Pied wagtails are endearing, pert little birds, and from spring to autumn we frequently see them bobbing about not only in the garden but on the beach and on the rocks in the burns (streams) which flow down to the sea.

This illustration was created from observation and photos of a particular wagtail perching on a rock in the middle of a burn very close to the point where it runs out across the sand, into the waters of Sanna Bay. It became the inspiration for a character in "A Surprisingly Fluffy Bird" and the burn, which often looks bright blue in good weather, became the Blue Burn. A bright and cheeky character, the wagtail in the book often remarks "Just a dip and a bob", while wagging its tail up and down energetically.

The original illustration from which this card is reproduced was created with Winsor and Newton professional watercolour paints and watercolour sticks, and Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils on Fabriano Artistico HP watercolour paper.