The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is the smallest and least common of the UK's three species of woodpecker. It is most often found in the tops of trees where it creeps along branches in search of insects. Found in England, but rare in the north. Absent from Scotland and Ireland. Its 'drumming' is much quieter and less vigorous than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker; its presence is often only given away by this or their call.
The lesser spotted woodpecker is small in size, being not much bigger than a house sparrow. Males are black and white, with a red crown cap, and females are plain black and white. They both have a distinctive white ladder marking down their black back.
**Did you know?**
There are now believed to be less than 3,000 pairs breeding annually in the UK compared to nearly 45,000 greater spotted woodpeckers.
There is always a helping hand available in Meadowshire Woods in this composite image from Meadowshire Studio. A local fairy assists a fledgling bird in it's first flight.
Colloquially known as the "Gypsies of Fey," Farthings are small woodland creatures most commonly seen in abandoned or forgotten settlements where the natural elements have begun to reclaim the landscape. As a race, they can trace their lineage back to both faerie and goblinkind, but are not fully accepted by either branch of their family tree. Combining elements of each of their progenitors with attributes of other woodland inhabitants, Farthings vary widely in both color and physiognomy.
I'm just experimenting with some very old kohinoor woodless colored pencils. It's spring upstate. One is my husband's garage, one is a very sunny spring day on an ATV trail behind my house.
I'm working on a series of childhood stuffed animals versus child monsters (i.e. the safety of home vs the real world and its bullies). I haven't done the monsters yet, but here are the stuffed animals. I drew them from memory as opposed to referencing what Cheer Bear and Rainbow Brite's dog looked like. I looked after. I didn't get them quite right. That's OK; I think the wonkiness adds to the charm. These are drawn in reverse for a woodcut effect, then scanned and printed and gone over with gouache and watercolor.
