Thanks for the comments on the spuggies folks, I've got a larger painting in mind an some day it'll get done!
Tim mentioned that it's funny how, when you've got other things you should be doing, it's easy to get distracted; Having just been commissioned to paint a pheasant I decided to paint a peregrine instead. Went over to Elmley on saturday morning to be greeted by fantastic, low, early morning, winter sun and wall to wall lapwings. But I resisted the urge and walked out to the first hide. In front of the hide there were lots of wigeon and teal roosting on the mud, the sun so strongly reflecting off the water that any detailed study was difficult. I didn't mind though because about a mile and a half away sat a female peregrine, she sat still mostly with occasional preening creating some interesting shapes. She was joined by the male who settled partially hidden about three metres from her. Typically, while I glanced away from the scope, she took off and I picked her up with the bins as she briefly gave a herring gull a bit of a telling off and, no doubt, a bit of a scare, but I don't think it was a serious hunting attempt. Once she'd had her fun she perched on the mud that the reserve wardens have dredged from the scrapes, luckily for me a bit closer (still about a mile though!). I was able to make a slightly more detailed sketch before time caught up with me and I had to tear myself away. I found that she had commanded my attention even though she was such a long way off and when I returned home she just had to be painted, so out came the blobby brushes again.
I had very limited time on sunday so the lapwings proved irrisitable again.
Mike
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