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.
