At the Pond ... Feb 2017

My husband and I parked at a little pond near home and waited patiently for this heron to catch something.  Fortunately for me, the heron was more interested in just standing -- probably digesting already.  It have me a nice opportunity to sketch.

And then we parked in a slightly different spot at the same pond.  This time I sensed my husband wasn't going to stay put for long, so I sketched quickly.  

Spatzie

"Spatzie" is a nickname used by some people for House sparrows.  These busy little sparrows always make me smile.  They always seem busy and cheerful.  This one was bouncing about in a blackberry bush while I was sketching.  Fortunately for me, this sparrow and his buddies kept coming back to the same bush so I had a lovely opportunity to sit in my car and sketch him on a winter day.

Pond Sketches

I was busy sketching the top cormorant at our local 'duck pond' when a second cormorant flew in, partially displacing the first.  I really like the gesture of the two of them together and wanted to capture it before things changed .... so I superimposed the two.  I like how it turned out, even though it was just a matter of grabbing the instant rather than a planned process.

and here is another from that day:

Great Egret

Now that winter is settling in, our egrets are back for the winter.  They don't nest here, but alway come back for the easy pickings of little frogs and big night-crawlers.  This was was sketched while it rested on a post at our local duck pond.

Cascades Frog

A quick sketch of a Cascades frog, one that I found next to a mountain stream.  I was pleasantly surprised as how still he sat, giving me a chance to sketch.

Owl Watching

Earlier this month I spent three nights in the Klamath Basin. We were fortunate to spend over three hours watching a great horned owl ... or maybe it was different owls in the same area.  All the sketches I did on location had to be in black and white because I forgot my paint!  Fortunately I had my beloved fountain pen and water soluble ink with me.  For more about my owl encounter and art I did at home afterwards, go to:

www.elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com

Drying off: Double-crested Cormorant

I think cormorants look exotic when stretched out to dry.  They fish underwater, so a good dry-out is a common part of their existence.   This one had come out on a very low plank on a small pond.  Often they fly up into a tree to dry out.

The Original Surfer

We had just parked at the Shell Island overlook on the Oregon coast and I was wondering what to sketch, when I spotted a sealion surfing in on a big wave.  The sealion was just underwater and obviously using the momentum of the wave.  I never seen that before ... but seldom am I there when the waves are so big.  Look carefully and you'll see his underwater blob in the first sketch.

The second sketch is looking south from the same overlook.

Left Over from Days Long Gone

This black walnut tree was planted years ago when the Iversons owned the land.  Over fifty years ago they donated the land to the county as a park.  Now several people are fighting to make sure it stays a park.  Our county has already logged one park and was considering logging this one.    For the time being we have saved the park.... and if interest continues I think there is a good chance it will continue to be a magical spot.

It's a beautiful place, full of mosses and lichens at this time of year.  A trail leads down to a stream.  Trilliums and spring queen were blooming when I visited two days ago.

..... on a different subject:  since this is a blog for 'Sketching in Nature', I'll let you know that a couple of days ago I published a blog on 'Field Sketching' --
www.elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com

Ravens Soaring

Ravens play in the air at any time of year, but especially now when signs of spring fill the air.  

Whenever I get the opportunity I like to practice sketching ravens.  

Sketching Peregrines

Even without knowing their history, peregrine falcons make my heart sing.  They are one of the birds who's population was severely impacted by the use of DDT.  Now, many years after DDT was banned in the United States, much of the population has recovered.  I know of a few nesting territories in Oregon and in the winter we have an even more of these magnificant birds.

The winter I've had three opportunities to sketch a pair that winter near Cape Arago on the Oregon coast.  We park and wait and photograph / sketch.  I happiest when sit quietly for long stretches near a good subject .... and I can take my time sketching.

One day one of the peregrines spent over half an hour preening.  Another day the female disappeared briefly and came back with a gull.  The tercel (the male) waited on a lower perch and finally got the left-overs.  

Watching Egrets

Some of my best opportunities for sketching in nature come when my husband is busy photographing and I sketch.  We sit quietly in the car, both glued to our subject.  Great egrets winter in the valley where I live.  This winter we've seen up to 23 in a wet swale only about four miles from our home.

These were sketched on Jan 15.  Today, we returned to the same spot for our fourth visit.  We still had 12 egrets .... but they were farther off on a higher part of the pasture.  I confess, my husband and I both fell asleep waiting for the marvelous birds to come closer.  I don't get much sketching done with my eyelids closed!.... but it felt delicious.  Just image the milky sun keeping the car warm, the window cracked open just far enough to hear far off crows, occasional croaks from the egrets, and robins nearby.

By the time the egrets finally came near, the clouds had also come in to .... so no photographing  or sketching today.

For those of you who are interested, these were lightly penciled first, then inked, erased -- very quick.  Finally I add the watercolor, some in the car and some at home since I ran out of time.

Watching Mule Deer

We just spent a few days in the Klamath Basin, northern California.  Its the time of the mule deer rut. This beautiful buck was kind enough to stay still.  He had probably worn himself out chasing does and now needed a rest.

For more about the rutting season go to my blog:
http://elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com

.... and here is a fawn.  They are good sized this late in the fall.

Inky Cap Mushroom

It is mushroom season for me too.  These are inky caps.  They start out creamy white but get black and gooey as they get older.  

Klamath Basin Sketches

Dale and I just spent three days in the Klamath Basin ... one of my favorite spots to be.  Thousands and thousands of ducks, geese, shorebirds, etc pause in the basin on their way south.  Many other spend the summer and raise their young there.

The sketch has a great blue heron which flew in and landed on a telephone pole while I was sketching the western grebes.  It always surprises me that some grebe chicks are still fluffy at this time of year.  The grebe chicks follow their parents around, begin incessantly.

Late the first the day I spotted this great blue heron fishing amongst the rocks along the shore of Klamath Lake.

The official count of ducks and geese for the Klamath Basin was nearly one million birds!  This is one of them -- a pintail duck.

This is a very wet red-tailed hawk.  Our last day varied between drizzle and rain.  The hawk had gotten himself through drenched and was sitting on top of a pole with his wings and tail spread and dripping.  

Half Grown

I had fun sitting on a rock next to the Umpqua River sketching these half grown tadpoles.  Both will end up being bull frogs .... invasive, yet fun to watch and hear.  Down in the corner is a riffle bug.  He is very much like a small water strider, skating about on the surface of the water.

Earlier in the summer I posted tadpoles on my blog.  They also were field sketches so I'll add them here so you can see the progress they've made growing up.

Four bull frog tadpoles plus one from a smaller species..... and their shadows.  

Baby Gulls

Each winter our mild coastal winters allows a patch of grass to grow in the rotted out top of this piling in Charleston Harbor.   And then comes the gulls.  It is as if mother nature has provided a ready-made nest.

Here comes one of the adults with food to regurgitate.  

Bastendorf Beach

Bastendorf Beach, mouth of the Coos River, Oregon Coast, USA

Wonderful place to park when we go to the coast.  My notes say:  "There is a swell on the ocean today, but not horrendous breakers coming ashore -- just a nice swell.  Pelagic cormorant are on the rocks and a few rest on the cliff.  Pigeon guillemots bob on the water.  Bastendorf Beach -- OR Coast."

Lazy Days of Summer

I love it when life is a little slow and I can sit on the edge of a pond and take my time drawing a dragonfly.  This darner is flying in front of a cattail that is just heading out.  The bottom half of the cone will thicken and turn a rich, dark brown. The top half is pollen .... lots of pollen.  When I walk amongst the cattail fronds I'm showered with pollen.

The hummingbird is taking advantage of a sapsucker's work.  The sapsucker has removed some bark from a willow stem, a little at a time.  As a result the willow oozes sap from the 'wells.'  Several other species also enjoy the willow sap.  At the top of the wells a tiny ant sips on the left side of the stem and a female rufous hummingbird hovers as she sips.  Three hummingbirds were regular visitors.