Last of the Birds

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (ˈsizər-tāld ˈflīˌkaCHər)
This is the last of the bird posts. Life got really busy for awhile. Here is the state bird for Oklahoma.

Bird #18

Happy Birthday Jim Henson,

In keeping with the bird theme of the month, here is a quick sketch of Sam the Eagle.

Bird #17

Common American Gull (ˈkämən əˈmerikən gəl)

The Utah State Bird. This will be the second to last of the state birds representing states I have lived in. Oklahoma is last. 

Bird #16

Shoebill (ˌʃuˈbɪl)
I couldn't resist drawing this bird. I just love the beak.

Bird #15

Roadrunner (ˈrōdˌrənər)

I decided to go back to some of the state birds. Particularly focusing on the states where I have lived. The roadrunner is New Mexico's state bird, a bird that has fascinated me since I lived there.

14th Bird

Moa (ˈmōə)

Continuing with the prehistoric theme, the Moa is a large extinct flightless bird from New Zealand. To me it looks like a huge short beaked kiwi.

The 13th Bird

Diatryma (ˌdaɪ.əˈtraɪmə)
Things got really busy for a few days. Now I am back to posting. This is a large (about 5.7 ft) flightless prehistoric bird from the late Paleocene and Eocene age. 

The 12th Bird

Phoenix (ˈfēniks)

I decided to go mythological today. I will be off line for the next few days. My month of birds will rise from the ashes again on Monday.

Bird #11

Red Footed Booby (red ˈfo͝otəd ˈbo͞obē)

SInce I posted the Blue Footed Booby yesterday, I thought I would post the red footed one today.

the 10th Bird

Blue Footed Booby (blo͞o ˈfo͝otəd ˈbo͞obē)

Work is piling up, but I am still managing to make time to draw. The Blue Footed Booby is a large tropical seabird with bright colored feet.

The 9th Bird

California Quail (ˌkaləˈfôrnyə, -nēə kwāl)

The California Quail is indeed the state bird of California. He's a colorful little guy. I thought I would continue my state bird theme for a few days. If you are wondering why this state bird, similar to the Vermont, I have lived in California. 

Day Eight of the Birds

Hermit Thrush (ˈhərmit THrəSH)

Last night I was looking up state birds. It seemed only natural to draw a hermit thrush, the state bird of Vermont) I gave him a green vest because it is the Green Mountain State (a little obvious but it works).
I will probably be posting a few more state birds in the future. 
For information on yesterday's post, I found out the robin is the State Bird for Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. That's taking care of three states with one bird.

Day 7 of the birds

Robin (räbən)

I asked my illustration class what bird I should post today and it was a unanimous Robin! They are aware of my distaste for Batman's sidekick with the same name…So here he is.

Day six of the Birds

Pelican (ˈpelikən)

Just a quick sketch while sitting in the faculty assembly meeting.

Day five of the Birds

Kestrel (ˈkestrəl)

This is the last of my Fairbanks Museum sketches of Birds from this past summers sketching class. 

Bird #4

Shrike (SHrīk)

Another sketch from my summer sketching class at the Fairbanks Museum. The shrike is songbird that is also called Butcherbird because of its strong sharp hooked bill. It sounds beautiful but is deadly to small birds, lizards, and insects.

Bird Number Three

Parakeet (ˈparəˌkēt)

Another sketch from my day at the Fairbanks Museum.

Going to the Bird's Day II

Hoatzin (wätˈsēn)

A tropical bird of the Amazon. It is said to have such a fowl smell that nothing wants to eat it. Their chicks actually have claws on two of the digit wings. It is also the only bird of it's genus Opisthocomus.

It's National Bow Tie Day!

As part of national Bow Tie Day, I am starting my next wave of Bow Tie Guys. Now through the end of September, I will be posting at least six Bow Tie Birds a week.

Today it is the Blue Jay. I drew this while at the Fairbanks Museum this past summer and recently colored it in.

If you have a particular bird you want me to give the bow tie treatment let me know.