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!!!