Chicken

Drew chickens at lunchtime. They are much calmer than, say, kingfishers.

White-breasted Nuthatch

This bird has been hanging around the past few days, finally got a look at it.

Red-necked Stint

When you have a national rarity that shows up in your neighborhood, the least you can do is sketch it. I tried. It flew. (I did see it for quite a while but not in my own scope, and we were all perching precariously along a berm last night, it’s a wonder nobody fell into the mud.)

These Caspian terns were far more cooperative.

Salvaging a Botched Sketchouting

I was able to get out sketching with Becky again. We decided to go over to the Arboretum for a change. Unfortunately we came across a drowning wood duck, which probably has botulism. (Becky is a vet and former rehabber, she knows these things.) We took it over to the Vet Med Teaching Hospital where they will make a determination about whether or not it can be saved (lots of fluids; botulism is a toxin) or needs to be put out of its misery.

We didn’t have much time left but went back to the Raptor Center where we both drew this red-shouldered hawk, whose name is Mishka. It’s blind in the right eye, so non-releasable.

Red-tailed Hawk with Ground Squirrel

Cooper’s hawks, red-shouldered hawks, and now this red tail have been busy monitoring the ground squirrel burrows out on the field, here. Red-tails are perfectly capable of taking adults, but it seems the only ones that make it to adulthood are smart. This young ground squirrel wasn’t quick enough.

Nuttall's Woodpecker, again

I tried to draw the lazuli bunting that landed in the almond tree this morning, but it flew, chased off by a Western wood-peewee, which I also failed to sketch. So here is a Nuttall’s woodpecker which stayed at least long enough to get a good handle on the shape, then returned for a better study of feathers and markings. I love Nuttall’s. They’re cheery little things.

Red-tailed Hawk

The red-tails are coming back down from the foothills. This youngster caused all kinds of commotion when it landed in a pine tree.

American Kestrel

This bird has been terrorizing the ground squirrels, which is funny since it doesn’t really pose a threat to any but the very youngest, all of which are growing fat and bigger than kestrel-prey size.

Bluebird Feather

Wild Turkeys under the Walnut Tree

Panting adolescent turkeys in profusion…