July

Another time warp - July almost over. I know they say that as you get older - time goes more quickly but this is ridiculous! In my defense I have been pre-occupied with a project in July but that is really no excuse. We went to Hastings and walked through beautiful Hastings Country Park to Fairlight Glen where all the little grottos and waterfalls were Victorian attractions. On the way home we made it up Firle Beacon - Finn loved it!

Apart from that I have been walking and photographing as usual, picking raspberries, picnicking in the heather up at Bignor Park, tending my garden.

Picking samphire, swimming in the sea, walking around pagham harbour, watching the starlings and generally making the most of summer.

February

It's been pretty wild, wet and windy lately and difficult to get out walking. Also my JRT has been ill but seems to be improving now, although I am cautious about being too optimistic as he is almost 15. A bit of Spring colour from the garden, a murmuration of starlings was amazing to watch in Waitrose car park (I felt that they put on a display just for us), more trees and stormy Wittering beach at East Head which sadly is eroding very quickly at the moment.

starlings

This is the first illustration I've done for a while and was inspired by these photos. We've had a lot of starlings in the garden recently, you either love them or hate them. I love them and they make me laugh, chattering away. They keep flying into our windows though, but as far as I'm aware none of them has been hurt.© 2013 nicky linzey

Stop and stare 17

Murmuration -I love this word used for a collection of starlings. We finally went to Brighton at dusk to see them flying over West Pier. Unfortunately the light was not good enough to get a photograph of the thousands that eventually gathered, this was just the start. Everyone was stopping to stare as they danced round and round in the most beautiful formations, it was very moving. We stayed until it was so cold My Jack Russell was shivering and we had to go home. There were many other interesting sights too.

starlings

Apparently the British starling population is down by nearly 80% because of the change in their habitat and they are fighting for food with the invasion of the European starling. I still get a lot in my garden but am yet to see a murmuration of starlings - which I would love to do.  My grandmother hated them - she said they were greedy and took all the food from the little birds but I rather like them. There were about 12 on my yucca tree but by the time I'd found the camera there were only two left. I love that the pattern on the birds matches the blossom on the yucca.

A murmuration of starlings © nicky linzey 2011

Dusk

The evenings are definitely getting lighter now - Spring is just around the corner. I was hoping to get to Brighton this week, where the starlings put on a display at dusk but time is running out ... it's Wednesday already.