Cold Coop

Chilly and damp, this morning, early. A Cooper’s hawk landed in the walnut tree outside the kitchen, keeping an eye on the activity in the herb garden. It had its feathers all fluffed out…

Puddles

We’ve had some rain, leaving puddles everywhere. The birds are taking baths. This house finch is very bright and was watched today by a perched yellowrump.

On Hold

I don’t know what non-bird-sketchers do when they’re on hold, but I do this. I do an enormous number of bird doodles, few of which ever make it on to Bird by Bird, because they’re not drawn “from life,” yet they’re part of my process, so I’ll show this one.

Obviously I was trying to draw a peregrine falcon from memory. There are some major anatomical issues with this bird but I was really enjoying how the black prismacolor was spreading itself around the eye…

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Such fabulosity in stripes. I should try and imitate it with knitting…

Western Bluebird

The female bluebird has been investigating multiple nest possibilities, including the interiors of three cars at work. She perches on the side rear window and hovers by it, looking inside apparently at the heating vent. Today she hovered just outside my office window, twice. I tried to catch the pose but you have to be quick!

Red-shouldered Hawk

The red-shouldered hawks are apparently building a nest in the eucalyptus outside, and are being very vocal. One landed in the walnut tree and moved about a lot. Next thing I knew it flew across the small field to much shrieking. It had something but I was never able to tell if it was a bird or a mammal — I’m thinking scrub jay — but in any case there were 50 crows around it within seconds.

Yellow-billed Magpie

Friday lunchtime sketching with Becky…

Lesser Goldfinch

Star thistle attracts goldfinches…

Bluebird Box

I am taking a woodworking class in order to learn how to make bluebird boxes. I bought three lengths of redwood board but the guy in the shop here got carried away and couldn’t stop himself; he built the three himself. (So now I’m making a breadboard and a cold frame.)

We hung the boxes this morning. At the end of the afternoon, three birds (one banded male, two females) were actively investigating the one closest to the building…

Loggerhead Shrike

This was drawn very quickly during our UC Davis bird count yesterday. We were given the south campus area which included some agricultural land east of the Raptor Center, which is where I spotted this lovely bird. No time for leisurely sketches, though!