 29”