Ahead of Myself?

 "American Goldfinch (male) - Portrait"

color pencil - © Bruce A. Morrison

  "American Goldfinch (female) - Portrait"

color pencil - © Bruce A. Morrison

I have been somewhat obsessed with small bird portraits all winter here at the studio; my most recent portraits have been a pair of Goldfinches...I hadn't done a female American Goldfinch and as I was working on one I thought why not do a male to pair the birds up!  I've since framed them together in one frame and think they look great together!

 © Bruce A. Morrison

 

  "Gray Catbird - Portrait"

color pencil - © Bruce A. Morrison

One bird from the mimic family I really like hanging around the acreage here is the Gray Catbird; its a challenge in color pencil because its really just a slate gray with a dark cap on its head.  It does have chestnut brown undertail coverts but that wouldn't show in a head and shoulder portrait like this.

The American Goldfinches are here in high numbers all season long but they have yet to turn the spring plumage colors shown in the pencil drawings...right now they are getting a bit splotchy but you can see hints of the full spring color coming along.

We won't see the Gray Catbirds until later in April most likely but we'll probably hear their "mewing" cat-like call before we spot them.

Either way I may be getting a little ahead of myself but still looking forward to them all!

Spring is just a couple days away!

After the Solstice

Series of My Favorite Birds (portraits)

color pencil drawings - © Bruce A. Morrison

Its the day after the Winter Solstice as I write - really don't like the days when they get so short! (Day "light", I should say.) But the bright side is day light will begin getting longer again!  There's always a good side to everything!

I had been working on a small series of bird portraits the past month, and have gathered them together here.  The last series I drew were all Sparrow family members - this time I've mixed it up a bit - but I haven't run out of favorite birds to draw yet!  I'm not sure I could ever find enough time to do that.

(Click on image for a larger view)

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Wishing the best for you and yours - hope to see you next year!

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

New Post - Update

American Goldfinch - male

photograph © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view) 

I think you could say this is an update on an older blog.  In the "New Post" blog from March 30 I talked about the Goldfinches molting here at the acreage.  Well, they've completed the molt cycle a couple weeks or more back and I thought I'd throw one up for you to see a male American Goldfinch in all its finery :)  I'm showing the back of the bird because it's the showiest profile...the beautiful stark black and white patterns with the bird's bright yellow back and nape and the forehead black again (as well as the accent of the bill coloration).  What a pretty little bird!

Now that the first flush of dandelions has gone to seed, these birds are all over the ground feeding on the seed heads.  It's pretty amazing (and amusing) when you look out on all the beautiful dandelions and suddenly they take flight!  The birds are like flying dandelions!  And they sing too!  What more could you ask?! 

Gotta get some work done!  Hope you're not too distracted like I seem to be!

New Post!

Well...not exactly new!  But I was getting weary of the black background on the blog, figured that 4 years of black is enough!  Let's brighten things up a bit and help those of you that find reading white letters against black annoying!

 Male American Goldfinch beginning its molt into breeding plumage

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison 

(Click on image for a larger view)

We've really been enjoying the Goldfinches in the yard this winter.  We get around 40-50 birds every year, which makes us happy! 

Now that spring has arrived, we're getting more and more types of birds from their winter homes, now headed north, but the Goldfinches still stick around all year long here.

One thing that is fun watching for is the Goldfinch molt.  We get to watch all the males really change into their spring/summer/fall finery, and it's taking place right now!  The image above is of the same male Goldfinch, just starting to put on the brilliant yellow feathers...little patches here and there.  None of our neighborhood birds has made the complete transition yet...I suspect that will take another week or more (?), but there is one male I noticed that has really made some progress with it's molt (see image below).

This male American Goldfinch is coming along real fast with its molt...seen here working on a sunflower seed.

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison 

(Click on image for a larger view)

The ladies molt too, of course, but their plumage is much duller in color...kind of an olive hint when they've changed; nothing near the yellow gold of the males.

This female American Goldfinch is not going to be the brilliant "stand-out" that it's male counterpart will be.

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison 

(Click on image for a larger view)

But "brilliant" or not, the Goldfinches are great having around the prairie pasture and yard all year long!

Just a quick mention of the Studio Newsletter!  Our 3rd issue went out this week and I just wanted to thank those subscribers that have sent great comments our way!  Also I do want to mention that if you subscribed but have yet to receive any issues - it is possible you may need to subscribe again...we had a small number get kicked back because the e-mail addresses were incorrect.  Please resubscribe and watch your addresses for any typo mistakes.  You can do so at this link - NEWSLETTER!

Thank you!

Enjoy the birds this spring!!!