Woodpeckers and galls

As I was walking through our village Jubilee wood this week, I came across some galls in one of the small oak trees.  As many of the trees are still only 6-8 feet high you get a good view of the lichen, galls and other beasties who live there  and the bright almost luminous colours of some of the lichens in the sunshine are just wonderful.

 

These galls look like chocolate truffels stuck onto the branch but they definitely aren't for eating. The larval stages of the gall wasps induce the plant to make these abnormal growths called galls  and our native oak trees are host plants for more than 30 species!

I can feel a print coming on once I've done more research into these little creatures but in the meantime I'm working on a lino print of woodpeckers. Our peanut feeder has attracted a greater spotted woodpecker in this colder weather and it's a pleasure to see him feeding there even though the squirrels are very good at getting in first.

                                         Pen and ink sketch of Greater spotted woodpeckers for lino cut.  21 x 15 cm

Next stage......transferring to a block and start cutting once I've decided on whether to make it a reduction print or to use a block for each colour.  Watch this space!

Water voles .........

From enormous water beasts to tiny ones.....the water vole is one of our most endearing mammals and is just about holding on here in Britain.  The Great Fen project is doing its bit to encourage them back by careful management of the river banks and ditches and you can look out  for signs of water voles such as burrows in the banks and bits of nibbled grass and vegetation at the water's edge.

Latrines of droppings which are small and cigar shaped may also be seen on a branch or  flat area.

I thought I would show the difference between the brown rat and the water vole as any people get them confused, but there are quite significant differences. The  Brown Rat is larger to start with, and the Water Vole has  chestnut-brown fur, a more  rounded nose, with small, rounded ears that do not protrude from the fur and a shorter furry tail.

Pen and ink sketch for lino cut

Of course, at one time the 'plop' of a water vole diving into the water was a familiar sound but not any more. Let's hope with proper care and control of their main predator, the mink, this wonderful little creature will be both seen and heard a lot more.

Test print to check design of print, more work on this to be done.....  

 

Small thumb nail graphite sketches to work out the design for another lino cut so hopefully the finished prints will be ready for my next post......