Black Throated Diver; Watercolour

Black Throated Diver; Watercolour
FOR SALE
Contact me at:alandltn@gmail.com

Worked up from an earlier field sketch done in late summer at Tyresta National Park...

Wheatear; Watercolour

Spring wheatear; Watercolour
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Completed after looking back through the sketchbook. This came from a field sketch posted here earlier, which was about Landsort in May 2007. I will often go back months, retrieve a sketch and work from it.,,

Pied Flycatcher; Watercolour

Pied Flycatcher; Watercolour
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Pied Flycatcher

Another Watercolur completed. A typical autumn scene on the baltic islands...

10th October 2007

Goosander

Rough legged Buzzard

Rough legged Buzzard

Rough legged Buzzard

Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Goldcrest



October on Landsort, which always means lot's of Goldcrest. Spent a lot of time sketching these in the late afternoon as they fed all around me. Rough legged buzzard passage is heavy at this time and plenty of birds passing made great subjects, an impressive raptor, the contrasting plumage making it particularily striking. goosander on the rocks at Sodra Udden was hard to pass, took time out to sketch...

Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike, a feature of late autumn and a favourite species of mine. Great to sketch as they perch openly watching for prey, which at this time of the year often includes tired migrant Goldcrests...

Pheasants; Sandemar; October 2007

Pheasant (juv. female)

Pheasant (juv male)

Pheasant field sketches from Sandemar Reserve...

Wheatear; Watercolour

Wheatear; Watercolour
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Wheatear (juv.)

Another field sketch directly copied and painted, this time in watercolour. I like to do this solely to keep the authenticity of my observation intact and think it adds an intamacy to the finished painting that cannot be achieved without getting out and looking at the subject in the wild through a telescope.

September 2006

Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk

Nutcracker

Bluethroat (female)

Bluethroat (male)

September, Bluethroats still featured heavily in the early part of the month. Nutcracker was really nice at Angarn, a pair seen briefly. At Landsort large numbers of Sparrowhawk passing south, great views as the birds passed the lighthouse watchpoint on the day in question

August 2006

Bluethroat (male)

Bluethroat (female)

Black-throated Divers

Bluethroats always a feature in August and at Årstafältet in the south of Stockholm up to 15 birds were present, which was very nice indeed!

Black-throated Divers gather int even larger groups at this time and are a pleasure to watch. these again at Tyresta National Park.

Autumn Passage; Painting

Autumn Passage; Curlew sandpipers and Wood Sandpiper (finished painting)
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com


Developing painting...

Early stages...

Curlew Sandpipers (field sketch)

A painting inspired initially by the above field sketch of Curlew sandpipers. the Grouping of the birds atracted me, along with the beautiful brick red tones associated with their summer plumage. The lone Wood Sandpiper was added later to balance the right hand side of the piece.

Acrylic on Canvas;60cmx40cm

July 2006

Wryneck preening

Wryneck

Wryneck

Ruff (male)

Knot


July is a great month for birding. This Wryneck gave me superb views as it fed on ants on sun baked rocks. It eventually settled and sunbathed before preening itself, possibly using the ants to rid itself of unwanted parasites in it's feathers. This behaviour is common among many species, particularily crows. In any case it was great to watch this elusive species for so long and get the sketches I did.

July 2007

Green Sandpiper

Spotted Redshank

Ruff (juv.)

Ruff (juv.)

Wren

Jackdaw (juv.)

Caspian tern (adult)

Little Stint



July is a month dominated by waders towards it's end and I spend my time at Angarn or Sandemar at this time looking for them. They are great birds to draw, a group I am familiar with, having cut my teeth on waders in Dublin as a teenager. These birds are returning south after breeding furher north and pass through in huge numbers over the autumn, thadults fist, which are later followed by the juvenile birds.

Caspian Tern breeds here and is often seen fishing on the baltic coast when it can be picked up on its diagnostic, grating call. A very big tern and an impressive bird at anytime.

The Jackdaw was a young bird and was busy begging for food from it's parents. The Wren was a quick sketch, one I rather like now, sometimes sketches go unnoticed until you look back through the days work at a later stage...

Black-Throated Divers; Painting

Black-throated Divers (finished painting) FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Black-throated Divers (compositional sketch)

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver



Black-throated Diver painting from its inception through field sketches to finished painting. The birds were sketched at Tyresta National Park where they are present all summer. Party's of birds are present later in the summer, possibly sub adult or non breeding birds. I will never tire of seeing this species in it's fantastic breeding plumage...

Acrylic on Canvas; 60cmx40cm

June 2007

Green Woodpecker

Nightjar

Nightjar (eye detail)

Nightjar

Wood Warbler


The highlight of the month was this Nightjar that I flushed at Tyresta National Park. Amazingly it flew only a short distance before settling again on the ground where it remained motionless, relying on it cryptic plumage to hide it. I sat at a discreet distance sketching it for a while before moving on. This was a male bird resting for the day. These birds are nocturnal and feeg in the air at night on moths and other insects.