Friday October 10, 2008

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed hawk, Derwent Inktense Still very windy. The red-tails soar up and back down over the trees.

Posted by Pica at 06:03 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [1]

Thursday October 9, 2008

Mourning Dove

Mourning dove, Derwent coloursoft on Fabriano artistico It’s very windy at the moment but the mourning doves are somehow hanging on to the wire…

Posted by Pica at 06:39 PM in Bird By Bird | Link | Comment

Wednesday October 8, 2008

Western Scrub-jay

Western scrub-jay with acorn, Derwent coloursoft on Fabriano artistico It’s acorn burying time again! Traces of the rain from the other day have disappeared and the ground’s as hard as rock again, making it tough for these birds to bury the acorns that will keep them a) busy and b) fat all winter…

Posted by Pica at 06:29 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [1]

Monday October 6, 2008

White-tailed Kite

White-tailed kite, perched -- derwent coloursoft on Fabriano artistico I might as well call Monday “Raptor Day.” Only today I didn’t go to the Raptor Center; I rode my bike out along the levee west of here to see if I could find any warblers.

There were a few yellowrumps I could hear off in the distance but I did come across this kite, a female northern harrier, and a kestrel. I have yet to post a sketch of a kestrel on Bird by Bird and will try to remedy this soon.

Posted by Pica at 12:58 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [1]

Sunday October 5, 2008

Say's Phoebe

Say's phoebe, watercolor on sundance felt The storm we had on Friday seems to have blown a lot of birds in. (We got a call today about a chestnut-sided warbler but we were not able to go after it, having been working a bike event in Sacramento.) Many yellowrumps, and this Say’s phoebe…

Posted by Pica at 06:40 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [1]

Thursday October 2, 2008

Lunchtime Birds

Birds at lunchtime -- pen and ink Orange-crowned, yellow, and yellow-rumped warblers, Hutton’s and warbling vireos, and the remains of a hapless scrub-jay. I’m enjoying these Thursday lunches with campus birders…

Posted by Pica at 05:58 PM in Bird By Bird | Link | Comment [1]

Wednesday October 1, 2008

Merlin

merlin overhead; prismacolor on canson mi-teintes Coming back to work at lunch, a merlin flew overhead in hot pursuit of a house finch. They fly like small peregrines, strong and booking, rather than the more effete kestrels who are only just a little smaller. I don’t think the merlin got the finch — I may have disturbed its concentration. A true thrill, though. I tried to replicate the shape when I got back to my desk.

Posted by Pica at 05:52 PM in Birds in Flight | Link | Comment

Tuesday September 30, 2008

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Nuttall's woodpecker, pen and ink A female Nuttall’s has been exploring the phone pole, alternating with the house wren…

Posted by Pica at 05:57 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

Monday September 29, 2008

Great-horned Owl

great-horned owl, derwent coloursoft on fabriano artistico Raptor Center, again, today. This young female has been at the Raptor Center for several months but just recently joined the other great-horned owls in their enclosure… Apparently she just acquired her ear-tufts not too long ago.

Posted by Pica at 12:58 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [2]

Sunday September 28, 2008

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird: Derwent coloursoft on paper Lots of mockingbird young this year. This bird has been feeding very close to the house, seeming to be picking out spiders?

Posted by Pica at 05:50 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [2]

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