Young Kingfisher in Watercolour

 "Young Kingfisher"

Work in progress

I am afraid I have taken all day to protect the wildlife by our cottage. Phone calls, emails. All day I have been in touch with one wildlife and waterway soctiey after the other trying to find out who could help protect the nesting moorhens on the stretch of canal near where we live.

I was genuinely horrified last week to watch canal repairs taking place disregarding my notification to the authorities of nest making taking place. I had watched moorhens carrying nesting materials back and forth to make their nests over the last few weeks. So to stand by and see their natural nesting vegetation destroyed was heartbreaking. But at the end of today I had good news in that I was told by the authorities no further repair work will be carried out untill the moorhens have nested and activity has lessened here. Thank heavens.

And so I happily started painting again. A young kingfisher that sits on a branch in our garden is  really calling to my brushes. He seems to be there in early morning sunlight and disappears as the day gets colder. Who can blame him. I feel like hibernating too at the moment because it has turned so chilly here in UK.

This morning this sweet, colourful,  little bird seemed to be leaning forward with his feathers slightly ruffled, as if they were listening to the gorgeous dawn chorus of all the other birds singing.

I love this angle of the tiny head.

Hence the painting which is on my easel waiting to be completed but it looks ss lovely I may just start another one. I particularly love the light on the feet of this little bird in my painting.

Have a great week ahead and perhaps the moral of my moorhen nesting story is

"Never give up!"

The moorhens never gave up and kept rebuilding their nests regardless of the workmen. And I didn't give up on them either by my trying to protect them.

"Young Kingfisher"