Gone Birding

What follows are some scans of my field sketches of recent, and not so recent rare British birds. These form the reference material for my finished pieces of artwork, which I do as commission and direct sales pieces. There is usually a folder of my work at the Birdnet store in Buxton, Derbyshire, UK.

I will add some older stuff as I find time to scan them in etc.....

First up for the moment, a small page of sketches of the Hudsonian Whimbrel present during the summer of 2007 on Walney Island, Cumbria. This bird proved very elusive and we were only able to see it for a relatively short time.....

Sketches of the Brown Flycatcher seen at Flamborough Head in Old Fall Plantation in October 2007. This bird inconveniently turned up mid week and was only available for two days, eluding those birders unable to get till the weekend....

Sketches of the White Crowned Sparrow which spent the early part of the year in Cley Village, Norfolk, UK. This bird showed well on a drive in the village coming to seed put down for it. It must have been seen by 1000's of birders during its prolonged stay.

Another Brown bird that didn't stay long at Flamborough Head.....this time a cracking adult Brown Shrike, mid week again, at the end of September 2008. I'm not that happy with these sketches, I could have done better in my opinion, but in in mitigation the bird was miles away at the bottom of a large field!

The Alder Flycatcher in Nanjizal Valley, Cornwall in October 2008. With this bird we probably have to take the ringers word for the id, although the overall appearance could point to Alder in the field, but they are so close to Willow Flycatcher in appearance its risky to say so!

Sketches of the amazing Grainthorpe Haven bird. Showed down to a few feet as it ran round on the floor and perched in the small bushes.... I notice they have changed the name to Saxaul Grey Shrike in some quarters....

A set of sketches of  the Glaucous winged Gull at Cowpen Bewley on the North Tees Marshes.....

I've been trying to capture the "look" of the adult Ring billed Gull that has returned to my local patch at Carsington for at least its 7th season. It is not the most typical of RBG's being a larger individual with a really distinctive but slightly hard to capture head shape and patterning. The bird is often very distant and on the water in the gull roost in the late evening (we have never found out where it goes in the day!!), but in the last week or so its taken to pre roosing on Flat Island where it stands round with the Lesser Black backs.....