Have you ever gone for a walk on a beautiful day, listening to all the wonderful birds singing around you, and there’s one that seems to be singing right in front of you, but won’t show itself? Sigh. That’s what happened today at the midpoint of my hike, standing quietly listening intently, trying to ‘see’ this mystery bird. So, I think I found a new species, we’ll call it “Invisible Warbler” , perhaps with a Latin name of Invisibulus? Haha, anyone else seen signs of this bird? Well enjoy reading my pages below and the added photos, I’ll add a few notes here and there to explain.
This page from my sketchbook shows a quick watercolor sketch where I was standing. It’s a very wet area filled with these swamp type grasses or sedges and surprisingly I wasn’t bothered by mosquitoes here! As I stood painting, Ginger flushed two Woodcocks at separate times, I guess they like wet areas as they use their long beaks to probe the soil (mud) for worms. My dad said that’s why Woodcocks don’t taste good and I can attest to that! When he used to hunt we had some for dinner…very strong tasting meat. I remember he said they were also very challenging to hunt as they are a hard target; when I see one explode from the brush I can’t imagine how you could actually shoot one! ( I never would anyways!!)
Yellow Throat (2)
Now here’s one of my favorite warblers, a Yellow Throat. I still remember the first time I saw one down in Pennsylvania at Lake Sheridan.
Yellow Throat
He was so difficult to see in the brush, I’m just happy I got these two pictures though they are blurry! I really need to paint this warbler.
Burr
Did you know, the guy who invented “Velcro” got the idea from this little plant? Next time you see some prickly headed Burrs, take a closer look at it. You’ll notice the prickles have little hooked ends on them, not so nice when you go hiking and they stick all over your socks!
Hairy Woodpecker ?
I saw him on “Memory Lane”, heard his tapping before I saw him.
Flycatcher
I’m not very good at identifying Flycatchers, though I got a lot of great photos of this one if anyone wants to help me. Is it just a Phoebe? I found him by my pond.
Eyed Brown
I’m so excited about finding TWO new butterflies, for me that is! The first is this “Eyed Brown Butterfly”, a very simple and plain looking creature. Sometimes it’s looking closer at the ‘plain janes’ that you can appreciate their subtle colors and patterns. I like the combination of light brown with the dark brown spots and the rings with dots. If I was teaching children to notice this, it’d be fun to draw these dots and rings. Also notice the repeated lines of the veins on the wings, a nice pattern.
Eyed Brown (2)
Rose Breasted Grosbeak (fem. or juvenile)
This was a great capture! I was standing quietly on “Oak Lane” and saw him up on a branch at the edge of the woods adjoining a field. It looks like a gigantic sparrow if you were to compare it to something familiar, but notice the heavy beak. This is either a young Rose Breasted Grosbeak or a female, I’m not sure. I’d guess a young one because it looks so ruffled.
Rufus Sided Towhee (m)
Another favorite of mine, the Rufus Sided Towhee. I still remember the first time I saw one of these too, also at Lake Sheridan in Pa. So many great birding memories from Pennsylvania when I was a teenager! My family is originally from the Scranton area…I spent lots of time at Lake Wallenpaupak too…anyone familiar with these lakes?
Rufus Sided Towhee 2 (m)
Wasp
To get this picture, I was a lot farther away then it may seem! I used the zoom on my tiny Olympus camera to capture this one, I just love the pose…looks very elegant actually!
Common Wood Nymph (mating pair)
This is the second new butterfly discovery of the day for me, the “Wood Nymph”. This is a pair mating, I don’t know if the male of female is the larger one, but one was definitely larger and more pronounced markings. On closer look (in real life) the wings looking rather plain here were actually slightly irridescent and rather pretty.
Common Wood Nymph (mating pair) 2
Well I did not find that invisible warbler, let me know if you ever find one, maybe I can figure out a way to get a picture of him?? haha….
Please leave me your comments and if you may know any of the things I asked about…lets hear your thoughts!
Lovely sketches and photos. We are hearing a lot of towhees here in Tennessee now and my facebook friend in Mass. has a lot, also. Must be time for towhees.
Love the young grosbeak looking like a mussed-up teenager.
Thanks Karen,
I always plan to do more sketching when I go out but lately I am having too much fun with my new camera trying to ‘catch’ birds!! But I hope to use all the photos for future paintings, I organize them all when I get home. On a hike I went on yesterday I got a really clear picture of my little Yellow Throat, I get so excited about it. I hope you keep stopping by to see my newest updates.
Mary- I looove getting to peek into other peoples sketchbooks. I am just terrible at on-the-spot sketching. Love some of yours. I enjoyed going back and seeing your England trip, and reading about your Altoids kit. I tried to do this, but I just had too many problems- had nothing to mix paint on (I need more that the lid, not alot, but more), etc. I’m so terrible at it, I gave up on it… curious tho- what is the little thing that hangs out over the edge of the box? Loved the page with the sheep and the bunnies, love your sketches of the butterflies, well, I love alot of things!
Hi Carol,
I LOOOVE showing people my sketchbook haha… On the spot sketching has it’s challenges, yes, so much information to see, translate, and distractions?? Did I mention distractions of mosquitoes buzzing near your ear? Horseflies buzzing your head non stop? Almost falling in a ditch of DEEP muddy water? (almost happened on my last hike!) The sun blinding you as you look at your paper? Well I make it sound so “unfun” but no, it’s addicting; so much to see and hear. I sketch and paint mostly standing up, holding my sketchbook and then when I am in the studio I can work more detailed from my photos or sketches.
The little thing on my kit was a part from another Winsor Newton field kit…it’s supposed to be for water but heck, it’s too small for that! I put three paint colors in it and extended my color range that way. I have found that this limited lid space for mixing works best with a waterbrush. Click on the word “Waterbrush” in my tag cloud links in the right column, all posts using that brush will come up.
I can’t wait to go back to England to do more painting!! I’ll put them on my posts too.