Fledglings

C & D have now returned home; it was lovely to have them visit for such a long time.  C has planted up some pots for me with trailing lobelia and geraniums, so more nice things to draw.

This morning I was in the garden bending over some flowers wondering whether to take a flower to art class to draw when I heard something whizz over my head.  Then there was a scrabbling noise to my right where the Engineer has put up a large grey tent to store some stuff from his shed.  The shed is going to a new home and being replaced with a larger shed.  The scrabbling had come from a fledgling blackbird which had flown into the tent, as in splat.  It wasn't hurt and was just staring at the tent as if to say "where did that come from?".  Mummy blackbird then arrived with a beak full of worms and a reassuring chirp.

The fledgling then seemed to carefully think about all of its next moves.  It looked at the garden chair that was next to the tent, then looked at the floor, then repeated the move before hunching its shoulders and flying onto the chair.  No splat this time.  It did this sequence every time it flew to a new perch and it let me stand there with my camera and take photos.  The sun was warm and the birds were singing it was quite a special moment.

I don't know if this little one is male or female but its all beak and feet at the moment.

On the way to the art class I dropped into a garden centre and picked up a geranium called Lotusland.  It has such amazing leaves that I couldn't resist.  It will be quite a challenge to draw - I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, or draw.

Gulp!