mattybohan
Well-known member
great geese
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From Tim Wootton's Studio (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter timwootton
- Start date
ChrissyM
Well-known member
I knew that popping into this thread was just going to be inspirational...
I love the geese, just fabulous composition...I went down to the river the other day and they didn't pose like that for me ;-)
I was also looking back a while because I haven't been on for a bit and love the goldeneye in the water...the birds are great and water is just sooooo watery! looks very in keeping with here right now, living by the Severn makes for a lot of water!
I love the geese, just fabulous composition...I went down to the river the other day and they didn't pose like that for me ;-)
I was also looking back a while because I haven't been on for a bit and love the goldeneye in the water...the birds are great and water is just sooooo watery! looks very in keeping with here right now, living by the Severn makes for a lot of water!
timwootton
Well-known member
That's very kind, Colleen - but I'm very much of the opinion that the mentorship is full of cross-fertilisation.
I had a similar experience a couple of years ago; a very lovely American couple were over here and I took them for a day's tutorship in watching and drawing birds on the cliffs of South Ronaldsay. As soon as hey found out that I was in contact with Peter Mathios - that's all the coversation was about for the next 30 minutes. Small world, eh?
Woody
Well-known member
I bumped into one of the rangers on a local reserve (not Elmley) and we got talking about what was about and eventually he mentioned my sketchbook and so the conversation turned to art and artists etc. It turns out that he'd bought one of my pictures the previous year and was a regular on my website. He didn't recognise me from the pic on the site though, I admit I've put on a few pounds since that was taken...Still it was nice to meet a man of such obvious good taste!
The best small world stories I have are from my father-in-law and my Dad. The finlaw was born and raised in Luton (Chatham, Kent) but is now a naturalised citizen of Canada. He was on a cruise in the Caribbbean and the steward at the bar on board had an accent that finlaw recognised. It turns out that he had lived 3 doors down the road from finlaw in Luton years before!
My Dad was hiking on a mountain in Scotland when he saw a figure walking down the track towards him. Bearing in mind that they must have been the only two people for 50 miles or so in any direction, my Dad was shocked to see that the figure was the guy who worked on the lathe opposite his at the time! Niether had mentioned to the other their holiday destinations.
Small world indeed!
Mike
The best small world stories I have are from my father-in-law and my Dad. The finlaw was born and raised in Luton (Chatham, Kent) but is now a naturalised citizen of Canada. He was on a cruise in the Caribbbean and the steward at the bar on board had an accent that finlaw recognised. It turns out that he had lived 3 doors down the road from finlaw in Luton years before!
My Dad was hiking on a mountain in Scotland when he saw a figure walking down the track towards him. Bearing in mind that they must have been the only two people for 50 miles or so in any direction, my Dad was shocked to see that the figure was the guy who worked on the lathe opposite his at the time! Niether had mentioned to the other their holiday destinations.
Small world indeed!
Mike
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Love the sheet of geese , just frame it as it is Tim
timwootton
Well-known member
These little lads are becoming quite a muse for me lately. It is difficult ignoring this one as he pops about just off my pier; every time I nip into the kitchen for a coffee (which is often) there he is scowling at me through the window. So, as a break from work and as the daylight dwindles, I get the big scope out and have a really close look at him - beautiful thing.
Attachments
buzzard12
Well-known member
Lovley Tim, the bird lifting its head as they do is terrific, the head shape caught so perfectly. Still in serious minus temps here, too cold to sketch outside, literally going cold turkey when I am out! These warm the cockles all the same...
timwootton
Well-known member
I've been watching that head lift so closely Alan, cos I wasn't sure what was happening. I drew one drake doing 'an eider' display in an earlier session - you know; head thrown fully back in gay abandon - whooping away because that's what I saw. Then I looked again and sometimes they just do this sort of sky-gazing routine - as you say, head up, but not all the way with their heads touching their own backs. Sooooo - I watched really closely and, I don't know if I'm right, or if it's just well known and I hadn't noticed before, but - when they do the full head-banging routine, it's clearly display (and there's always another bird in proximity). When they do this sky-pointing malarky, it is always immediately preceded by a dip of the bill in the sea. I think they are drinking and this is an action related to that (it occured to me because I can only swallow pills by taking a mouthful of water and chucking my head back to get them to the back of my throat - same action 
). Is this what they are doing? Does anyone know? Smart things, anyway.
). Is this what they are doing? Does anyone know? Smart things, anyway.
sfrissell
Well-known member
Nice sketches Tim. These guys are a distraction, all right. I've been watching several pair here in Montana --on fresh water! Only early February and the males are already doing head-throws and neck-stretches here too. They also like to swim up to a rival male, dive, and come up directly under the rival! It always looks like some sort of elementary school prank! I have found that the ones I've been watching know when their being watched (from 200 feet away) and dive to avoid being "sketched"!! Maybe they wouldn't be so skittish if I used a softer pencil???
Sid
Sid
timwootton
Well-known member
Yes Sid - their underwater shannanigans are excellent to watch, aren't they. That surface run and shallow dive is terrific.
Definitely a softer pencil required - and non-squeak paper
Definitely a softer pencil required - and non-squeak paper
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Strandman
Well-known member
I think they are drinking and this is an action related to that (it occured to me because I can only swallow pills by taking a mouthful of water and chucking my head back to get them to the back of my throat - same action
Reminds me of a choice phrase from Aldous Huxley:
"Like chickens drinking, the students lifted their eyes towards the distant ceiling"
I might be off on one here, but aren't pigeons (Woodpigeons) unique in that they are the only birds that can drink "normally" by sucking up water, whereas other birds have to do the head tilting thing?
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
I think grouse can do that too, as long as my memory serves me well and the rather old book was correct.
Another cracking set of Goldeneye, whether or not it's how they drink, I know I've seen them do it as part of display.
sfrissell
Well-known member
I just looked up the male Goldeneye's display behavior in a waterfowl book I have. He starts by puffing up the feathers on his head, making him have a big head - small neck. Then he thrusts his head out in front of him, close to the water, occasional dabbling beak in water. Suddenly, he springs forward, elevating the breast, stretches his neck vertically and points his bill straight up while emitting a harsh, rasping, double note -"zzee-at". He then snaps his head back until the top touches his rump. He then jerks his head forward often springing forward and kicking the water, showing his brightly colored legs. (I think I knew a girl in high school who could do that too!!) Anyway, a very entertaining display.
Sid
Sid
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
When I go out for coffee I find an empty space where the commonest bird of urban America, the house sparrow, used to be!
Beautiful drawings Tim!
timwootton
Well-known member
Did something today that I haven't done for many, many years; sat in a bird hide and painted! What a luxury; scope on a flat surface, bum on a (fairly) comfy seat - even a ledge for paints, pencils, water and pad! Clever folk these hide designers - course it helped that I had the place to myself as I was using up the space usually allocated for five people (including the very convenient disabled section, where the bench slides away at an angle - perfect!). Course I ended up doing ducks all the same, but this time a wigeon drake enjoying the relative warmth of 5 degrees after the sh!t of the past few days.
On my return I had the urge to compile a selection of 'my' ducks - so out with the sketches and the watercolours.
On my return I had the urge to compile a selection of 'my' ducks - so out with the sketches and the watercolours.
