Goldeneyes

2nd March 2015 - Topsham

Things must be getting desperate, I'm not only looking at ducks - I'm drawing them. The sorry state of birding at the Rec so far this year is that I get excited by a single Med Gull - or a pair of Goldeneyes.

Goldeneyes - 2/3/2015 Topsham

Goldeneyes - 2/3/2015 Topsham

Penduline Tits

25th February 2015 - Topsham

 

I haven't posted much in the way of sketches recently so here are some of the Penduline Tits which are still performing occasionally at nearby Dart's Farm, although these pieces date from early January. These sketches are all of one of the presumed first winter females. I'm still no nearer figuring out what's going on with these birds, there seems to be only three now but what happened to the two with very faint masks (or none at all according to some reports)? Did they disappear, are they lurking somewhere nearby undetected or did they morph into two masked birds in the space of a few days?

Penduline Tits - 10/1/2015 Topsham

Penduline Tits - 10/1/2015 Topsham

More Ross's Gull

2nd June 2014 - Topsham

Still can't get enough of this bird, I've dropped in at least once a day since last Wednesday in the hope of more and closer views. It's very loyal to the site, arriving at high tide with the regular flock of Black-heads plus the somewhat less reliable Little Gull.

It's not showing a typical 1st summer plumage - according to the books - and shows no obvious signs of moult. There's still a few dark juvenile feathers on the crown and has no apparent dark necklace. The flight feathers - especially the outer primaries - are extremely worn and surely it should start to replace them soon.

There's been plenty of photos about over the last few days, here's a few sketches.

Ross's Gull - Topsham 29th May 2014

Ross's Gull - Topsham 30th May 2014

Ross's Gull - Topsham 31st May 2014

Ross's Gull - Topsham 2nd June 2014

Avocets

25th December 2013 - Topsham

A pre-dinner walk on Christmas Day took us on the traditional Topsham promenade around Bowling Green Marsh and the Goatwalk. There wasn't a great deal on the marsh but a resting group of Avocets caught my eye. Hunched up and with abstract patterns of black and white, it was sometimes hard to see where one bird ended and another began.

Avocets - Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham 25/12/2013

Avocets - Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham 25/12/2013

The Bowling Green Marsh Fox

18th December 2013 - Topsham

By way of a change from birds and photos, here's one of the foxes that always seems to be loitering around the back of the pool at Topsham's Bowling Green Marsh. Watercolour and pencil sketches.

Fox - Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham 18/12/2013

Fox - Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham 18/12/2013

And, of course, a Merry Christmas to everybody.

Greenshanks

28th September 2013 - Topsham

Some drawings for a change. After spending the last few weeks on detailed illustration work - the Black-capped Petrel and Cahow plate for the Tubenose Handbook - it's nice to be able to just please myself and draw and paint as loose and rough as I like. From the viewing platform by the Clyst I found a small group of winter-plumaged Greenshanks resting by the water's edge on the rising tide. One or two were scratching and preening, some wandered about feeding, most were just resting.

 

And a few mug shots with a touch of watercolour.

Whinchat, Dartmoor

22nd June 2013 Challacombe Down, Dartmoor

 

Getting a little slack with 'regular' posts - truth is there's rather little about right now at my local haunts. Still waiting for the next 'interesting' gull at the Recreation Ground, even a Mediterranean or a Yellow-legged Gull would be something! If things don't pick up soon I may have to start moult scoring Herring Gulls...

Meanwhile I had a wet and windy afternoon on a beautiful part of Dartmoor on Saturday. Best birds were a pair of Whinchats on territory - sketches of the male and then the female.

 

Sedge Warbler

27th April 2013 - Highfield Farm, Topsham

 

Sedge Warblers are now singing in the marshes along the River Clyst. So intent on getting a good territory and attracting a mate they can be quite approachable - at the price of wet feet as the ground is so spongy and waterlogged. I took a few photos and made some sketches.

Jackdaws

18th April 2013 - Topsham

 

We've got Jackdaws nesting in our chimney pots. Actually it seems they're mostly just dropping sticks down the chimney but I guess they know what they're doing. And they are lovely birds, fun to sketch in watercolour, no need to worry about colour - Payne's Grey and a touch of Cobalt Blue. I like the way the pale eye looks in the black face, the top of the iris in shadow but there's still a highlight on the surface of the cornea.

Sandwich Terns

Temporarily immobilised by a cold, not getting out and not getting any serious work done. I've been amusing myself with some sketches - Sandwich Terns on Marazion Beach from last month.

Ringed Plover sketches

12th April 2013 - Sker Point, Glamorgan

 

A couple of days in South Wales visiting Carolyn's dad was a great excuse to get out at dawn and walk along the beach before things got too busy. There were a few signs of migration with Golden Plovers in the fields, a Whimbrel, a Wheatear and a couple of Ringed Plovers on the beach. Looking at these two, clearly a male and a female, I wonder if they were a pair or was that just coincidence?