Sandwich Terns, Redshanks, Curlew and Ringed Plovers - hot with heat haze. Watercolour sketch from this morning
Little Ringed Plover brooding four day old chicks. Sketched at Cley NWT
Two families in a quiet pool - Gadwall with ducklings and Water Rail with its brood, Cley, Norfolk
Water Rail with chicks sketched Cley. Spent an enjoyable summer watching birds raising young and this was one of the highlights
Svalbard Pink-footed Goose with GPS neck collar. Icelandic breeding birds winter in the UK and Svalbard birds winter in the Low Countries. The arrival of a known Svalbard bird in Norfolk goes hand in hand with the current influx of Whitefronts, Barnacles and Tundra Beans
Pinkfeet sleeping, loafing and preening in the early morning after being out all night feeding in the moonlight
An interesting goose paired to a Tundra Bean. The all pale peachy-pink bill, white halter and small dark spots on the upper belly perhaps point to it being a Tundra Bean X Russian Whitefront hybrid rather than an aberrant Tundra Bean. With Ash McElwee and Graham Fellows
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.
Eastern Black Redstart, field sketches, Sheringham. This handsome young male from Central Asia has brought some colour to the winter seafront and proved to be a popular attraction.
Pink-footed Geese arriving in the rain, Sheringham - seemed an apt image for this morning's weather. Rain drops peppering the watercolour washes. Not the greatest weather forecast for an exhibition preview evening but such is life!
Red-breasted Goose landing with Brent Geese, Cley, Norfolk, framed ready for my annual show jamesmccallum.co.uk
Hares sketched loafing and eating in the warm evening sun, 24th June, Weybourne, Norfolk. Framed ready for my annual show jamesmccallum.co.uk
Lesser White-fronted Geese - framed ready for my exhibition. A flock of 24 painted at Ken Hill Marsh, Norfolk in Jan 2025 and one of the highlights of the year. @wildkenhill.bsky.social details jamesmccallum.co.uk
Long-eared Owl - another painting framed ready for my exhibition www.jamesmccallum.co.uk A tired migrant roosting on the edge of the saltmarsh after crossing the North Sea, Warham Greens, Norfolk 16th October 2025
Pink-footed Geese arriving at dawn, North Norfolk - framed ready for my exhibition this weekend. Painted in sub-zero conditions and ice crystals have left their own marks in the watercolour washes
Shore Larks - Holkham Bay. Framed ready for my forthcoming show
Young Red-backed Shrike with Devil's Coach Horse. These beetles can eject foul smelling liquid to deter predators but in this case the shrike simply removed the head then swallowed it. Thornham 29th August
Fabulous exhibition of the personal art collection of the late, great Robert Gillmor opened today at www.birdscapes.co.uk Glandford, Norfolk. (image Tawny Owls by Eric Ennion)
Hares becoming active in the late evening - field sketch
Hares grooming and feeding - late evening field painting
Pinkfeet leaving Nigg Bay, Cromarty Firth at dawn. Wonderful to see the flocks against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of Ben Wyvis - quite a contrast to the familiar open landscape of North Norfolk
Pinkfeet near Dunbeath, Caithness. Interesting to see the geese feeding in sheep fields and in much smaller flocks than I'm used to in Norfolk. These Pinkfeet dropping in to feed with a small group of Greylags.
Preening Velvets and White-winged Scoter painted on the Fife coast. Good views were hard earned and away from the structure, bill colour and extensive white eye markings I was taken by the copper flank colour. This colour would glow surprisingly bright in the evening sunshine.
Velvet Scoters swimming against the tide painted near Leven, Fife. Among them a drake White-winged Scoter from America. A new species for me and one of three I saw in the Firth of Forth. Handsome birds and nice to contrast the two species feeding alongside each other.
First visit to Scotland for many years mainly looking at sea duck and following the Pinkfeet north. Fantastic to see flocks of Velvet Scoters with over half being adult drakes - a plumage I've hardly ever seen in Norfolk and generally not close either. Beautiful birds.
Shorelarks - sand bathing, preening, stretching and scratching. Nice to see a rare burst of sunshine this afternoon
Shorelarks in Holkham Bay. Not been to see them for a couple of years so really enjoyed spending some time watching and painting them. The fenced off area works really well in giving them an undisturbed feeding area in what is a busy place for people
Lesser White-fronted Geese field painting. The flock of of 24 birds from the Swedish reintroduction scheme have been a real delight. First time I've seen and heard a flock of this attractive species in a wild setting
