A foggy start to the #CityNatureChallenge made birding difficult so I turned to the plants instead. 106 species seen for day one, with birds accounting for about 35%. Fun to see the 12 mile walk in a trail of pictures afterwards! @inaturalist.bsky.social @teamneyedc.bsky.social

They have been restocked! ko-fi.com/s/41796a5a8f

They have been restocked! ko-fi.com/s/41796a5a8f

Redstart, Wheatears (4), Yellow Wags (2) & Red Kite have been the highlights over these past few days of #patchbirding. 11 new species for the year, taking me to 105 points for the challenge already! A big head start on last year 🐦

Got my copy of The New Birds of the Sheffield Area a few days ago. It’s seriously good. I can see I am going to lose hours😉 Gratuitous photo of one of the illustrations I did for it too. #Birds #UKbirding #sciart

Here's the last painting I produced for the report on my local wildlife 🦋 Butterflies and plants are new subjects for me art-wise but it would be a crime to leave a page on butterflies without an illustration #sciart #butterflies #painting

I made a glow-in-the-dark sticker inspired by my time finding Jack Snipe with a thermal at Spurn. #birds #birdart #sciart #ukbirding

Look what arrived today! Thank you to everyone who has ordered one, they will be posted out over the next few days 🐦 A link for anyone interested in one (or the free digital version): ko-fi.com/s/576ed43853

It’s been a good winter for Jack Snipe at Cley NWT, with a bird favouring the cut reeds near Bishop’s Hide.However, seeing them is a different matter !

The long awaited owls returned to the #patchbirding list last month. Both Short-eared and Barn Owl. Neither of which had been seen in over a year. And can't forget the 80 feeding White-fronts either! Very lucky to see them in such numbers. #ukbirding

And so it begins... 1/1 last night, a Hebrew Character #teammoth #vc61

The bird report that I’ve been writing about my #patchbirding is now out! It includes many months of research, writing, illustrations, and photographs from the local community too. It is free to look through and I hope a nice read even for those not local 🐦 Here's a link: figham.neocities.org

The #PWC2026 January review is now out! Take a look at where you have come in the mini-leagues and gawp at what others have seen on their patches! To do this, click the link to go to our blog: patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/02/janu... Hope you enjoy reading it!

Some excellent goose watching in North Norfolk over the last week. A notable influx of White-fronted, Barnacle and Tundra Bean Geese joining the Pinkfeet flocks. The Netherlands is most likely the origin of these birds. Certainly livened up the grey weather.

Here's a watercolour painting of my patch and the birds that live there. After numerous months of planning and painting, I'm really excited to share the final result. I'd love to hear which bird is your favourite! #birds #birdart #sciart #painting

Very excited that this project might (finally) be finished this month! 60 pages of data, artwork and community photographs. Here's the first look at the front cover that I just finished painting. #birds #ukbirding #patchbirding

I framed up a few of my original sketches and listed them on my shop today. There's also a few prints still available if you'd like some smaller versions too 🐦 ko-fi.com/owentatdraws... #birds #birdart #traditionalart

Back to work: just finished this watercolour of Glaucous-winged Gulls from Egg Islands, near Cordova in Alaska. We've visited this place last May, during our Artists for Nature Foundation & Native Conservancy project. You can see our boat approaching from the left.

The patch has quieted down recently, so here's a painting of a regular winter scene, when the Cormorants would hang out on their chosen telegraph pole. #birds #birdart #watercolour #painting

Took my scope #patchbirding for the first time in case there were any geese about. There was a 10 minute gap in the fog which produced a Tundra Bean, 3 White-fronts, 3 Barnacles! And 2 bonus Water Rails on the walk back. Very pleased! #ukbirding

My #patchbirding champion badge has arrived! Now to find the best place to display it... The 2025 recap: patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/2025...

Flying low over a clover field, it then soared skyward in one swift motion! The blue sky stretched endlessly onward. #Illustration #LineArt #CommentPls

Is anyone familiar with the scheme that puts these trackers on Pink-feet? There didn't appear to be any numbers on this one #ukbirding

A lovely birthday suprise to see I won a pin badge for my patch birding this year! A big thank you to the admins for all the work that they put into this challenge. It's my favourite monthly read 🐦

110 bird species in 100 #patchbirding visits during 2025. There's been some really amazing birds to see - Snow Geese, Redstarts, Hawfinch, Jack Snipe, White-fronts & the unexpected Gannet. I've written a 70+ page report, but for now here are my favourite photos 🐦 Happy 2026! #birds #ukbirding

A year of Teesside’s coastal wildlife and wonders - they can take some finding but, mercifully, they’re still hanging on, for now. Wishing everyone the best for 2026. 🪶🐡 #nature #art

Now I've ticked the White-fronts! 13 of them amongst the distant Pink-feet, as well as two Egyptian Geese which are a patch first. Great way to end the year! #birds #ukbirding #patchbirding

A lively morning for #patchbirding equalling my day record of 56 species. 5 Grey Partridge, 4 Whoopers, 4 GBBG, Marsh Harrier, Green Woodpecker, & 600 Pink-feet being the highlights. Enjoy this European Rabbit to make up for the lack of photos I took. #ukbirding #birds

Some excellent birding related Xmas gifts - an @rspb.bsky.social hat, and a beautiful Marsh Harrier print by @owentatdraws.bsky.social

Time for a new #artvsartist post 🐦 I'm quite proud of the work I've made this year, and I'm really grateful for the experiences behind them. #birds #birdart #sciart

Here's a juvenile Green Woodpecker commission that I painted last month and can now share 🐦 It was inspired by a moment from a birding trip, when we finally managed to see the species that had been escaping them again and again. #birds #birdart #sciart

A bright, female Reed Bunting that stood out in the dreary weather this morning. I also spotted my first Peregrine for the patch and a Jack Snipe (the first record in 20 years from the data I've found) #patchbirding #ukbirding #birds

I had a few more prints made of my favourite pieces 🐦 There's only 1 or 2 of each design at the moment, but I hope you can find something that you like. You can also save 30% by buying the themed packs: ko-fi.com/owentatdraws... #birds #birdart #sciart

After missing a group of 36 White-fronts at the beginning of the year, checking the Pink-feet flocks finally paid off earning me a patch tick White-fronted Goose (top left) this afternoon. #birds #ukbirding #patchbirding

Starlings leaving their roost at NCW 7/12/25 - great spectacle

The single curlew prints have now sold out but there's still one pack left for 30% off! 👀

I had a few more prints made of my favourite pieces 🐦 There's only 1 or 2 of each design at the moment, but I hope you can find something that you like. You can also save 30% by buying the themed packs: ko-fi.com/owentatdraws... #birds #birdart #sciart

Starlings leaving their overnight roost on Reedbed Lake, North Cave Wetlands, at 7:30am. this morning. An equally impressive sight as the afternoon murmurations if a lot shorter in duration, all over in 36 seconds. @northcavewet.bsky.social

Whoopers, GWE, and a confiding Grey Wagtail have been the #patchbirding photo highlights this past week. #birds #ukbirding

I was glad to see the 2 Taiga Bean Geese last week at Dooey in West Donegal. Having managed brief views of 1 of the 9 Taiga's that had been at Inch, it was a great opportunity to be able to take in the structure and details. A Pink-footed sleeping in a roadside field made for a much better subject.

Had a feeding Hawfinch on the patch this morning! He gave some nice, clear views before disappearing into the bushes. This section of the patch has turned up some great birds recently - Redstart, Spot Fly, Siskin, Redpoll, and now all the returning Redwings. #patchbirding #ukbirding #birds

Birds in stained glass, freestanding #art or wall sculptures, rarely window panels. My birds are celebrations, explanations, rants and sometimes tears; but like the birds that inspire them, they are all beautiful dancers-with-light…

Had a Great White Egret land, then fly past this morning, and a Redpoll calling too. Both new for #patchbirding! #birds #ukbirding

Up to 100 species for #patchbirding this year. September saw the addition of a Green Sandpiper, Siskins & a Gannet! Also great to have two Spotted Flycatchers at the start of the month, and closing out with 3000 Pink-feet flying over #birds #ukbirding

Poster I made for the Great Midwest Crane Fest!

My Avian august piece is done! x) 30 birds from Hawaii done in watercolour #avianaugust #birdart #art #watercolourart

Please excuse the poor photos, but this Gannet was a very unexpected sight over my inland patch this morning! I also had two calling Siskins, which are another patch first. #patchbirding #ukbirds

Another artwork for the report, a Lesser Whitethroat skulking between branches. Mixing it up by working digitally (aka didn't fancy spending hours on a linocut) #birds #birdart #digitalart

A Grey Partridge in the sun. Illustrated for a bird report I'm writing about my local patch. #birds #birdart #watercolour #painting

A Spotted Flycatcher from this morning (usually a yearly September visitor). 2 Redstarts (new to the patch), 29 Yellow Wagtails & 36 Curlew also around. #patchbirding #ukbirding