Is This Partial Albinism? A Few Years Back I Saw A Blackbird (common Name) With A Lot Of White Feathers

Some wild fungi photos that I have taken this autumn. It always amazes me how quickly the fruiting bodies develop and the immense diversity of forms and colors that they can take.

I will probably be using this account to store photos that I have taken so I can use them later on, for work or in my art. Hopefully others will find them interesting or useful as well. I will avoid posting my art and other unrelated posts here.

The top one is the cap of a fly-agaric (a fairytale toadstool). I don’t know what species the others are but they were all photographed in the southeast of the UK.

I was wearing the lichen themed hair clip I made, while on a walk yesterday. I spotted some beautiful lichen and moss and decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. So here are a whole bunch of pictures of my hair clip alongside the organisms that inspired it, just because.

Plus 2 bonus pictures of lichen because I love it.

Backgrounds and geographical structures are things I, currently can't, but would really like to be able to draw/depict. and these are rendered so beautifully that I am saving it for inspirational purposes

Art by Gui Yuan

I went fossil hunting down at the Warren (in Folkestone, Kent, UK) on Thursday last week. These are some of my favourite finds from the trip (I washed them up at home).

Fossil hunting is great fun. If you live in the UK, and fancy giving it a shot, then there are some really handy websites that you should check out. https://ukfossils.co.uk/ and http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/fossil-locations-of-great-britain/

If you don't live in the UK but still want to give it a go then I would recommend looking for local fossil hunting clubs, societies and websites. Failing that you should try to look for areas where sedimentary rocks are being eroded. For instance, cliffs by the sea, rivers, old quarries, etc.

Just make sure you don't trespass or go anywhere too dangerous. For instance, if you are fossil hunting under cliffs at the beach, don't get to close to the cliffs (falling debris and cliffs collapsing) and plan around the tides (you don't want to get cut off).

My attempt at Smaugust 2024. Though I am randomly selecting prompts from multiple lists.

The first prompt shown is for fungi.

The second prompt is for amphibian.

The third prompt was venomous. I combined an adder which is my country's only native venomous snake with a Hoopoe bird which has a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria which produces noxious chemicals.

Some work acquaintances asked me to make them a butterfly hair clip after they helped me with an open day.

The first requested one based on a large emerald moth and the second asked for a peacock butterfly.

I am quite pleased with them so I thought I would share how they are made on the off chance that someone else wants to give it a go.

What you need:

- Denim or other suitably thick fabric from unwearable old clothes

- PVA glue

- acrylic paint

- embroidery hoop (optional but helps keep fabric flat)

- paper + tracing paper + pencil + scissors

- hot glue

- French barrette hair clip (alternatively you could stick it to a fridge magnet or something else)

How to make:

1. Prep the fabric by cutting a section, securing it in the hoop, then painting it first with PVA then with two layers of white acrylic paint (letting it dry between each application)

2. Find reference photos of desired species, preferably with wide open wings and taken from above.

3. Sketch half of the moth or butterfly onto a piece of paper.

4. Trace each wing separately on to the tracing paper and transfer to the fabric. Then flip and do this again so the wings are mirrored. Also do this for the body

5. Paint with acrylic paint.

6. Cut out and assemble with hot glue.

7. Stick it on to the hair clip (or other item) with hot glue

If you do make one, I would love to see them.

Today I visited the Ossuary in Hythe, Kent, UK with my parents. It was absolutely fascinating and well worth the visit if you are interested in local history (£3 adult entry).

You find yourself wondering about the lives they all lead and who they might have been. Hopefully they are all in a better place regardless.

It is no doubt due to angle and lighting but they all look like they have distinctive personalities and expressions if that makes sense.

A few more doodles for smaugust 2024. Not following any prompts, just trying to get back into doodling more frequently again.

A short clip from the safari at Port Lympne zoo as well as some pretty little common twayblade orchids that were growing there

I went along to a guided walk at Denge Wood near Canterbury (Kent, UK). The walk was run by butterfly conservation and we got to see some amazing butterflies, moths, orchids and lizards.

Including the Duke of burgundy butterfly, the green hairstreak butterfly, the dingy skipper, brimstones, orange tip butterflies, lady orchids, early purple orchids and twayblade orchids.

Unfortunately my camera is being mended so I had to take photos on my phone. But you can at least get an idea of how pretty they all are.

I would strongly recommend a visit if you are in the area and I recommend checking out the butterfly conservation website for local walks if you live in the UK as they are free and very informative.