Black-bellied Plover Head-on...

This is the same Black-bellied Plover that showed up in Painting 114 and Painting 111. I remember whispering as I took the ref photo for this guy, "come on...just a little closer...keep your head up...keep walking...a little closer..." and he did, giving me a wonderful head-on photo. I photographed him in March of 2010 on Longboat Key, Florida. It was so windy that week I spent a lot of my time stretched out in the sand trying to keep warm, which helped me get wonderful angles on these fellows...

Painting 126 - Black-bellied Plover Walking Towards Me

Watercolor, 12x16 Arches Cold Pressed 140 lb Paper

I sketched this guy a few weeks ago in February while waiting for Matty in the car--of course! (Yikes...Matty took his first spin in the car today--in the parking lot at work. Once he gets his license and I don't have to pick him up from school and take him to tennis/hockey, etc., it's going to put a big dent in my sketching time! :-)

Pencil sketch and study of the Black-bellied Plover for painting 126.

Black-bellied Plover on Longboat Key

Painting 114 - Black-bellied Plover on Longboat Key

Watercolor, 12x16

This is the same Black-bellied Plover that was in painting 111, "Black-bellied Plover Digging in the Sand." I was a little more true to color with this plover, though. He was fun to paint...I loved his sweet eye and all the shadows on his fat belly. I'm working on another in this series. It's of the same bird, but he's walking towards us with a head-on view. Hope to have it finished in a few days...

(I gave Rick painting 111 yesterday for Valentine's Day. He was surprised and happy, and it's already in his office at work! Yeah! Rick loves the ocean and ocean birds as much as I do.)

Graphite pencil sketch and study of the Black-bellied Plover in painting 114--the second in the plover series.

...I think I need to get a bigger sketch book. I couldn't fit his tail on the page in this sketch! I sketched this bird over a couple of days while waiting to pick Matty up. I'm finding I look forward to waits now because I always have my sketch book with me. It's so relaxing to be in the car and just sketch (no interruptions...no deadlines...no tasks...just sketching and relaxing). I'm going to miss it when Matty starts to drive!

p.s. On a side note...this morning when I was putting some seed out for the birds, a little male House Finch was serenading the world with "robust vigor" (I know it's hokey, but that's the only way I can describe it!). The song was so beautiful. It's the first I've heard it this year and my goodness it made me stop...and listen...and listen some more. So gorgeous and happy. I CAN'T wait for all of the spring bird song headed our way...and spring flowers too...and summer flowers, and veggies from the garden... For now I'll be content with the little male House Finch's song of spring.

A Study of a Black-bellied Plover

I loved watching this Black-bellied Plover probe the sand looking for food. More often than not he would spot something and run to pick it up, but sometimes he would dig into the sand to find something to eat. I saw this guy on Longboat Key in Florida last March. He was foraging with a small flock of Willets. He was mostly on his own, but he would move with the flock, so he seemed to be a part of it. Since it was March, he was still in his non-breeding plumage. You can tell I've warmed his colors up a bit in this painting too (just like I did with the Sedge Wren). He's really a bit blander...a lighter brown/gray. (For the post with the reference photo I used, click here.) This was a fun bird to paint. I enjoyed stylizing the feathers on his back and adding in the sand.

Painting 111 - Black-bellied Plover Digging in the Sand

Watercolor, 12x16 Arches Cold Pressed 140 lb Paper

Sketch of a Black-bellied Plover

I sketched him while sitting in the car waiting for Matty to get out of school (as usual). It was a quick sketch to help me get a handle on his shape. I didn't go into much detail.

p.s. This is the first bird in the 100 Paintings Challenge that Rick has flipped for. He wants a print for his office! Cool...

A Black-bellied Plover sans the black belly...

Birding Longboat Key, Florida

...continued from the Black Skimmer post.

Back in March, when this photo was taken, this Black-bellied Plover was still in his non-breeding plumage. His black belly doesn't show up until he molts into his summer breeding plumage. He nests all the way up in the arctic, so I don't think I'll be seeing that black belly any time soon...

...this fellow was foraging with a small flock of Willets. He was off on his own, yet at the same time, he was very much part of the Willets' flock. I enjoyed watching him peck out his dinner. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds's site, the Black-bellied Plover is the only American plover with a hind toe. It's very small. If you look closely in the second photo, you can just make it out.