7 June 09
The Coop
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…
5 June 09
4 June 09
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….
2 June 09
1 June 09
Nuttall's Woodpecker
I was sorry not to sketch both birds, since they perched one above the other on the pole in an interesting way. Being very highly patterned, they lend themselves to that.
29 May 09
28 May 09
Tree Swallow
Apologies for a) the dearth of sketches, b) the abundance, lately, of tree swallow ones when I finally get around to it. It’s probably tedious, but nowhere near as tedious as life is for this pair, that are now switching places on a regular basis to incubate. They’re not doing much of that, though, there’s no need; it’s hot. I imagine they do sit on eggs at night. But it’s been HOT here.
24 May 09
22 May 09
Bluebirds: Nesting or Not?
We know the bluebirds built a nest because they tried to band chicks; the nest was empty. The pair have continued to frequent the area, though. I haven’t seen one enter the nest box for a while.
Both birds, including the banded male, were hanging around at lunchtime while Becky and I sketched.
14 May 09
Tree Swallow Preening
The male tree swallow guards the nest box from magpies and mowers. It’s hard work and requires plenty of preening.