Birbs of Saskatchetoon - House Finch

EDIT: I initially misidentified this as a Purple Finch, but it has been brought to my attention that what I was actually looking at was a HOUSE Finch! (I may have put a bit too much red on it's head...) 

I haven't seen any NEW birds to add to the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook for a few weeks. 

On Thursday, I was out a ride and, near the end, in a spot I don't really often see birds... I spotted a bird! It was on a branch at the top of a bush! I slowed a bit to have a look.  Initially thought it was a sparrow but then noted it was RATHER REDDISH on the head! 

It took a moment, but I realized I was looking at a House Finch! So I stopped and quickly got off a few snaps before it chirped out a singsongy little tune and flew off!

House Finch in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook. 

It was a really fabulous end to a rather enjoyable ride. I'd seen two Coyotes in a field north of the university and pretty sure I HEARD a blue jay and... well there was another exciting thing that happened... but I'll save that for another post! 

There are the few pics I snapped before it flew off... 

MOAR Birb

I haven't spotted any NEW birds to add to the Birbs of Saskatchetoon 2022 Sketchbook... but I have been out looking and taking pictures and even doing a few more drawings/paintings. 

Rock Doves at River Landing 

MORE Rock Doves at River Landing 

STILL MORE Rock Doves at River Landing 

You get the idea... 

Rock Doves clinging to the side of the Senator Buckwold Bridge

Magpie in my yard. 

When you think you have a prifect shot of a chickadee lined up and it turns around an moons you... 

There, that's a bit better... 

Chickadee at one of our feeders. 

Common Goldeneye under the Traffic Bridge. 

Common Goldeneye taking off. 

Sparrows in our lilac bush. 

it was in the file... must be a bird there...!? 

bird in our yard... I don't even remember... Sparrow? 

Rock Doves under the Circle Drive Bridge. 

Raven! 

Mallards

Mallard

MORE Mallards! 

Spotted a White-Breasted Nuthatch from my bathroom window - it was on a tree, then in our neighbours gutter. 

Spotted it again when I went outside. 

WAY up in a tree and kind of silhouetted against a bright sky... 

I waited and just kept taking pictures and eventually it worked its way down the tree to where it wasn't so bright! 

Not bad for my little point-and-shoot camera! 

could definitely use a few of these as reference photos for painting! 

Maybe...? 

Wow I took a LOT of pictures of this little guy

(and there were many, many more that were even less in focus that I edited out!?)

More Mallards. 

More sparrows

This past week I spotted a coyote and PILES of magpies in a field north of the university. 

Just chilling in the field. 

That is downtown Saskatoon in the background. 

Flying Magpie

Magpie on a fence. 

MOAR Magpie on a fence. 

STILL MORE Magpie on a fence. 

Magpie moved to a tree. 

Seriously, there were hundreds of them all over the place!? 

On the ground....

Up in trees... 

Filling entire trees!?

SO. MANY. MAGPIES!? 

A couple days later. I saw a HUGE flock of birds - probably Bohemian Wazwings. 

Pari of corvids out on the river having a snack. Not sure if they were Crows or Ravens... the WERE pretty BIG?!

So... some of the other art... 

Bohemian Waxwing - 20cmx20xm (~8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper - did this a week or so ago, after the Group of Waxwings because I knew my folks would like an individual one. 

Another Bohemian Waxwing - 20cmx20xm (~8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper - trying to loosen up and have fun. 

Working in the new Art Space. Downside of working here... no computer (I do like the large monitor of our computer upstairs and being able to blow up pics I've taken for reference to work from... I tried printing off pages to refer to... its not the worst, but the pics are black and white. 

White-Breasted Nuthatch on Tree - 30cmx30xm (~12'x12"), Ink on Watercolour Paper 

RAWK Duv with Attitude - 20cmx20xm (~8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper