1 November 14

Mockingbirds in the pomegranate

Mockingbirds in pomegranate (Mockingbirds in pomegranate)! Been a long time since I’ve posted in here. The pomegranates are once again ripe, and the mockingbirds are bickering over who has dibs.

Posted by at 09:07 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

26 July 14

House Sparrows

House sparrows on a warm morning, pen and ink It’s been ages since I drew a bird from life. Start back with what’s there: multiple families of house sparrows in the trickle from the hose and in the elderberry bush.

Posted by at 10:52 AM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

24 October 13

Birds in the Oleander

Orange-crowned warbler, pen and wash ! I’ve been working since July in a temporary building between the Domes and the student farm, both of which are unkempt paradises for birds. There’s an oleander right outside my south-facing window. I’ve been getting some birds perching in the shrub and looking in at me, as well as a Western fence lizard, which uses the insect screen as a super-highway.

Golden-crowned sparrow, pen and wash The orange-crowned warblers are here in numbers just now and the sparrows are all coming in and singing, as they will all winter.

We are moving to a new building in a couple of weeks. It’s by the freeway, it’s in an industrial park and, well, it’s not unkempt. There will be fewer birds. But I’m taking my sketchbook along anyway…

Posted by at 09:33 AM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

28 September 13

Sketching at the Raptor Center

Great horned owl, pen and wash I led a small group at the Raptor Center this morning for Audubon. It was a beautiful morning and the miserable wind had died down.

BUrrowing owl, pen and ink split up and walked quietly around the center. I drew the great horned owl and as I was walking back to where the Harris’s hawk is a burrowing owl perched very close, looking up and all around.

Turkey Vulture, brush and ink As we were about to leave a turkey vulture landed on a snag between the Raptor Center and the creek. One of the volunteers said it was probably a bird they had recently released. We all sketched it for quite a while until it took off, joining a couple of soaring vultures.

Posted by at 04:27 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

29 April 13

Say's Phoebe

Say's phoebe, pen and wash A short trip to Southern California… We found nesting Say’s Phoebes at the Jawbone Canyon visitor center.

Posted by at 09:25 AM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

23 April 13

Western Kingbirds

Western kingbird, pen and ink The Western kingbirds have been in since before I got back to Davis. This evening I saw two pairs emerging from the trees on display flights and returning. They don’t seem to have been too bothered by the elm that blew down last night, taking the power lines with it, but I’m guessing a magpie nest or two has been destroyed… :(

Posted by at 06:24 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

20 April 13

Green Heron Fishing

Green heron, pen and wash This heron was working in and out of the ricrack along the arboretum waterway. It caught several fish during my 15-minute sit…

Posted by at 04:13 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment [4]

16 April 13

White-crowned Sparrows

White-crowned sparrow, pen and wash
They’ll be gone soon.

Posted by at 06:32 PM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

14 April 13

Western Gull

Western gull, pen and wash During yesterday’s sketchcrawl in San Francisco. This 2nd-year Western Gull was sitting outside the Ferry Building.

Posted by at 07:19 AM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

13 April 13

Scrub-jay Preening After Bath

Western scrub-jay, pen and wash Also at the Arboretum yesterday. This bird was very active preening, shaking, enjoying the sunlight.

Posted by at 06:59 AM in Bird of the Day | Link | Comment

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