Monday, January 18, 2010

Allen's Hummingbird - Maree



I've decided to also try my hand at sketching the Allen's Hummingbird from the live cam link Vickie supplied (http://cam.dellwo.com/) - it's great watching her settling on the eggs, blinking from time to time, even that long tongue swooping out every now and then and then flitting off for a snack.

I did this sketch from screenshots taken of the live cam. Not knowing Hummingbirds very well, we don't have them in South Africa, only Sun Birds, I Googled it and somehow think I've made the beak much too curved, like that of a Sun Bird (although it certainly looked like that on the screenshot) - the description read, "Allen's Hummingbird: Small, compact hummingbird; male has straight black bill, glittering green crown and back, white breast, and rufous sides, belly, rump, and tail. The throat (gorget) is iridescent copper-red. Feeds on nectar, insects, spiders, and sap. Swift direct flight, hovers when feeding." It also states that it is the female that incubates the eggs for 15 to 17 days, so maybe the female's bill is a bit more curved. All wonderfully new stuff to me!

10 comments:

  1. How sweet and light and lovely, and a "bouquet of hummingbirds" - I think that phrase and this painting just brightened my day immeasurably!!

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  2. Tremendous!! I've so been trying to get her on paper too. I love the brightness of your colors.

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  3. Thank you Sandy, and I like a 'shimmer' of Hummingbirds...

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  4. Thank you PJ! Are we gonna see yours when you're finished? Debbie Schiff has also done a wonderful rendition - see it on her blog "Debbie Does Art" at http://debadoodle.blogspot.com/2010/01/phoebe-allens-hummingbird.html

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  5. Great sketch, Maree! Bills always take some study for me. Have you seen her babies?!

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  6. Thanks Vickie, should've studied the bill before doing the sketch. I missed the hatching, and haven't seen the baby yet - earlier on when I looked it was still dark there and now it seems the cam is off - black screen only, but I'll keep trying!

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  7. What lovely little birds! Yes, I got the black screen too, fooey!

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  8. Thanks Kate, can't believe I missed the birth, but there you have it....

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  9. Oh my gosh....gorgeous. Thanks for posting the link too.

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  10. Thank you Kelly! Have you watched them? The babies, Sassy and Stormy, are growing at an alarming rate! I can only watch the cam from 5pm onwards here in South Africa (then it's 6am there), so I can't wait for the evenings to come!

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