Rebecca Thorley-Fox Art

FUNDED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL WALES. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ARIENNIR GAN GYNGOR CELFYDDYDAU CYMRU. PROSIECT YMCHWIL A DATBLYGIAD Ynys Hir RSPB reserve is situated along the Dyfi estuary in the heart of mid-west Wales’s Dyfi biosphere, a landscape teeming with life and breath taking views that are everyday transformed by changing light, weather and tide, a speciality of being close to sea! I watched the hills rapidly turn green during Spring after a very wintery landscape of rusty oranges, purple-reds and warm browns.The light and colours through April are just spectacular, this is my favourite time of the year. The Dyfi valley, still with its dry reed beds and bare branches, creates a soft back drop of subdued ochres and earth colours setting off  the luscious green vibrant buds of new life. The light is perfect too, with the sun not too high in the sky yet. Journal entries scribbled down during days spent exploring the reserve and spying on wildlife... Feb-March

                        August 29th Heavy rain over the mountains, tide going out. Arrived to find a group of young Goosanders preening and snoozing on the bank, one seemed particularly tired that afternoon allowing me time to play with watercolours. Sept 4th/5th Gorgeous sunny weather this week. I love studying the Goosanders in particular and am always happy to find them settled along the estuary banks out of the water.  I was sketching one youngster sleeping close to the rising waters edge when a young cow began approaching to rudely butt it out of this prime drinking spot. It seems any creature to be found happily situated along the edges of the estuary will often be driven off by something bigger. It appeared a fellow Goosander some distance away had spotted this scene unfolding. There was a loud frantic clatter as this heroic Goosander sprinted across water flapping hard along the way straight  to the ill fated Goosander in order to wake it up and return them safety to wat