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Field-sketches and descriptions (1 Viewer)

My favourite field sketch

I've been wanting to post this sketch for ages, but had to wait until a visit to my parents' home to dig it up.

Of all the many field sketches I have done in my 30+ years of birding, this one stands out for me. It's not a great picture by any means (!), it hardly portrays the bird, but it captures perfectly the state of mind I was in when I drew it.

For me it encapsulates those crazy autumns on Scilly in the years before mobiles, hitching down to Penzance, camping on the Garrison, and getting scared if you didn't see another birder for half an hour - What am I missing?!

This one, after a frantic boat ride and breathless run from the jetty, was one of my most memorable birding moments. Of course, I did a much calmer sketch later, but this 'heat of the moment' one is still my favourite.

By the way, can you guess the species??
 

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Dave B said:
I've been wanting to post this sketch for ages, but had to wait until a visit to my parents' home to dig it up.

Of all the many field sketches I have done in my 30+ years of birding, this one stands out for me. It's not a great picture by any means (!), it hardly portrays the bird, but it captures perfectly the state of mind I was in when I drew it.

For me it encapsulates those crazy autumns on Scilly in the years before mobiles, hitching down to Penzance, camping on the Garrison, and getting scared if you didn't see another birder for half an hour - What am I missing?!

This one, after a frantic boat ride and breathless run from the jetty, was one of my most memorable birding moments. Of course, I did a much calmer sketch later, but this 'heat of the moment' one is still my favourite.

By the way, can you guess the species??

Northern Parula Warbler - I got it from the shape, of course.
 
Jane Turner said:
Its all so obvious once you know :)

Nevertheless, well done Phil, who didn't know! The bird was on St Agnes in 198??. I'll try to find my notes and let you know the date when I do!

The first of two that I saw in quick succession, but definitely one of my most memorable moments!

Happy Christmas!

Dave
 
Dave B said:
Nevertheless, well done Phil, who didn't know! The bird was on St Agnes in 198??. I'll try to find my notes and let you know the date when I do!]

Found my notes and discovered that my memory isn't what it used to be! The bird was on Tresco on Oct 1st, 1983. The one I saw on St Agnes was 10 days later - Oct 11th!

Here's a somewhat calmer picture of the second bird. I see from my notes that other birds I saw that day included Cliff Swallow, Icterine Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Do they still make days like that any more?!
 

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Wanted to post this as soon as I was finished it New Year's Day, but as so often happens I began to second-guess myself as soon as the bird flew off and spent the past two days poring over photos and trying to jog my memory for those details I neglected to take note of. For the sake of my sanity, I've decided to leave my ID as a Cooper's Hawk, though it could just have easily have been a female Sharpie (size was right in that grey area where they overlap). The distinction between cap and nape wasn't particularly evident, but the tail was longish and did look more rounded than squared and the bird overall just didn't look delicate enough to be a Sharpie (eyes too small, head too big, body too thick).

The Coop snatched a Junco while I was at my kitchen window sketching feeder birds. He spent about a half hour on a nearby post devouring his prey, giving me a great up-close opportunity (from within the comfort of my own home, no less).
 

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I think with sketching you have either the ability or you dont I tried to do a drawing of the Whitethroat on the latest copy of British Birds.Well you could not even tell what type of bird it was after I had done it. I tried really hard as well, whereas my 14 y/o son understands perspective and could knock one out really quickly. Im afraid i just use a camera for record shots.


www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com
 
Its funny pluvius - sometimes I can draw and sometimes I can't. As evidenced by the following! All done in the field and some barely identifiable - in fact lets see which ones are. Having a pencil and rubber handy and not too much adrenalin seems to be a factor! Just found an old field book - one of those policeman style ones.
 

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Hi Jane,
1) Female Sibe Thrush?
2) 1st-w Citrine Wagtail
3) Summer Pied-billed Grebe
4) That might be the Long-tailed Skua mentioned in the text, probably a juvenile?
5) Nutcracker
Regards,
Harry
 
Correct - though the Cit wag also has a leg of a Semi-P sand on it - still the most unlikely side by side descriptions I have done!
 
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