Rousham

The day started with a surprise.. I opened my bedroom curtains and spotted Mrs Blackbird searching along the gutter for her breakfast. I watched her for a moment and then was amazed at the amount of birds flitting around in the garden. All summer I thought the birds had all been chased away by the sparrowhawk as there have been so few visible. However, this morning I saw a wren taking a bath in the basin on the terrace (the first bird I have seen bathing.. the pigeons sip) , there were many blue tits chasing eachother between bushes.. a great tit eating insects in the philadelphus, chiff chaffs.. two perhaps three hopping among the long stalks of allium and jumping for flies on the grass, a goldfinch or 6 checking out the seeds on the tips of flowers, Mr blackbird keeping watch, a tree creeper on the plum tree... the list goes on and on.. oh yes a robin defending the space and chasing off another robin at high speed.. honestly it was like I had been transported somewhere else.. completely wonderful start to my day!!

I then had a plan to go plein air painting with a friend.. we haven't seen eachother all summer so it was with great excitement that we decided to meet up at Rousham House.. we arrived with a fairly thick layer of cloud at 11 but it soon burnt off and we had a really lovely chatty, painty day together.. the temperature crept up to 22C and it was the summeriest day I have spent all year! A picnic lunch, lots of painting, drawing and wander through the garden in the late afternoon before heading home.. I am exhausted now but have had a the most lovely day.