Raptors; Angarn; 15th Febuary 2008

Rough Legged Buzzard

Goshawk

White Tailed Eagle

Raptors becoming rather active as the breeding season approaches and Angarn is a great site for them. A perched White Tailed Eagle sat for me, a huge bird even at 750 metres. Goshawk female perched on the fence posts gave great oppurtunity also as did Rough legged Buzzard, one of two bird that have wintered at the site and should be moving away to the north soon...

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker; Bogs Gård; 5th January 2008

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)

Went out in search of the Three Toed Woodpecker again today with a view to photographing it and eneded up walking miles without a sighting. Eventually did come across this male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker feeding in a damp, waterlogged area on fallen branches. The bird was showing really well, atypical of the species, so I took the oppurtunity to sketch it in pencil. Immediatly upon getting home I added the black ink in the form of fine ballpoint biro...

Three Toed Woodpecker; Hansta; 29th January 2008

Three Toed Woodpecker (male)

Three Toed Woodpecker (male)

Three Toed Woodpecker (male)

This bird was reported three weeks ago and I spent a lot of hours searching for it, without a sighting. Happily it returned to an area called Hansta in Norra Järvafältet this week and I was able to finally connect, a superb bird in every way which gave great views as it fed and even rested for a few minutes. Only the third time I have seen the species and by far the best views I have enjoyed. Hope to get back with the camera if it stays around and obliges me with a few photo's.

Stockholm Strom; Goosanders; 16th January 2008

Goosander (female)

Goosander (female)

Goosander (female)

Goosander (female)

Goosander (male)


When there is nothing else about in Stockholm there are always the Goosanders to fall back on, which I frequently do! Always find myself drawn to the females somehow, really are lovely birds. Very productive day for the sketchbook, sometimes a lack of rarer bird to chase can be a good thing. (but then again...)

Bogs Gård; 9th January 2008

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Bullfinch (female)

Mistle Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Out looking for a male Three toed Woodpecker without joy. Also forgot my pencil but luckily had this felt tipped number in a pocket, not sure where it came from, but it came in handy. I rather enjoyed using it really!!

Compositional Sketches, December 2007

Brent Geese and Black Tailed Godwits

Pintail and Lapwing

Pintail Drakes

Wigeon

Little Egrets


Spent a week in Dublin and on my return spent a few days working on these compositional sketches with a view to some paintings. The site was Bull Island, a wonderful place to draw birds, lagoos are teeming with wader and wildfowl in winter. The evening light made a big impression on me, a range of purples, apricot and peach tones bouncing of the mudflats and channels gave some wonderful colour to these scenes, hope to get these done in the next few months...

Greylag Geese; Skeppsholmen; 2nd December 2007

Greylag Geese

Greylag Goose

Though these bird are not truly wild in a sense having derived from a feral population they are now rather common birds aroung the city, forming large flocks in the winter. They do give good views though and as such I should not bemoan their tainted ancestry!