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Mike's conservatory (5 Viewers)

Out to Elmley on monday (day off work for my birthday) the weather was cold and mostly bright. Spent a pleasant half hour in the hide sketching, one hide wasn't in use; the wind has completely removed it's roof!
Once I got home I couldn't resist painting up one of the sketches in a 'painting a day' kind of way so here's the sketch and the painting. You never know, I might make a more detailed painting of this simple scene one day!

Mike
 

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Oh yep, I love teh barnie study - great colours (and the scanner looks to be an asset). Sketches are superb and the colourwork keeps all that is good in them - very, very nice!
What's thos about a Birthday? - we don't seem to have a record of it on your profile - are you sure you've not given yours to the Queen?
 
Oh yep, I love teh barnie study - great colours (and the scanner looks to be an asset). Sketches are superb and the colourwork keeps all that is good in them - very, very nice!
What's thos about a Birthday? - we don't seem to have a record of it on your profile - are you sure you've not given yours to the Queen?

Cheers Tim. Ole' Saint Paddy's day is indeed my birthday, it's also Tina's (my missus). We were born a mere 12 hours (roughly) apart and only a matter of miles too. Mind you it could have been confusing this year as I think the Pope tried to move my birthday along with Pat's day.. B :)

Mike
 
happy belated birthday to you both! and these latest offerings are sublime, there's an unmistakeable springtime freshness to them, really, really good.
 
Happy belated from me also! We have no excuse to miss it next year!
And your barn owls are always the best-can't wait to see the larger one. Loved seeing the introduction of color directly from a sketch. Nice.
 
Thanks for the best wishes all! I had a great day just birding, sketching, painting while Tina was at work; Being a TA she can't take time off in term time. We went out for a meal in the evening, it was a real treat to spend time together without the kids for once.

Mike
 
Well the easter weekend weather was interesting! The sun rose bright at dawn and promised crystal clear, crisp days with heavy frosts that disappear underfoot with a delicious crunch. The sort of days that freeze just the tips of your ears and nose but don't maliciously chill to the bone, in short, perfect birding days. But by around nine the sun had faded behind fuzzy snow clouds and the wind had picked up to Orcadian proportions. Once the snow started, the wind was driving it into faces with viscious velocity and slicing through layers of clothing as if the wearer was dressed for a Hawaiian holiday! Next thing though, the sun came back and the snow fell more gently and eventually stopped, as the wind hurried off to find new victims to chill and suddenly it would be spring for an hour. Until the illusion was shattered by heavy sleet and leaden grey clouds like a blanket of work morning misery. Ah well, that's the UK for you!

When I had the opportunity I spent some time in the conservatory drinking coffee and watching the feeders. The sparrows are always good value and, now the males are beginning to get a bit short with one another, they can be quite noisy in crowds. It's interesting to see how they react to the changing conditions, one minute fluffed up against the wind and snow looking for all the world like they've entered a grumpiest sparrow competition, and the next shouting at each other, vying for position on the feeders, and sitting on the back wall soaking up the sun. Other birds were affected by the cold too, the collared doves seemed to be bl**dy freezing at times, whilst their cousins, the woodpigeons, payed no attention and turned the back wall into some kind of bird porn movie set! I honestly don't know where the male gets the energy and that female is as easy as a four piece jigsaw!

Elmley is bursting with hares, all thinking the same thing, or at least the males are. The females though (unlike the brazen woodpigeon) are playing hard to get, boxing and running the males round in circles. The peregrine was back on her mudpile on Monday and again I couldn't take my eyes off of her, not in a woodpigeon male kind of a way you understand, that would be just plain wierd! But despite the distance she just looks so good that she has to be sketched. I watched her as long as I could and was rewarded at one point with a quick circuit which she seemed to fly just to check that everything was in working order. I perhaps feel anothe peregrine painting coming on...

Anyway, here are some of the sketches from the weekend.

Mike
 

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And a couple more...
 

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Wondefully grumpy sparrows - just brimming with character and edge. Fab. This series of peregrine studies really is hitting the back of the net - the resting bird shows all the latent power, typical of the species and your flight studies have really caught the essence of her - marvellous stuff!
 
Out to Elmley on monday (day off work for my birthday) the weather was cold and mostly bright. Spent a pleasant half hour in the hide sketching, one hide wasn't in use; the wind has completely removed it's roof!
Once I got home I couldn't resist painting up one of the sketches in a 'painting a day' kind of way so here's the sketch and the painting. You never know, I might make a more detailed painting of this simple scene one day!

Mike

That's in the grand tradtions of the sub-forum- see it - do it -post it.. I especially like the glimpse of revealed red from Oystercatcher's leg.
 
mighty fine sketches, now to get some painted up! Those sparrows would be nice and cheery on such a miserable cold and snowy, wet day!
 
Superb as always Mike.wating for them to be taken further

I'm sure the pigeon will be taken further (or should I say further taken...) over the weekend! ;)

I'm working on a wren at the moment so I'll post it here when there's something to show.

Got a call from the gallery yesterday; three paintings sold in one week! Think I'll have a little celebratory tipple tonight. B :)

Mike
 
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