1. My sit spot was right in my front yard. I live right across the road from a wildlife refuge, so there is usually some interesting wildlife around. I set up a chair and sat with my journal for around 20 minutes. After only a few minutes a group of sparrows was splashing in a large puddle in the road(every time a car passed they would fly away and then return), two mourning doves landed in a tree a few feet away from me, 5 turkeys was walking around on the other side of the street, and I could hear dozens of bird calls coming from all directions.I quickly sketched the mourning doves and turkeys. I tried to sketch the sparrows, but they kept flapping around and I couldn't get the sketch to look right.

2. Seeing the turkeys and the sparrows was easy, but I would not have noticed the two mourning doves hidden in a sassafras tree if I was not paying close attention. I usually notice the bird calls, but sitting silently allowed me to hear an even wider range of calls.

My sit spot was a amazing! I got to notice things that I would have never have observed. Like the tiny ants scurrying about and the texture and colour of different flowers and leaves. I got time to sit quietly and take in all the nature around me. I collected a real samples of the flower I saw. It was really good idea to do a sit spot at sunrise because that's when there is a variety of birds. In other words, it's a bird paradise time!

3 June 2021, 12:10 - 12:40 pm in Cape Coral, Florida                 Sit Spot: on our dock on Sapphire Canal

The sky is overcast to the east; dark gray clouds are drifting northward. It's very sunny here but pleasant because of a light breeze to the north.

- wind-blown ripples on canal water; large clusters of oysters on the dock pilings; water visibility only about 10 inches below surface

- an orange butterfly is flitting among the maroon bougainvillea blossoms

- three gardenia blossoms on the bush at the corner of the pool cage; buds on the bush next to pool cage door

- small brown anole (2-1/2") skittering along the stone wall of the dock

- one white ibis in neighbor's yard poking the ground for mole crickets/bugs/worms

- mockingbird singing in the distance

I found my sit spot experience to be very relaxing and I stayed for 30 minutes rather than 15 because I lost track of time. I am looking forward to going back to this area for more nature journaling as the birds were very active and there were many different plants and fungi that would be fun to draw. I was near a well-used trail, so the birds were very accustomed to human presence and appeared soon after I sat down. Definitely visual and auditory observations came most easily to me, and while I did enjoy the scent of the forest, I forgot to write down anything about it. I attempted to estimate distance and size, but I am not sure how accurate I was.

I sat quietly in my converted bedroom (read studio) because it just is too blustery to sit outside. I will make it a point to go out and sit quietly by the river here in Milwaukie Oregon, tomorrow. I will bring my journal and do as Liz suggested. Looking forward to it. In the meantime - I sketched a couple of small pictures I found in these lessons.

It was partly cloudy and warm. 4/28/21. I chose to sit on a swing in my yard. It was quiet with bird song until some county work trucks came up the street and parked under my oak tree on the berm. I saw a lot of green plants so I looked for things that were not green, blue (sky) or grey/brown. That left the red flower stems on the air plants in the oak tree, and the orange head of the lizard in the driveway. I talked to him and he looked at me awhile and ran away. The next day the flower stems opened with long blue flowers with yellow centers. So small I wonder how they get pollinated. They lasted one day.  So, I drew the lizard's face and arm, and the flower stem. I don't know how to upload it. Maybe I'll try that next time.

4/29/21 - I sat in my backyard and heard many sounds - neighbors, traffic, then the wind, birds (sparrows?), bees buzzing, a big fly.  It was sunny and breezy, 84. I smelled the roses and orange blossoms. Even in my small backyard, in a suburb, after about 10 minutes I had some visitors.  A tufted titmouse flew in, got an insect, flew out.  A hummingbird checked out some nasturtium. I didn't sketch or draw at all. My journal looks like a checklist.  And, that's OK for now.  I liked sitting and seeing and hearing and smelling.

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Interesting to do this in a neighborhood on a day when everyone wants to be outside and everyone is making noise! Enjoyed the songs the scents, the breeze and the colors of nature nonetheless.

I really enjoyed this exercise. I sat in my front yard by a tree behind a low hedge. It was remarkably quiet with very few cars going by. I spent almost an hour out there. It was very therapeutic. I made quite a few notes and tried sketching a couple of things. I need more practice at the sketching! I noticed that I couldn't name all the plants and certainly couldn't id some of the birds I heard.

This is something I will do again just for the pleasure of it!

I enjoy sitting and observing, but always have to make myself take the time, so this was a good exercise and I spent well over half an hour in my garden, in a spot overlooking the pond and bird feeders.   At first I just heard bees buzzing, birds chirruping in the distance and wood pigeons and rooks flying over.  After about ten minutes small birds started to come into the trees and to the feeders.  I did a couple of sketches, but not very successful - this is what I need to improve.    I couldn't observe the bees closely as they were in the flowers and I didn't want to move to disturb anything else.   After the session I went to look at them closely and identify those I could.  NB - I am in England, so the species are different to the US!

Multiple failed attempts at this, I am impressed with other submissions and have used them to self-inspire.  I have given myself ten days at this trying to accomplish the sit and awe to take it all in.   On my 4th attempt I was able to sit long enough to let nature come back to me, but I am seriously lacking the ability to sit and observe for 20 minutes.  My journal page looks more like a "to do list".  I am going to have to carry on and work at this aspect of Awe.

I've been doing this for years now and have been keeping a nature journal but wanted to up my art abilities so I could do more visuals. I live in MN and what I like to do is go to the same local spots over and over again...we have several marshes close by and I have photographed the same locations over and over again all seasons. Becoming accustomed to one location like that allows you to see nature change over and over again. Are the marshmarigolds spreading year to year? How is that old tree rotting, what lichen and fungus are on it now that were not here a month ago or last spring.

I sat out on my porch and faced West looking out at the small  border plots surrounding the stone patio.   There is little evidence of perennial growth, but it changes everyday. A few bits of green are appearing in the Iris root area, and some greenery was showing leaf growth between the patio stones.    Mostly it was sounds that I heard. A distant motor sound came for some time, perhaps some kind of tractor.  Although I didn't see any birds there were several varieties of chirps and tweets surrounding me.  I spent most of  my time illustrating the metal fence surrounding my small backyard thinking of light and shading as it was late afternoon and the sun was showing its influence.

1. I found this challenging.  I usually like to take pictures and them draw from them so I can get all the details more acurately on the page.  I tried to quickly sketch the overall scene without going into too much detail.

 

1) I have been participating in Project FeederWatch and so I sit often at a window where I oversee an area with 9 feeders. Many squirrels come, too, which is why it's fun to have a journal entry about them. As noted, these squirrels come regularly, but there have been uncommon visitors like the Pileated Woodpecker. That was a thrill because he/she was so big and looked so much like a dinosaur bird!

2) Artistic observations come easily and scientific observations come rather easily as well - but dispassionate ones do not. The hawk who comes occasionally always scares me because I feel very protective of the birds I encourage into the feeding area. I run out and clap at him/her, so he/she flies away....

Not good outdoor sitting weather so I sat and watched my birdfeeders from inside.  Observed Cardinals coming and going and their interactions which I hadn't noticed before sitting and watching for a 20 minute period.  Felt I learned more about Cardinal behavior.  Observing birds came easily to me, would like to get better at making quick sketches of birds.