NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL AND A SNOW BUNTING ON DARTMOOR

Second drawing in a week.....what's going on? Therapy I think and cancelled stuff allowing an unusual amount of free time. Am so enjoying using pen and water colour again. The reference photo for this was very kindly given by Kate in the USA at:

http://chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.co.uk. 

Clearly this is not a native British breed which made it even more interesting to do. Anyway, hope you like it. I'm having HUGE problems printing the magpies. The close meshed pen work just disappears into a mass of black bleeding ink and loses all subtlety. I think I need to ring the paper manufacturers and see if they have any advice. I can't afford too many more mistakes at £1.00 a sheet!

It's been SO windy here but that's incredibly difficult to express through photography as nothing that might flex in a photogenic way can survive out on the moor, The grass is already flattened and the gorse bushes just wag a bit. Any trees out there are already sculpted into wind induced shapes so, I present to you:

WIND EXPRESSED THROUGH THE MEDIUMS OF DOG FUR, PONY HAIR AND PUDDLES 

I was nearly blown over on a number of occasions and came back feeling like my eyes had been sand blasted. It's a bit better today and no rain! 

Just before I go, I went to make a cup of tea earlier and saw a flash of white in our little Rowan tree out of the kitchen window. I looked closer and realised it was a Snow Bunting! I rushed to get the camera, turned it on, zoomed in and pressed the button. Unfortunately, in my haste and excitement, I didn't manage to focus and, as a result, am publishing possibly the worst photo ever taken. However, because of it's distinctive colour, or lack of it, I thought it worth putting in. Not sure it would stand up in court but it was there - honestly. They've been seen in Cornwall too apparently..... 

Until next time, have a lovely weekend and here's Snippet again looking ridiculous in the wind....