18 years living in rural Devon and finally she came. A fleeting visit. Utterly magical and unforgettable.
The rain finally cleared for a while and I stood at the window watching the birds browsing in the garden and jostling at the feeders. A community of wildlife so familiar that the colour and movement of someone new immediately caught my eye.
She stayed just a short while enjoying the safety and the buds of the blackthorn. Then she was gone.
This mixed media sketch is my response. Below is the text beneath the paint.
Wednesday 27. March 2024
Bruckton Linhay
Dry grey day after months of rain
10
Blue tit
Great title
Coal tit
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Blackbird turning over leaves
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Great spotten woodpecker swoops in. Jittery.
Long-tailed tits arrive and leave
Jay assesses the scene from afar
Then I spot her.
Quietly perched amongst the blackthorn blossom I see a bullfinch gently picking at the buds. I wonder if she has visited the garden before unseen.
3 APR 2024.