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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

From the sketchbook... (1 Viewer)

So much superb work since I last commented Alan that it's difficult to know where to start!

All the sketching is up to your unfailingly excellent standard. The piece that sticks out for me would have to be the flycatcher, that is masterful. But then there's the divers and the wheatear and the yellowhammers and the... I'm out of breath!

Woody
 
Well, spent the morning on a big local hill summit hoping for a good bird or two, not a lot, though flocks of Waxwings and a single distant Rough Legged Buzzard did show.
Have decided to go out and try for Hawfinch and possibly Dipper this afternoon. Have wanted to paint Hawfinch for a long time and figure they might be at Tyresö Slott as there are a lot of beech trees there which should be shedding mast now. Dipper is just an old favourite! Will post any results later.
 
One of those really great days out today where expectations were met and then surpassed. Had hoped for Dipper and a Hawfinch or two at Tyresö Slott this afternoon.
Checked the stream first and came upon a really obliging Dipper straight away with no searching required. A second bird then turned up along the same stretch! Both birds proved to be very tame, allowing me to sketch them, take photos down to a few metres and get some video footage. Next off to the woods where the beech trees where I had fleeting views of a Hawfinch before moving away to check the reedbeds. Was then treated to calling Bearded Tits, a major surprise and good record. This was quickly followed by a skulking Moorhen, not a common species at all in Sweden and a really good record for the Slott.
Back to the wood and my day was well and truly made by no less than 27 Hawfinches, as a large flock came in to feed in the treetops on beechmast, an amazing spectacle and not bad on the ears either, what a great sound to here a large flock calling constantly.
The orchard then provided 42 Waxwings, a selection of Thrushes and some Bullfinch to round a great day off. Went home delighted!


Some dipper sketches here...

Also below are links to video footage taken on the Canon A95 today for reference....

Dipper Feeding;
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6023218411461928917

Dipper Preening;
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-399822274286835140
 

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Some more Dipper sketches...
 

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finally the Hawfinches....


Sorry again if some of the photos are not great, shot under a lamp without natural light...
 

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These are drawings to aspire to - it takes much more than mere observation and a modicum of talent to produce work of this quality (a bit disheartening for us mere mortals, actually!). You really have to be thinking about publishing in some form or other, you know.
The video links are also very inspiring images (is it me, or is there a very palpable similarity between this feeding/bathing dipper and a winter plumage guillemot - peculiar!).
Marvellous, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable to look at - the drawings and the vids. Top Show!
 
These are drawings to aspire to - it takes much more than mere observation and a modicum of talent to produce work of this quality (a bit disheartening for us mere mortals, actually!). You really have to be thinking about publishing in some form or other, you know.
The video links are also very inspiring images (is it me, or is there a very palpable similarity between this feeding/bathing dipper and a winter plumage guillemot - peculiar!).
Marvellous, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable to look at - the drawings and the vids. Top Show!

Was thinking of the murrelet images earlier, from Devon last year, really is uncanny, the auk resemblance! Lets hope Dippers dont take to swimming offshore in Shetland, few heart attacks might result!
 
Wonderful work Alan. I'd agree with the others about publishing. The forth dipper of the second set, on the low log, would make a great painting.

Sounds like a great day too, that would have been two lifers for me.

Woody
 
Really lovely work- I always enjoy and keep up with your thread. The hawfinch is so interesting- I haven't seen one to date. Not sure if they are here in S Wales. Anyone know?
 
Really lovely work- I always enjoy and keep up with your thread. The hawfinch is so interesting- I haven't seen one to date. Not sure if they are here in S Wales. Anyone know?

Hawfinches are (I believe) very rare in S Wales, I know that for Ceredigion at least there have only ever been two records. You may get lucky in the winter as birds disperse, woodlands with plenty of beech and hornbeam are their favourites. Certainly a stunning bird, I'm lucky that I see them quite regularly round here, but then the whole region is a mass of forest.
 
What a fantastic set of sketches Alan!
I can set apart one of the others, all are exceptional!!:clap::clap::clap:


spizaetos
 
Another day out birding, not very good for birds though. Best was a brief Goshawk and what I am 90% sure was a Twite that I flushed, which then flew over the horizon after calling.
On a brighter note got some really good Tree sparrow photos, which are now on my blog. Also posted photos that I took yesterday.
Below a few sketches of Tree Sparrow and Fieldfare. Also a page of Hooded Crows, the only bird for miles at Sandemar! Normally would not stop to draw these, glad I did, really pleased with this page of sketches. Light was coming strongly from the right and made the drawing really interesting. Full page here and then individual drawings will follow...
 

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Rest of Hoodies here...
 

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you have such a rare gift, what more can I say? I'm in awe of your tree sparrows. You've made it look like childsplay getting that "completely-not-a-house-sparrow-at-all" look about it. Superb.
 
You see, it just isn't true - you CANNOT get too much of a good thing! Could it be your work is actually improving????!!! - How can that be? As my eldest is want to say - "S'not fair!"
 
Don't know if is improving or not, I do find though that if I sketch for a number of days in a row it seems to come easier to the page. if i am not in the field for an extended period I find it hard to get anything fluid down in the sketchbook and often end up with scratchy, unfinished drawings that rarely please me.
Unhappily the weather will be closing in soon here and the minus temps will return, freezing up the joints and making it so difficult to draw outdoors. Hoping to find somewhere to paint over the winter, looking into studio space here, fingers crossed will find something. Really need some space to paint with Linda, myself and a brace of cats sharing 40m2!
 
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