Category: Nature
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The Structure of Flowers
As we emerge from winter, it can be hard to remember the wonderful colours and forms of the summer garden. I felt like adding some colour to the blog this week, and so decided to focus on the flowers of summer. They really are the most amazing structures and, although sometimes a challenge to draw,…
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Robins
These friendly visitors to our gardens are such a welcome sight in winter. With their orange-red breasts and joyful song, they really lighten the darker days. Long associated with Christmas, it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at these birds and how they have featured in Manx culture over the years. The European…
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The Greylag Goose in the Isle of Man
Several species of geese can be found in the wild in the Isle of Man. Some are migratory visitors, whereas others are present year round. The picture is often confused by feral, previously domesticated, birds being seen alongside those that are genuinely wild. I’m going to take a look at the main species that can…
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The Migrant Hawker
Dragonflies are the most mesmerising of insects. To me, they always seem too big, too beautiful and too alien to be real when seen flying or hovering nearby. I guess one of the reasons they look so alien to me is that I don’t often see them, but we do have several species here on…
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Corvid Celebration
With Hop-tu-Naa on the way and the WildTober drawing prompts this week featuring ‘corvid’, I just had to feature these wonderful birds on the blog. The Isle of Man is lucky enough to be home to a variety of corvid species and it’s hard to take a walk or a drive in the car without…
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The Rowan Tree
The rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia), also known as the mountain ash or ‘Billey Keirn’ in Manx, is a deciduous tree native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Culturally, it has a deep connection with folklore and mythology, particularly in Celtic traditions, such as that of the Isle of Man. Rowan trees are glorious at this…
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Onchan Community Wetlands
I was recently looking at the Manx Wildlife Trust website and noticed that they have a reserve in the centre of Onchan. I thought I’d take a look on my way home from Douglas and was amazed to find a mini wetland reserve tucked between the Onchan streets. I took a few photos while I…
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Colours of Nature: Swatches from Bramble Blossom
The Island’s brambles are in full bloom at the moment and some are starting to develop the first signs of berries. Blackberry bushes are a difficult and often unsightly plant when they take hold in the garden and yet their flowers are such a beautiful sight when seen in the hedges. The delicate colours of…
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Ramsey Hedgerow
Dodging showers has become a well-practised art form this spring and summer. Mark and I took the opportunity to get out for a walk during a dry spell to investigate the wildflowers that are currently blooming in the hedgerows just on the outskirts of Ramsey. I’m working on some ink-drawing tutorials and thought wildflowers would…
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Cushag: Controversial in Many Ways
It’s Tynwald Day, the National Day of the Isle of Man! Across the Island, celebrations are taking place and people are enjoying the Bank Holiday. Many people wear bollan bane (mugwort) as part of the celebrations but I thought I’d take a look at what I used to think was the official flower of the…
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Exploring the Forest Garden
A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited by Pat Kelly to visit her beautiful forest garden for a look around and a sketching session. It was such a delight to explore the many species which call this garden home, and Pat was so knowledgeable that I could have stayed all…
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Fuchsias and the Isle of Man
Fuchsias are gorgeous with their striking and colourful blossoms, just coming into flower at this time of the year in all their magenta glory. Originating primarily from Central and South America, these plants have become popular worldwide for their ornamental beauty and have naturalised into several areas of the British Isles, including the Isle of…
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Sketches from Laxey Glen: Ink and Graphitint pencils
No matter the time of year, Laxey Glen is always incredibly beautiful and full of interest for the artist or natural historian. This glen has a rich history of ownership and cultivation, so there’s an interesting mix of tree species and a number of man-made structures such as paths, bridges and steps, as well as…
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Moss Hunt
One of the benefits of having an extremely untidy garden is the biodiversity that develops within it. At this time of year, it can seem that there’s not much of interest out there, but take a closer look and it’s amazing just how much variety and inspiration is present. This week, I set myself the…
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A Little Post About Little Egrets
The little egret, Egretta garzetta, is a small, slender heron with a predominantly white plumage. It has become an increasingly frequent visitor to the Isle of Man and, as it feeds on crustaceans and small fish, can be seen in places where it can wade and hunt for food. I recently photographed one doing just…
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Kingfishers and their Surprising Beauty
It’s hard not to be impressed by the striking beauty of kingfishers. The kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), with its orange, cyan and blue plumage, is easy to recognise and hard to forget. Seen each year on the Isle of Man, I decided to draw this beautiful bird and then looked into the reason it has such…
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12 Days Wild
This year, I took part in the Manx Wildlife Trust’s nature challenge ’12 Days Wild’. The aim is to do one nature-based activity each day between the 25th of December and the 5th of January. I thought it would be fun, but I wasn’t expecting to get so much out of the simple push to…
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Our Recent Waxwing Visitors and the Next 7 Inkvent Inks
We were recently lucky enough to have a visit from waxwings in Ramsey at the end of November. The European Waxwing is a distinctive bird species native to northern Europe, Scandinavia, and parts of Asia. Every so often, they visit the Isle of Man in autumn or winter in their search for food. Their arrival…
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Finding Inspiration in the Trees
Drawing trees has been a love of mine since my mum first showed me how to represent their dividing branches. There’s something in the ever decreasing, repeating pattern of their boughs that comforts me as I draw. Add to that, the colours of the leaves and the beautiful textures of the bark, moss and lichen…
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A Walk Around Tholt-y-Will Glen
There’s nothing better than heading to a woodland in the autumn. The warm hues and crunch of leaves underfoot are a joy for the senses. The glen at Tholt-y-Will is a particularly good destination at this time of year, as the River Sulby cuts through the woodland and provides a number of waterfalls to contrast…
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Ravens and the Isle of Man
With Hop tu Naa just around the corner and the spookiness of Halloween soon to be celebrated in many parts of the world, join me in taking a look at how the raven has gained a reputation as being supernatural and its links with Manx culture. The Raven Ravens (Corvus corax) are birds that nest…
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Inspiring the Young to Nature Journal
Encouraging children to take time to observe and record the natural world may spark a deep interest in nature that can last a lifetime. Not only is such an interest crucial if we are to have a world full of adults that want to take care of nature and understand our links with it, such…