sketching birds at the Australian Museum

I  spent a few hours at the Australian Museum in Sydney on Saturday and today. I wish I visited more often. I have a membership so can get in for free, so I should make effort to visit. The problem is  - to many wonderful things to draw, to many projects !

 

The Australian Museum

 

Although there are many wonderful floors to explore and sketch, I seem to always head for the Search & Discover Room . It is an information and resource centre. You have a chance to  touch and feel real specimens, and take them to a desk to position and sketch. I had SUCH a good time. Sometimes lines just flow from the pencil. It happened here.

 

I have sketched a few Australian birds before . As with any subject, the more you draw and really LOOK and SEE  it, the more understanding you have of it and the better you get.

 

 

 

 

I usually draw in a 13 x 19 cm Moleskine Watercolour sketchbook.  The only times that I want to draw BIG are at the Museum and the Zoo. So I took an A3 sketchbook this time.

I also took an old ledger that I had bought. I want to explore drawing on printed surfaces.

 

Currawong

 

 

He is almost all black in colour. but I decided to finish in this sketch stage and not "colour in"

 

A3 Arches 300 GSM Smooth Watercolour Paper

 

Pied Currawongs are found throughout eastern Australia. They prefer forests and woodlands, and has become well adapted to suburban areas. Throughout its range it is common and familiar. Average size: 48cm Source: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Strepera-graculina

Their song  can be heard in Australian suburbs

Currawong

 

I sketched him again, but really  had to add all black otherwise he looked like a penguin with a white front.

 

 

magpie

 

The Australian Magpie is black and white. It is slightly smaller than the currawong  Its nape, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, grey in females. Across most of Australia, the remainder of the body is black. They are common and conspicuous birds.Australian Magpies are found wherever there is a combination of trees and adjacent open areas, including parks and playing fields. Australian Magpies can be very aggressive during breeding season and attacks on humans and pets can occur.

They have a beautiful song which I love to hear. It is a loud musical flute-like song, often performed as a duet or by groups

Source http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Cracticus-tibicen

 

 

I always draw in watercolour pencil. On this page I was showing another sketcher, Jane how I use watercolour pencils to draw and blend. I have been using them everyday for over five years and love what can be done with them.

 

see more of my nature drawings at https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/sets/72157620757803544/

feathers and nests at https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/sets/72157633270801883/

 

I draw lots of things and they all go on flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/

Australian birds - Alissa Duke

Three birds drawn today on a visit to the Australian Museum , with Wendy and Annie. Two hours flew by in no time. We left just as it was getting busy and loud as it is school holidays.

Spur-winged Plovers
The southern subspecies of Maskd Lapwing is also known as the Spur-winged Plover
Average size: 36 cm
Masked Lapwings are large, ground-dwelling birds that are closely related to the waders. The Masked Lapwing is mainly white below, with brown wings and back and a black crown. Birds have large yellow wattles covering the face, and are equipped with a thorny spur that projects from the wrist on each wing. The spur is yellow with a black tip. The Masked Lapwing is common throughout northern, central and eastern Australia. Masked Lapwings are also found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

Honestly – most people know this bird for it’s defence of its nest. They nest in open areas (such as sports grounds, parks) and will aggressively attack people walking by. I have not had much experience with them, but have seen them in parks. If you mention plovers, people will immediately know the bird you are talking about !
Call : A loud "kekekekekekekek". (I can't seem to insert the audio link)
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Vanellus-miles

Cattle Egret
A relatively small snowy-white egret, the Cattle Egret is distinguished during breeding season by its orange crown, neck and breast, with similarly tinted long loose neck plumes. Originally found in Africa, Europe and Asia, the Cattle Egret is now found on nearly every continent, with birds in Australia originating from Asia.

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ardea-ibis



White-browed Scrubwren
Average size: 12 cm

The White-browed Scrubwren is the most common and widespread of Australia's five species of scrubwren. Its range extends from northern Queensland, in a broad coastal band through South Australia to the mid Western Australian coast, and Tasmania.
The White-browed Scrubwren lives in rainforest, open forest, woodland and heaths. It is usually seen in pairs, low down in the thick vegetation. I am sure I would have heard them scurrying in the undergrowth of rainforest, but thy would blend in to the forest floor and look like they would be very active,
The call is an almost persistent harsh chattering of scalding notes, especially when disturbed. White-browed Scrubwrens are also accomplished mimics.
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Sericornis-frontalis

birds at the Australian Museum - Alissa Duke

Today was raining in Sydney so I went to the Australian Museum to sketch. These are three birds that I am familiar with - the magpie is a bird that is seen or heard regularly in Australia and here in the city in Sydney.

Australian Magpie



Satin Bowerbird - found on SE Coast of Australia. They are glossy blue/black and build a stick bower on the ground and decorate it with blue found objectes such as plastic pegs, bottle tops , plastic straws etc. I had only seen these birds once or twice in National Parks when growing up. But now, my mother has one that visits her backyard (in a city of 120 000 people) . She leaves blue objects out for him , which he sometimes takes. I think this is very special. We don't know where the bower is.


Regent bowerbird - found in SE Queensland and NE NSW - I have only seen these in the picnic area of one National Park. You used to be able to buy seeds and feed them by hand. I looked on their website and they have a controlled feeding program where the birds come to be fed at specific times, but from feeding trays and not by people.

Emu - Alissa Duke

I went sketching with the Sydney sketch meet up group at the Australian Museum. After drawing dinosaurs all morning, I sketched an emu in the afternoon.



The Emu is found only in Australia. It lives throughout most of the continent, ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains.

The Emu is Australia's tallest native bird, reaching between 1.6 m and 1.9 m when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black. It does not fly ,but the legs are long and powerful., Their powerful legs give them great speed, some running up to 50 km per hour. At full pace, an emu's stride can measure up to 3 m. (See http://australianmuseum.net.au/Emu)

I have only seen Emus running along roadsides, near fences out in the country .

Australian birds - Alissa Duke

Another day spent sketching at the Australian Museum. This time it was Australian birds.

The Long-billed Corella is a medium sized white cockatoo (to 38 cm) found in extreme south eastern Australia. They can become a pest to grain and crop trees and in some areas feral populations have established themselves.

The Gang Gang cocktoo is a parrot and is found in South Eastern Australia. Found in mountain, forests , woodland but also urban areas. It grows to 34 cm .

I have never either of these, but I have only lived in Sydney for a few years. I asked a few other Sydneysiders and they are familiar with both of these birds.