Tufted Duck Sleepover

What a life, sleeping all day! The Tufties on my local lake at Pugneys Country Park spend most of the day dozing, so I have to sketch them like that.
They could sleep for England but I know of a duck that can beat them in the sleep stakes.



The Pochard can sleep anytime, anywhere. This one was one of the rarities, awake!

Sketching about

The Bittern spent a while up the reeds looking for the other one present. It's amazing how he/she can climb up them.

The Ringed Plover are back from overwintering in warmer climes. Nice to see them.


The swans are getting very frisky with each other. The male really goes for it.

There have been a dozen Redshank overwintering this year and they must have has a hard time with all the dogs in the area being walked around the Calder Wetlands where they like to be.

What a Load of Bull

Lots of Bullfinch around at the moment. My local lot seem to be interested only in stripping the buds off Willow branches. Stunning birds they are too. This one was sketched as it sat with its mate near the hide.

Grebes Getting it On

The Great Crested Grebes are doing their thing. Did a couple of sketches .

Parklife

On my third sketchbook of the year so far!!! I hate drawing in gloves but it is a necessity at the moment. Roll on Spring.
My local country park is getting a bit of my attention at present. The reserve lake has an island or, two, a few rafts, some posts hammered into the lake bed and a lot of Phragmites reed and shedloads of bird disturbing, smelly, dirty dog owners and their pooches. Commercial dog walkers use the site and I counted 3 vans full of their charges today.

The Coot cannot get on with each other. They are having a really violent time at the moment.

At least I can get into the hide and get myself tucked away in relative peace and quiet.









Painting kit


Thought you might like to see the vast array of kit I use to sketch birds. An old metal palette filled with colour from tubes. A few old brushes, piece of rag and a water bottle. This, alongside my sketchbook, pencil and scope is all I need. Makes a change from carrying a rucksack full of heavy photo gear.


This lapwing was sketched after all its 100+ mates had flown off. It must have been either fast asleep or a bit under the weather as it remained on its own most of the afternoon. Tried to get an idea of the iridescence of the plumage with the purples and greens in the feathers. Hard to do with watercolour. It sat on a raft entirely oblivious to me and anything else.

A Day In the Freezer

Another cold, cold day in the hide. The Ring-necked Duck must have had a hard night as it spent most of the morning asleep in the Pochard flock, but keeping a keen eye on the females from time to time. It has been displaying to the female Pochard with both the neck stretch and head back display. The male Pochard do not like it at all!







There are at least 20 Cormorants on the lake daily. The 'net tells me that they eat about 1lb of fish per day. That's 140lb per week or 7280lb of fish per year!!! No wonder fishermen are not keen on these skilled hunters.

Sketching in the cold is hard work but I love the direct contact with the subject and sketching through the telescope in real time. The scope really pulls you into the bird's world and you feel connected somehow. I love it but it is so hard. Practice does not make parfect but helps, as does a copious supply of sketchbooks.






Here's a pic of one eating a Pike it had caught in the lake. It took a while to get the fish down but the bird managed it.

Ring-Billed Gull

Caught up with the Ring-billed Gull at Mirfield. A lifer for me and a superb bird. It obligingly sat on an island in the middle of a gravel pit for me to make quick sketches. Freezing cold but enjoyable. Wonder how an American Gull got over here?

The yellow iris was a clincher but the lighter mantle, white tertial tips, stouter and larger size than a Common Gull were noticeable. The bill was much heavier and the legs were yellow-green which ruled out Herring Gull.

Red-necked Day

Managed to see the Red-necked Grebe through the mist at Pugneys CP. 20+Great crested Grebe made its life rather difficult. Did a quick sketch of it through the scope from the small hide at 50x!! Luckily there were only two canoes on the lake and the safety boat kept away. I would think Saturday will see it getting ousted by the windsurfers and sailing boats.

Smew Time

Caught up with the Smew wintering on the River Calder today. Managed to get close enough to sketch and paint it but it was soooo cold. My hands were freezing and the brushes got a bit crackly with frost in the NE wind. It was worth it though. I usually photograph these birds but drawing from real life is much harder and a lot more rewarding.
The problem is that you can't trade your hand in for a new and better model when it won't draw properly like you can a camera or lens-yet!!!

My Studio







I've got this plush studio to work in at the moment. It's got a window, a roof and a howling NE wind, but at least its under cover. I've been learning how to draw with gloves on (not easy).


Bought a Moleskine Watercolour sketchbook and its the best I've ever used.


The reserve my studio window looks out on is part of a country park in Wakefield. It's been graced with a Ring-necked Duck for a few weeks now. This yank bird is a bit of a 'Jack the Lad' with the ladies but got his come-uppance yesterday when he displayed to a female Pochard who instantly jumped on him and gave him a good beating-up!!



Pugneys hobble




Managed to hobble to Pugneys Country Park hide now and spend a lot of time sketching any bird thst comes into view. We have been blesses with a drake Ring-necked Duck for a few weeks now and managed to sketch it a time or two.



The Goldeneye have started their fantastic display but remain at range. I love drawing what I see through the scope but it's not easy as the birds have a habit of moving!! I used to draw from my photos but I now find that sketching and painting from real life is more rewarding - and harder.




What's afoot!




Since damaging my foot I've been unable to carry the heavy photography kit so I've got the sketching kit and telescope out again until it gets better.

I fastened the hide clamp onto the windowsill and can sketch birds at the garden feeders. Not done much drawing for a year or so so I'm very rusty.

The view from my garden includes an ash tree and it's surprising the different birds that land on it . 50x magnification gets me into the tree with them That's the beauty of a telescope.

Laid up

After damaging my foot in the summer I've been unable to carry the photo gear at all. Put my foot down a rabbit hole while carrying the full monty - 50lb+ of gear and a 10lb tripod- ouch. The ligaments did not take too kindly to this treatment and trying to walk or drive is very painful and will take a long time to recover. Never mind, I've re-discovered my sketchbook and will use my time productively sketching through a telescope which I love.