Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Hooded Merganser

After spending far too much time trying to locate and take a picture of the Chipping Sparrow, we finally got underway. After a few stops to look at geese and goslings in the downtown parks, we stopped again at along the train between the University Bridge and weir to look at birds out on the water. There were a lot of the usual suspects, but I also spotted something a little different. From a distance I almost thought they might be Killdeer - with some brown and black and white stripes - and they were somewhat smaller than the nearby Mallards. Looking at them through the binoculars it was clear they were something else but I wasn't sure what. I did take a moment to make a sketch of both before carrying on. 

It took me some time to identify them as most pictures in books of Hooded Merganzers show them with their crest up - which looks VERY different... 

Hooded Mergansers in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Skethcbook. 

Back to painting with Holbein Acrylic Inks. 

Sketch I made. Didn't have the white spot in quite the right place.... but it was enough to eventually identify. 

Birbs I saw out on the river... 

zoomed in a bit... 

Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Chipping Sparrow

Went out for a ride on the tandem with Keiran on Sunday. Before we even left the yard, I heard and unfamiliar call and spent a bit of time trying to locate it and then find a spot where I could actually SEE who was making the sound. Eventually spotted a tiny Chipping Sparrow WAAAAAAAAY up in a tree!?

Chipping Sparrow in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook

The Tree it was in... can you see it!? 

There it is!

Again, with a slight bit more identifiable detail! (and inspiration for my own drawing)

Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Gadwall

 Late afertnoon/early evening of Saturday, 21 May 2022, I rode out to the Chappell Marsh Conservation area again. I spotted a few smallish shorebirds out on the flat, dried up area that once was a marsh, but they were too far off to clearly identify. I also spotted a pair of greyish-brownish  ducks. Initially I thought it might be two female Mallards. After a bit more careful observation, I was pretty sure they weren't, but had no idea what they WERE! So I took notes and made very rough sketches and when I got home I figured out I'd seen a pair of Gadwalls. I've since seen a few more again at the Chappell Marsh and others in the Northeast Swale. 

Gadwalls in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook

my very rough sketch and notes. These aren't meant to be sketches that I'll directly make a good copy from. There more like a visual shorthand to jog my memory and remind me of what I'd seen - hopefully - enough to be able to find it in one of my bird books. 

(okay.... they're AMANDA's bird books...) 

(maybe some of them came from my folks when they downsized... so they COULD be said to be mine..?)

(except they probably gave them TO Amanda...) 

These are the two I initially saw at the Chappell Marsh on the Saturday... Luckily I had the good binoculars and could see them quite well. 

These are a pair I saw a few days later when I rode out to the swale with Keiran. 

Another I saw this past weekend. 

Eight more to get caught up. If I see five more I will have enough to completely fill the sketchbook!? 

Then I guess I start a second!? Will I see enough to FILL a second!? 

Moar Magpie

 

I like magpies. I’ve been meaning to do a few more pictures of them… but keep seeing new birds to add to the Birds of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook, so… I took a bit of a break from those yesterday and did these two quick sketches yesterday. Both based on photos I took.

Magpie on a Wire Fence - 20cmx20cm (8'x8") - Ink and Watercolour on Paper

Magpie: Stay Off The Wall - 20cmx20cm (8'x8") - Ink and Watercolour on Paper

Magpie on the fence that surrounds part of the Northeast Swale

Just down the street the other day, as I was heading out for a bike ride, I encountered a cat and a magpie on a wall. Magpie kept creeping up on cat from behind and pecking its bum. 

If the cat flinched, the magpie flapped back a bit. 

... and then would creep back and peck it again.

Eventually teh cat had enough and tried to take a swipe at the magpie.

Magpie just flew around behing the cat again. Cat decided it had enough... 

That's right, pussy cat, you stay the fuck away! 

Birbs of Saskatchtoon - Blue-Winged Teal

 One last bird I spotted in the wetlands of the Northeast Swale on Wednesday, 18 May 2022 

Blue-Wingerd Teal in Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook

This is that first one I spotted.. just kept preening and preening and wouldn't stand in the Standard Birb Illustration pose... 

Or was too far to get a good picture of... 

And then decided to have a lie down on the shore and tuck its head compltely away... 

I did get a couple glimpses of details through the binoculars and made notes so I could figure out what it was. 

Came back to the same wetland a few days later and caught a few closer to shore - on the side I was on!? 

Male Blue-Winged Teal

Male and Female Blue-Winged Teals

Blue-Winged Teals - with a pair of Gadwalls...? I think...? 

(Gadwalls coming up next!) 

Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Killdeer

 While taking pictures of the Yellow-Headed Blackbird and looking at all the other birds in the small wetland by the side of the road, a Killdeer popped up out of the reeds and grass at the edge of the water. It made a quick flying tour about the open water, screaching it's familiar call all teh way. Then it disappeared back into the mess of foliage from whence it came. 

Killdeer in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook

Killdeer I saw at the first wetland.

it was lucky I had my camera out and on, as it flew very quickly! 

Later I spotted another at the next wetland I stopped at. 

Not a great camera taking a picture of a small thing a little too far off.... but it was there! 

Luckily I had my binoculars and took notes. 

One more bird to do that I saw at that last marsh last Wednesday...

And NINE OTHERS I've seen since?!

GAH!?

Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Yellow-Headed Blackbird

I went out for a second ride on Wednesday, after seeing the Towhee, up to Chief Mistawasis Bridge, and then east along McOrmand Drive thought the Northeast Swale. At the very first westland east of the bridge - a small one, right next to the freeway, there were PILES of birds... American Coots, Northern Shovellers, Mallards, Canvasbacks, Canada Geese, Horned Grebes, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and more! 

It was there that I spotted the first Yellow-headed Blackbird of the year. 

Yellow-Headed Black Bird in the Birbs of Saskatchtoon Sketchbook. 

These are a few of the pictures I took on the day.. 

I've added a page with a complete list of all the birds I've seen so far this year - including links to the blog post with that bird:

Birbs of Saskatchetoon 2022 List

MOAR Birb - Rask Duvs and Others

 I was trying to organize some stuff this morning and I realized there were a few little bird illustrations I did through February, March and April that somehow I don't think ever made it onto this blog...? so... here they are... 

(and if you have seen them before... because I have posted them here... but just can't find them... sorry!?) 

Rawk Duvs Take a Picture - 30cm x 30cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Rawk Duvs Smash the Patriarchy - 30cm x 30cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Rawk Duv Janice - 30cm x 30cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Confused Nuthatch -15cm x 15cm - Ink and watercolour on paper.  

Angry Eurasian Blue Tit -15cm x 15cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Rawk Duvs Just Don't -15cm x 15cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Rawk Duvs Maybe - 15cm x 15cm - Ink and watercolour on paper. 

Yellow-Headed Blackbird should be next...