Lily Spots a Sparrowhawk

My two-year-old daughter Lily is getting quite adept at spotting wildlife. The other day she picked out a sparrowhawk before I did.
Although she didn't identify it correctly, I was impressed.
She and I watched the sparrowhawk as it tried to find its prey hidden in the grass. Click here to read my column in the Ryedale Gazette & Herald on the story.

Kingfishers King of the Waterways

Wasn't it good to read this week how the number of kingfishers spotted along Britain's rivers and canals have more than trebled this year?

There had been some concerns that these beautiful birds could have been badly hit by last year's harsh winter, so it was heartening to know that a wildlife survey by British Waterways showed they have been seen in record numbers this year.

According to the survey, the number of mink has simultaneously declined - which could have something to do with the boost in the kingfisher population. British Waterways has claimed the credit for the boost, pointing to its improvements in water quality and habitat management. I hope it continues. Getting the right colours to paint these birds is always a challenge but these two paintings are among my most popular.

Sneak Digital Preview of My New Paintings

This is the front cover of a new digital book featuring all of my new original oil paintings. If you would like a sneak preview please click here.

Autumn Display

I've been so busy finishing off my paintings for the exhibition that I haven't had time to go out and get any photographs of the wonderful autumn display we've been having. And then when I finally did get out this morning the storm we had last night had blown most of the leaves off!
The dry weather we've been enjoying recently gives you just the chemical reaction you need to turn the leaves to such beautiful russets and golds.I particularly wanted to get pictures of leaf litter because this is something I often need as background for my paintings, like in this one below.I often have to work on getting photographs for paintings a year in advance because the wildlife window is so short.
There have been quite a few sightings of waxwings this year, including more than a 100 spotted at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham at the weekend, and since there were none at all last year I really do need to make sure I get out and get some more photographs of them for next year.

Green Woodpecker

People often ask me how long it takes me to paint a picture, from start to finish, and I find it a difficult question to answer. This painting, for instance, began life 18 years ago when I took a really good photograph of a woodpecker.
Then, about seven years ago I took a photograph of a stump of silver birch.
But it wasn't until just last week when I was thinking about green woodpeckers that I suddenly had the idea to put the green woodpecker onto the silver birch stump.
And once I had formed the idea for my composition I was keen to get painting.
I'm now working day and night to get it finished in time for my exhibition which opens on November 13th!

Roe Deer at Spurn Point

Spurn Point really was magnificent. This lighthouse is just near the tip of the point.

There was even a healthy population of roe deer on this narrow strip of land.

Sparrowhawk trap

This trap on Spurn Point is used by the British Trust of Ornithology to catch and ring birds for migration studies.

But a local sparrowhawk had better ideas for its use. I saw one rush in and as it did so all the birds scattered and got trapped by the wire. She then picked off a brambling and headed out again with her prize.

I felt sorry for the brambling, which had just made it across the North Sea. Bramblings are the Scandinavian equivalent of our chaffinch.