I'd selected a quiet corner and had been drawing for 10 minutes, when I was disturbed by a noisy crow fight in the trees around me. An angry flock of birds descended just over the fence. I went to investigate. and found the crow victim lying on his back. I thought he was a goner, so I went to get the spade to bury him. But when I got back he'd managed to flap away, leaving only a scattering of feathers.
I resumed drawing for a further 20 minutes. I realised that I'd placed the tree rather too centrally, although the corner, with its busy wheat and comfrey was really my focus - and the many shapes and tones. It took a while to darken the page with pencil - it would be quicker with paint. I wanted the top-heaviness of the apple tree shadow and the way the evening light lit up random leaves and grasses.