Sketches from the River

There was a very handsome black duck nesting with all the other ducks

This is a cormorant - I'd never seen one of these before!

My boyfriend and I have discovered a lovely cycle route by the river near where we live, and for the last couple of weeks have spent Sunday afternoon on our bikes enjoying the last of the Summer.  It's really beautiful and there's so many birds!  There's about a half-mile stretch where the willow trees line each side of the bank, and are so huge that they bow over like great arches with their leaves dipping into the water.  That's my favourite bit, because the willows shield the wind, but you can still hear it rustling in their leaves above your head.

These are some sketches of the things we've seen on the route.  The first one is done with a black marker, but the other three are pen and ink, which I'm really enjoying using!  I'm hoping the weather will hold this Sunday so I can go out and do some more!