Nature Journaling and Field Sketching

I went to my local nature reserve and enjoyed sitting and observing from a boardwalk overlook of a swamp. The most interesting thing that I got out of this exercise was the incredible range of sounds that I heard as I sketched—birds, insects, and one mysterious splashing sound that I never got to the bottom of. It really helped me be more present in the moment and get out of my head for a few minutes!

My "sit spot" was in my backyard, at the edge of the stone patio. This is my first drawing from this spot - in fact, it is my first "sit spot" drawing! It was very cloudy and started to drizzle lightly, but I stayed put. Focusing on the plants was easy for me. I noticed that my intense concentration on writing and drawing (something that I have never done before outside of elementary school) blocked out some of the surrounding sounds: like the birds. From time to time, I stopped to listen and heard a blue jay and red-bellied woodpecker. But what other birds did I miss?

My sit spot is more of a stand spot, as there isn't great views from the bench.  My place is a pollinator garden where I work, and for a few days I went and looked around when there weren't any other people out there to see just what was going on.  I came upon several sweat bees working away gathering pollen on some Coreopsis.  After a few days of gathering notes about them, taking photos, trying to measure them with a little ruler, and observing their behavior, I created a journal page about them.  I'm going to have to go back and write in the conditions and weather, since I forgot to put that in.  Every time I observed them out there it was around 12 p.m. EST and sunny.

1. I have been sit-spotting for about three years, but every time its a transformative experience. Mainly calming, but also excellent for rediscovering human survival techniques. 2. Observations of birds are most natural, because I've been a birder for a long time. Observations of plants require a little more attention, for their detail is usually smaller and less noticeable then most birds.

It was a warm and sunny afternoon at one of my favorite parks in the area. I found a nice bench to sit. One challenge I found was to keep from getting up to get closer looks at things. There was a lot of activity and I found that over time I was able to pick up more on each individual thing, and one notable observation was the change in wind.

It was a warm sunny afternoon in my backyard. I noticed the heat, a slight breeze swaying branches and leafs. The water fall in my pond, was making some splashy noises that made me imagine to feel cooler.  There was some bird activity and singing, and some other wildlife activity.  I decided to focus on light and dark patterns on two different trees, a cypress  and a banana tree, and tried to sketch in the cardinal that landed in the cypress tree while I was drawing it.

Very cool! I feel like I usually take my time when I walk in the woods, even do some birdwatching, but this was completely different. I closed my eyes and listened, felt the breeze, heard the leaves rustle, heard the birds, near and far. The act of taking notes, however, is what really put me in the moment. Spring has just arrived in New England, and I cannot wait to get out there and find another sit spot - or revisit the same one!

April  2, 2023 4:55 PM the weather is sunny and 88° I just arrived at my sitting spot, facing the marsh and Trout Creek. It is the dry season, and all the water has dried up and the beds are now dried mud. There is a slight warm breeze, and I can hear the sound of wind in the Sabal Palms. As I was walking to my spot all the birds that were gathered on the dried marsh all flew away, in a great formation. There were Great Egrets, Black Vultures, Snowy Egrets, AmericanWhite Pelicans, and Wood Storks forging around until they noticed my presence. I hear the cry of a Red Shouldered Hawk above me and a small orange butterfly is flittering by me. The sun is to my left, and the rays are filtering through the Sabal Palms and Slash Pines. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my arm, and on the side of my face. The warm balmy breeze is soothing. I notice blue skies with white puffy clouds are in the distance. Life is good 😊

I sat in a sunny spot in my backyard near an Oregon white oak tree. I really did notice that the birds were much louder and more active after about 5-10 minutes of me sitting there. It was a very windy day. I noticed one bird using its tail feathers to maintain balance and stay in the tree, very cute, and the kind of subtle observation that I would have missed if I hadn't really been focused on making observations. I also really enjoyed doing it in my backyard. Because I sit in that space all the time, this experience really emphasized to me how many different ways there are to experience the same place depending on what you are paying attention to.

find a location to do a sit spot: My  sister, my dad and I went to a forest in Seward park. We went into the woods and found a spot with lots of trees and did a sit spot, it was a fun experience I even saw a pileated woodpecker witch I’ve never seen before!!

Find a location to try a sit spot:  I used my front deck this morning.  There is a bird feeder in the front yard so that was really active this morning.  I struggled with drawing the birds while I was watching them.  I did spend a little time after I came in from my sit spot to use images I had to finish my birds.  I think I have to try to do a rough sketch quickly in the moment and not worry about all the details.  It was a good experience and even doing it a short time I feel like I learned alot about how I want to journal moving forward.  Making notes in the field, maybe doing quick sketches that I could revisit once I'm home.  Putting more detail later but making my notes in the moment. Good experience. :)  

It was cold & snowy when I went out--I jotted down observations and a quick tree sketch but did most of my drawings back at home using my photos.  Albany Pine Bush Preserve, I will be back!

I went for a drive and stopped along a scenic view spot.  I was there for over an hour.  Now when I drive by this spot I have a fond memory of sketching there.

It's been incredibly warm here right into November, but that's over now. So sitting outside poses some challenges, but I'd still like to try it as long as I bundle up!  I really enjoyed this exercise, but I do still find drawing a lot of work. I used colored pencils to enhance my drawings.

I love the sit spot experience. I will bring my watercolors next time and see what comes to me. I returned to our cabin at 10,000 feet empty, still, and calm. Thank you for this course. Cynthia Schoen

Too rainy and cold end of sept here (bancroft, ontario area) so I haven't made the time for the outdoor sit spot. I did make a sketch of an outdoor creature who decided to make my home his sit spot. He arrived one night, discovered close to mid nite on July 30th. And unlike the previous toad in the house, this one wasn't dog assisted. This toad was on his way up to my bedroom, sitting on the second stair up. After photographing and admiring him for a moment, I assisted him outside, which he met with an evacuation of his day's browsing. You'd think that was a sign he wasn't impressed with me and the house. But the next night I found him huddled against the front door. I sat and scratched his back. He didn't move. I wondered if he actually liked it so I scratched the rounded belly on his right side. I thought he moved into the scratch. I switched to the LHS. He DID move into the belly rub. I'm left wondering why he ventured inside and tried again to do so the following night. I haven't seen him since. Not my prince ;) .Did the weather turn colder those nights in July? Your thoughts welcome.

My sit spot was across the street in a 152 acre woods.  On a recent walk I noticed red-headed woodpeckers.  I was delighted since I had been looking for them since last year.  Last year I spotted the nest, saw an adult carrying food and later in the season I saw a juvenile.  Unfortunately this woods has been discovered by a youth on an ATV.  I wondered if their absence was due to the ATV.  I was elated to see them briefly and decided to return and "sit".  I observed their habit of perching alongside of a dead tree top.  I realized that this vantage point allowed them to look around for insects and to fly out and catch them.  I saw 2 adults and one juvenile.  I later read that a clutch of eggs is commonly 5.  I wonder if there were more juveniles that I hadn't seen.  I sketched in the field and later did a watercolor.

I went to the woods close by ~5 min walk away. I had been there lots of times, just quickly walking through, so it was amazing to slow down and see the woods come alive! (This was in May. I found out about these discussions after that, so I am filling in things retroactively.) I wrote down a list of all the birds I saw/heard, and there were so many! One, a black-and-white warbler, perched on a branch directly over my head. It wasn't afraid at all. The reason why it was extra special...it was a new bird to add to my life list on eBird. Most observations are easy for me, but I have a hard time describing the smells of the woods (like decaying leaves, new leaves coming out, rotting wood, etc.).

1.I sat not far from the sparrows. At first, most sparrows flew away in groups, so I waited on the ground.After seven minutes, the sparrows flew to the ground one by one to find food. I had the opportunity to observe.At first, they were far away from me, about 5 meters. As I sat on the ground for longer and longer, they gradually became less vigilant, only 2-3 meters away from me. The sparrows are hiding in the grass, and their color are very close to the ground. It was very hot at that time, and many sparrows took a bath in the small puddle. Unfortunately, I was too far away to see them clearly. There were so many sparrows that I was dazzled, so I shifted my attention to a few sparrows standing on the pine tree. They were combing their feathers (or scratching their heads). I did not hesitate to record these lovely little sparrows. They were so cute and hairy! Fortunately, I saw two sparrows scratching their heads. One of them was facing me in the front and the other was in the back, so I quickly drew it. Unconsciously, 40 minutes have passed. 2. Watching and listening is easy, but it's difficult to describe the smell and the sound with watercolor. So I often draw some pictures.

On an unusually  cold, wet  winter's day (11-12C) my sit spot was watching the Rainbow Lorikeets shelter on a bamboo pole we set up under shelter with some Lorikeet mix and cut up apple.  The birds were so wet, cold and tired they didn't worry about me.  It was so lovely watching them cuddle up and preen in pairs, and I was able to identify a few significant individuals, one from his injuries and others from their habits.  There were no smells that came to me but sounds and images were just lovely. I spent about one hour and had to drag myself away then!

I typically sit outside in early the morning. It is amazing how much quieter it is then in the evening. It definitely was a mix of nature and manmade sounds.

Spent 30 minutes in the backyard watching a whole cadre of carpenter ants work to demolish a fallen Ponderosa Pine tree. Sat on another nearby fallen tree until the ants there were too pesky, running up my feet and legs, breaking my concentration. These trees have been excellent places to sit for more than ten years - once the ants have them chewed up, we will miss them!