Flying Free Again

As I explained here, we went to a release of birds in Tomales Bay. (I’m posting this out of order.)

The birds flew into the center of the bay and all clustered together there, preening. They flew so fast it was hard to catch them to sketch them, but they fly with their undercarriage down and out: I managed to get that part, at least!

A Walk Into Town

We walked into town today for an excellent lunch at Kabul; on the way saw some birds, which we both sketched, having sketchbooks in our pockets.

The pseudo-Moleskine sketchbook I’ve been using is now full and I had to resort to the real thing, which I had lying around. I don’t like the paper as much, though it holds a wash better. I may have to go on a search mission for the fake one…

Oiled Bird Care Doesn't Stop For Thanksgiving

I spent much of the day down at Cordelia again today, ostensibly to give a break to my hard-working colleagues (but which ended up being more media work: the story of the day, “several dozen people give up their thanksgiving holiday to care for the birds” — never mind that most of us were either foreign or vegetarian or both and were in any case quite happy to be there).

Ron and Joe were there too (as was Lisa ); Ron got recruited to take a hapless PRBO worker to Oakland Airport right away, the hapless PRBO’er having missed the airport shuttle, while Joe cut up smelts. The birds are feeding well.

They fed us Thanksgiving dinner at lunchtime so we were feeding well too. Joe, who knows from pie, said the pumpkin pie “exceeded expectations.” Me, I liked the mushroom sauce.

But mostly I am grateful to have a chance to work with these incredible people doing incredible work against all kinds of odds. (Not to mention the chance to get so very close to these birds to sketch them.) The two gals from Tri-State Rescue and Research (Chesapeake Bay) who are here helping out with the spill got word today there’s another oil spill, this one on Long Island. They’re heading home on Saturday for that one. The weather won’t be as good there, said Rebecca…

Hermit Thrush

This hermit thrush was perched in a cold wind at lunchtime on the jug outside, fluffed up to try to keep warm…

Rhinoceros Auklet

A quick chance at lunch today to see and sketch this marbled murrelet. rhinoceros auklet. It had more dark under the belly than is shown here and I knew I’d come back and add some in later when I added water to my ink sketch (right).

Marbled murrelet is an endangered species. One was brought in dead the other day. It’s great to see one alive and swimming… The second bird was brought in dead too. The bird I drew is, in fact, a rhinoceros auklet, faking me out with its unremarkable winter plumage… and the fact I was seeing it so close up.

A Trip to Stockton

We went to the Central Valley Birding Symposium today in order to attend Keith Hansen’s sketching workshop (oh, and buy me a telescope from Out of this World, which Numenius says he’ll blog about this evening).

Keith had us practice placing circles in relation to each other — head, heaviest part of body — and then gave detailed instructions on wing anatomy, foot anatomy, and how to render wing bars.

We stopped by Woodbridge Road on the way home to see the sandhill cranes. I’m going to take a while to get used to using the scope and this tripod to sketch with. But so far it seems very promising… and it’s way cute.

Back in the Thick of It

I went back down to Cordelia today, ostensibly to help out with media work. This didn’t materialize, and I ended up learning a) how to read Packed Cell Volume and plasma and serum counts (from someone who used to faint at the sight of blood, I consider this a major achievement); b) the best way to hold a common murre (and a surf scoter and a western grebe and a ruddy duck) in order for it to be tube fed electrolytes and fluids. (Like a rugby ball is the answer.)

At the end of the afternoon, though, I got a chance to sketch these mixed ruddy ducks and greater scaup. I don’t know when the next bird release will be, but they’re moving them through — and fewer birds are arriving alive…

Snowy Egret

Here’s the Cordelia resident snowy egret, which perches on pens and pools and knows how to get free food…

Sketched earlier in the week.

Surf Scoter and Eared Grebe

I saw birds swimming yesterday, birds that had been heavily oiled and were now clean and waterproof and swimming in pens.

I drew this surf scoter and eared grebe quickly, trying to stress the birds out as little as possible.

Then I cried.

Surf Scoter

This is what a surf scoter looks like, oiled. It doesn’t smell good either. This female is waiting in a warm pen till she’s stable enough to wash, probably tomorrow. There were dozens of pet carriers of birds in line to be taken in, weighed, assigned to a warm pen.

These others are in recovery and they’re able to swim, which is what they’re doing. And a red-throated loon. I don’t know how many of these birds will be this lucky.

There are thousands of affected birds, we’re getting reports. I need to go home now. I’ve been at it since 6:00 this morning. It’s going to be a very long weekend for a lot of people…