Dawn’s Postcard Challenge by Jenny Harris

I do like your style of working Jenny. We spotted an Egret as well on the meadows at the back of our house. I'd never seen one before!

Thanks, Louise! It was the first time I’d seen one as well - they’re very elegant birds. We normally just see herons apart from the usual moorhens, ducks and swans. Our local river is a haven of wildlife and welcome tranquility at the moment.

Like it Jenny

Fabulous design element Jenny and the beautiful contrast of the Egret. We get the little Egrets on the estuary close by but when we had the beast from the east the other winter, one flew up from the burn at the bottom of the garden, I was quite amazed.

Another goodie in your distinctive style.

You’re loving these challenges Jenny, I can’t keep up! Super idea...

Many thanks Heather, Fiona, Richard and Alan! It’s somehow comforting to see all the wildlife getting on with their usual spring activities at the moment, especially the birds - we have robins nesting in the ivy opposite our kitchen window and yesterday a coal tit was busy collecting moss from the paving directly outside our study door. Alan, yes I do like the challenges, I was going to try some of the daily photos Dawn is posting at the moment, but am not so keen on working from photos, lovely as they are, although I should perhaps try at least one of them.

I admire this style so much, another cracking example.

I agree Jenny, it's so comforting to see the wildlife and nature carrying on as normal. We live about 6 miles south west from Manchester city centre and it never fails to surprise us just how much wild life we have here being so near to a busy city. We have rather beautiful water meadows at the back of our house and the River Mersey isn't far away. Not seen any little sparrows lately unfortunately (don't know why) but we have a woodpecker who visits our bird feeder,loads of starlings, heron who ate one of our fish and even parakeets now! Also, a little hedgehog trotted across our lawn recently which made my day as I know numbers are in decline. Hopefully we'll all appreciate nature more once all this trouble is over.

Yes, it always amazes me how much wildlife we have in our gardens - we live on the outskirts of a town in a busy part of Surrey with the M25 a few minutes walk in one direction, but we’re also on the edge of the Surrey Hills and a short walk in the other direction is the River Mole with lovely walks and footpaths into the surrounding countryside. In our garden we also regularly see hedgehogs, as well as a huge variety of birds - had a sparrow hawk sitting on our birdbath yesterday - and we have families of wood mice who are always in our bird feeder, they are my favourites! Strangely, we never get sparrows in the garden, although I often see them on rooftops locally, but we get herons in the garden every year (drives our dog absolutely wild) although a net over the pond has finally stopped their fishing expeditions. As I’m typing, just seen a magpie digging up our lawn for dirt to line it’s nest - they made a right mess of it last year, but it’s hard to keep them away.

Always a pleasure Jenny

Many thanks Lewis and Dennis (wondered where you’d got to) for your encouraging comments.

Beautifully done Jenny, and so you.

Thanks, Paul!

Beautiful again Jenny. Your style is so individual and recognisable. They would be big sellers on greeting cards.

Thanks, Diana! I do get a lot of greetings cards made up from my paintings and they always sell well at exhibitions as well as at my local framing shop. I had to buy a large quantity of envelopes and cellophane wrappers, though, which are in an almost square format, so am a bit restricted as to what images I can use!