A studio for bird study

Tag: bird

June 25, 2013

Pectoral Sandpiper- Calidris melanotos

by Bryce W. Robinson

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The Pectoral Sandpiper is one of the most common sandpipers in the areas I’ve been frequenting. These birds have one of my favorite flight displays. The male flies low over the tundra, filling his anterior air sacs with air to increase the resonance of his calls. Close your mouth, and in a low voice repeat goo goo goo goo, and you have produced the sound of the displaying male Pectoral Sandpiper. I’m making attempts to record this behavior, but all I have so far are some very poor photographs. I thought I’d share one just to help paint the picture of the bizarre behavior.

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The behaviors here are fascinating. This is only a taste of the smorgasbord of incredible bird life that is available here in the thawing tundra summer. I can’t wait to capture and share more.

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May 18, 2013

Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis

by Bryce W. Robinson

Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis. 12x16" prismacolor on bristol

Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis. 12×16″ prismacolor on bristol

 

7 Comments
April 19, 2013

Beatnik Birding: Finding Ardeids; the Tricolored Heron

by Bryce W. Robinson

IMG_8649 copyAs a child, I poured over bird books, spending a substantial amount of time looking at the worlds herons. When looking through North America’s herons, I began developing favorites of the birds I dreamed to see. The Tricolored Heron was very near the top of the list. The bird has an aesthetic seemingly otherworldly. The colors and textures dazzle the eye. I was fascinated by illustrations and photos of this bird as a child.

Finally I have seen this bird, in its element, conducting its business, in all its glory. Every Tricolored Heron I have encountered since my first a few weeks back has afforded me first hand looks at characteristics that enlighten my understanding of this bird and the family to which it belongs. My time with this bird has been insightful and delightful. It conducts its business in its own style, with movements and techniques all its own. These techniques and behaviors are subject of a discussion which is to come. Oh the Ardeids; For whatever the reason, I find myself enraptured in their world.

 

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March 12, 2013

New HawkWatch International Shirts, Featuring My Artwork

by Bryce W. Robinson

HWI new shirts

HawkWatch International recently released a few shirt designs featuring artwork of mine. My friend Mike Shaw had the great idea for a design that took a field guide type format, and put it on the shirt. The shirts feature two Buteos, the Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis, and the Rough-legged Hawk- Buteo lagopus. These illustrations feature callouts that give the viewer a few key tips at identifying the bird. I love the idea, and the shirts turned out great.

A little background on the development of one shirt, the Red-tailed Hawk, might be interesting to some. I really love this illustration for its purity. While counting the raptor migration last fall on the Goshutes Raptor Migration Site in eastern Nevada, I had plenty of time in the evenings to sit by candle light and draw some of the things I saw that day. This illustration was done at nine thousand feet, on the top of a mountain, in the middle of the magic of migration, by candle light. It makes it more special to me, and I hope those that now know where that illustration was born, might enjoy it all the more. I love things with a story attached.

Here are a few images of the illustration on the mountain:

The inception of the illustration

The inception of the illustration

The result, with a splash of the candle light that helped create the image

The result, with a splash of the candle light that helped create the image

If you would like to check out the shirts, or would like to buy any HawkWatch International merchandise follow the link below:

New Shirt Designs Featuring the Art of B William Robinson

HawkWatch International is an incredible organization. I encourage you to support them by purchasing one of their new items. To be transparent, I do not benefit financially from the sales of these shirts. I simply want to see more people joining conservation initiatives. It would be neat to meet someone on the road that I didn’t know from Adam, garnished in one of these shirts, supporting and spreading the good will of conservation, and of course the knowledge and fun of raptor ID.

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