Wildlife
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl – carved in Yorkstone. They’re impressive owls when you catch a glimpse of one! Short-eared Owls hunt during the day, so can be spotted occasionally here on the North York Moors flying low over the heather, on fence posts, or in the rough moorland grass. It breeds here too, nesting on the […]
Whinbusks in bud
I walked up onto the moor yesterday morning, there had been a hard frost overnight covering the ground dusty white. Through the cold came the birdsong and the gleam of the rising sun and I felt the push of spring despite the chill. Once on the moor path along Lastingham Ridge, I’m aware of […]
Forest and Moor
Goldcrest sculpture ready for showing at the Forest and Moor exhibition – carved in Yorkstone with gold leaf crests. Forest and Moor is the new exhibition opening on March 5th at the Watermark Gallery in Harrogate. The exhibition is showing the expressive artwork of North Yorkshire artist Janine Baldwin. One or two of my […]
Hare Hesitant
‘Mad as a March Hare’ they say…. March is right in the middle of the Hare’s breeding season, the males searching out the females, chasing and circling them. If a male tries to get too close too soon, the female stands up on her hind feet and turns on him striking with her forepaws, […]
Crested Tit
As part of my collection of Little Birds, I’m working on a Crested Tit today. I’ve never seen one, and although they’re common in Europe, the only place to see them in the UK is Scotland. They’re found in coniferous forests and ancient pinewoods in Inverness or Strathspey. The Crested Tit is lively and […]
More on the Hawfinch idea
The idea of carving a larger Hawfinch sculpture is still with me (after my thoughts during the Big Garden Birdwatch) and I’ve been making some preparations by sketching and making clay models. I’m working on ways of showing the rather flamboyant wing feathers, which have a twisty-curvy ruffled appearance at the tips Additionally, I’ve […]
Snow Curlew
I’m making good progress on my Curlew sculpture despite the east wind bringing with it snowstorms. Carving continues – the flurries don’t last long, and they give me the chance to stand back and look properly at how things are developing. This stage of working the sculpture is thrilling – there’s definitely a Curlew […]
Big Garden Birdwatch 2021
I’ve been watching the birds all weekend, but actually timed myself for an hour this morning as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, after the snow flurry finished, and the sun came out. One of my aims this year was to carve the first bird I saw – spend the day, once the […]
Little Bird with ivy
I’m quite a fan of ivy, I know not everyone’s favourite, but there are so many benefits to wildlife in having thick clumps of it, as ground-cover or clambering its way up walls, buildings or trees, that I allow it pretty much free ramble. The ivy in the garden is providing wonderful, and essential […]
Partridge Sculpture
Partridges are forever connected to the Pear Tree, from the Twelve Days of Christmas carol but really they’re ground birds. I watch them often here at the workshop as they visit regularly and do like to find a vantage point as a ‘look-out’ post, usually a block of stone, or the workshop roof (where […]