Great Spotted Woodpecker  Dendrocopos major

I see the spotted woodpeckers often in the woods but we also have a couple that visit the birdfeeders here so it’s easy to watch them. They love peanuts.

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus

A pretty dainty little bird I saw pecking about by the shoreline. I did get a hazy shot this but it is easy to ID because of its brilliant red legs.



As it flew away catching the sun, it looked as though it was on fire. Very beautiful.

Thumbnail of fiery Redshank

It’s those sort of thoughts that make me want to record and note things visually. Not in a conventional accurate drawing but just as a record of what I have been thinking about, what characteristic I find interesting, maybe a colour, a shape, a line or an attempt to understand how something works. Sometimes it might develop into print or a very detailed painting or even something 3D. Thumbnails are very useful !

Labels: redshank, sketch, sketchbook, woodpecker