The Magpie Nest

Bluebird City · Thursday June 25, 2009

Juvenile western bluebird, watersoluble graphite The bluebird chicks are now foraging more with less supervision. This bird hovered over the ground for a while before perching, first on the tree swallow house, then on the ground.

Comment

* * *

Chicken Sunday · Sunday June 21, 2009

I went to my neighbor’s yesterday to clean out the henhouse and get a loaded wheelbarrow full of manure, it’s fantastic for the garden. There were three hens sitting on eggs, and they ignored us the entire time.

I went back later on to sketch them. They are quite happy to gather around my feet as I sketch. I found doing their bills difficult (no surprises there) but it was a very pleasant end to the weekend…

Comment [1]

* * *

Bluebirds, Adult and Chick · Friday June 19, 2009

Western bluebird, adult female and chick Prismacolor Well, that settles that: two chicks. One of them is here next to the adult female, speckled and loudly begging when it got the energy. Really happy to see a nesting success!

Comment [1]

* * *

Nuttall's Woodpecker: How to Hang Backwards · Thursday June 18, 2009

Nuttall's woodpecker, prismacolor

Comment

* * *

Juvenile Tree Swallow · Friday June 12, 2009

There’s at least one chick in the tree swallow box. It looks close to fledging. I’m pretty stoked.

Comment [1]

* * *

White-tailed Kite: Display Flight · Tuesday June 9, 2009

white-tailed kite display: prismacolor The white-tailed kite is flying all around the pine, semi-hovering with landing gear down. They are among the loveliest of birds…

Comment [1]

* * *

Fayoumi Chicken · Monday June 8, 2009

This one, today, was for work, for the cover of a manual on poultry health in Africa. The Fayoumi is a very old Egyptian breed of chicken.

Comment [1]

* * *

The Coop · Sunday June 7, 2009

I spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the Davis Food Coop, explaining how to see birds while you’re camping (hint: don’t wear white). Was able to do a few sketches of the nesting house sparrows and also at the end a Nuttall’s woodpecker nestling, calling loudly for food…

Comment

* * *

Flying Crow · Friday June 5, 2009

Flying crow, pen and ink

Comment [2]

* * *

· Thursday June 4, 2009

We had rain — thunderstorms — last night, and they also irrigated the alfalfa. Plenty of hunting for hungry herons out on the field. They are almost exactly the same value as the green of the alfalfa, so it’s hard to see them as they move in their slow, deliberate way across the field. I tried to catch that “almost not there” feeling here, not sure how well I did….

Comment

* * *