A Birder's Studio; The Bird Art of Alan Dalton: February 2008

Friday, 22 February 2008

Three Toed Woodpecker

Three Toed Woodpecker, Finished Piece.

Three Toed Woodpecker Collage. A rather time consuming process, started on this around the 21st Febuary. Acrylic paint over newspaper on a background of collage made from an old skiing magazine. A1 Sized Card...

Friday, 15 February 2008

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...

Tuesday, 5 February 2008

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker; Bogs Gård; 5th January 2008

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...

Saturday, 2 February 2008

Three Toed Woodpecker; Hansta; 29th January 2008

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 (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

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!

Winter Flotsam; Finished Painting

Winter Flotsam; Finished Painting
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Common Gull (field sketch)

Coot

Tufted Duck

This painting was something of a large step forward for me. it started with the Common Gull sketch, the bird slowly floated past me on a large piece of ice. I then decided to add the Coot, that led to problems with the composition, so I returned to the scene and sketched Tufted Ducks to add to the picture. In the end it all worked out and I am really happy with this one, one of my own favourites, I can say that I'm rarely satisfied with my own work for long...

Acrylic on Canvas; 60cmx40cm

Jackdaw Painting; Skeppsholmen; 21st November 2007

Jackdaw in Snow; Finished Painting
FOR SALE
Contact me at;alandltn@gmail.com

Jackdaw

Jackdaw Preening

These sketches resulted in this Canvas, pretty much directly. Rather simple painting, wanted the birds contrast to the snow to stand out without any distractions in the picture.

Acylic on Canvas; 40cmx40cm

Tree Sparrows; Skeppsholmen; 18th November 2007

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrows are a favourite subject of mine in the winter here, great little birds. These were feeding under a bird table and were ideal subjects, too good to pass up, best of the sketches here.

Mealy Redpolls; Skeppsholmen; 18th November 2007

Mealy Redpoll (male)

Mealy Redpoll (juv.)

Mealy Redpolls (males)

Mealy Redpolls feeding under a bird table with Tree Sparrows, nice range to get them on the deck as they fed. Spent over an hour drawing both...

Goosanders; 17th November 2007

Goosanders

Goosander (male)

Goosander (female)

Yes, it's Goosanders again, ever present, ever drawable, ever reliable!

Hawfinch; Tyresö Sott; 17th October 2007

Hawfinch (juvenile)

As always at this time of year, a big build up of these fantastic finches. Had a sore neck in the evening after craning it upwards all afternnon to view these birds. About 60 present feeding on beech mast in the woods, making for an incredible sight, as well as sounding great when they flew, just terrific birds. I expect going to see these will be an annual event for me!

Dippers; Tyresö Slott; 17th October 2007

Dipper

Three birds present in the stream today, so out came the pencils. The birds were feeding a lot, before bathing for a while, which they do a often, despite the fact they feed in the water! I assume they get a lot of weed and dirt in their plumage in the process...