Hello blue sky:

Here's a pencil portrait of a Black-tailed Godwit catching some light.

Ice bandits:

Next painting from South Korea is done:  a pair of Scaly-sided Mergansers camped out on a part-frozen river.  Still pretty much my favourite birds of all- wild, rare and super-smart.

Respect to sperm counters

Well someone has to do it.  I've spent a bit too long today counting black specks on screen in an effort to tally the godwit flock, and so I can empathise with them heroic laboratory toilers.

For once a hunting Peregrine was welcome at the roost, as it put up the godwits, sliced thru' flock but failed to kill any and kept them close packed enough for an individually countable shot.

I reckon 2875 today (unless anyone counts these pics different…challengers are welcome to higher resolution versions of the photo!) compared to an on-the-ground photocount of 2500+ also today.  

It happens every year:

but still exciting when the first breeding plumage BT Godwits start to emerge from the pack: here's a digi of the smartest in a monstah flock of 2,760+ today.

Big and tall:

Just finished a big vulture and tall crane painting from South Korea.  As I watched them, I had a simpler and hazier image in mind, concentrating on the interlocking shapes and ignoring all the texture and detail in the vegetation.  So this one might yet have to be re-done!  But here it is for now whilst it gets pondered on.