#bird painters

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Feathursday Chaffinches

The Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is among the top five most numerous birds in Great Britain, and among the most widespread species in the finch family, breeding through most of Europe and into Siberia. This image is from of a painting by the British bird artist Terance James Bond as reproduced in our folio volume Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press in 1988. Of chaffinches, Bond writes that the species' preference for feeding on the split and discarded grain in agricultural environments:

. . . is without a doubt the origin of the bird's common name, Chaff-Finch. Interestingly this species' scientific name also provides a clue to another of the Chaffinch's characteristics. A literal translation of the name Fringilla coelebs is bachelor finch: throughout Europe during the winter, Chaffinches form large segregated flocks of predominantly one sex. . . .

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A Falco Feathursday

This Feathursday we showcase three of the smallest falcons in Europe and America: the Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), and American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). All are in the genus Falco, and all occupy a similar niche within the falcon genus, although the Hobby is more falconesque in its hunting behavior. The American Kestrel, however, may not be a true kestrel, but seems more closely related to other North American falcons.

These paintings are by the British bird artist Terance James Bond and are reproduced in our folio volume Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press in 1988. Of his painting of the American Kestrel, Bond writes:

The species . . . can be found in parkland, farmland, and the margins of towns and villages [and cities!]. To hint at this association with modern man I have chosen to illustrate my male bird against a setting of sawn logs. This I feel works very well, the firewood is a perfectly natural element but the presence of civilised man is suggested through the obviously unnatural arrangement of the timber. The bird could be sunning itself in somebody's farmyard or rural garden and has taken advantage of the perching point whilst it sits and waits for the arrival of a potential snack.

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A Bullfinch Feathursday

The colorful Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a strikingly beautiful bird to encounter. but it is not always the most welcome in orchards because of their preferred foods: berries and the buds of fruit trees. These images are from paintings by the British bird artist Terance James Bond as reproduced in our folio volume Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press in 1988. Of the Bullfinch and its depiction, Bond writes:

Bullfinches and fruit trees do not mix, or rather they do, and that is the problem. . . . Bullfinches love buds. The name Bullfinch is probably a corruption of the words bud finch. . . . A pair of these lovely little birds can cause havoc on a fruit tree in a very short time, and several pairs over a period of a couple of weeks can destroy the potential fruit crop of an entire orchard. [B]y illustrating the species in a setting of pear blossoms, I would seem to be confirming the Bullfinch's regrettable behaviour. . . . The bright pink breast of the cock is so vivid and of such an isolated pigment range, that there is very little that can be utilised as background without a terrible clash of colour. White is the obvious choice and so is pale green, both are tints that harmonise well with pink. So in the end I chose the bird's favourite tree as the basis of composition.

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A European Robin Feathursday

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) and the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) are among the most common and beloved birds in there respective continents. Unlike the American Robin, however, which is a large thrush, the European Robin is a small bird in the chat subfamily of Old World flycatchers. For us they are in the subfamily of European borbs!

The image shown here is a reproduction of a painting by British bird artist Terance James Bond from our folio volume Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England by the Lutterworth Press in 1988. Bond writes, "The Robin . . . can be found throughout the British Isles . . . . It is, therefore, a bird with which everyone is familiar." He continues:

Ask almost everybody in the United Kingdom which of all our resident birds they would consider to be their favourite and the answer will be the same. A survey carried out in 1961 by the International Council for Bird Protection, after long deliberation and much correspondence in the national press, finally elected the Robin as Britain's national bird.

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Another Peckin’ Feathursday

This week we present the stately European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), reproduced from a painting by British bird artist Terance James Bond in his folio volume Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England by the Lutterworth Press in 1988. Bond writes:

This is the largest of the three woodpeckers that are resident in the British Isles and in my humble opinion the most handsome [no argument there]. From the illustrator’s point of view the woodpeckers are particularly pleasing birds to draw and paint. Why? Well, just look at the shape!

Much like our own Northern Flicker, the Green Woodpecker has a penchant for ground-feeding in the hunt for insects, especially ants. .Bond observes, “Green Woodpeckers are regular visitors to my lawns and I have to admit the sight of these birds hopping across the ground amidst the company of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes is rather odd.” About this painting, Bond writes:

The colours in my illustration have  been kept within the range of greens and browns, in order to make a visual feature of the only other colours in the painting, the red and black in the bird’s head. Scots pine was chosen as a background because I thought the shape of the needles echoed the dominant shape of the woodpecker’s head.

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Monday Motivation Owl

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is perhaps the most widely distributed owl species on the planet. Yet, despite their ubiquity, the species is on decline in many parts of its range mainly due to habitat loss. The artist of these images, British bird painter Terance James Bond, writes in his 1988 book Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press:

. . . the partly derelict old barn that I have included in my painting is a typical roosting place. Sadly the illustration . . . depicts a scene which is becoming increasingly rare. Barn Owls are on the decline, and so also are the old and accessible farm buildings in which the species prefers to nest. Hollow trees are just as suitable for nesting, but the loss of much woodland and many hedgerows during the last twenty years has affected the stability of this bird as a breeding species. 

That was written 33 years ago, and prospects have not improved much over the past three decades. Still, when considering them as a global species, they are not considered threatened worldwide. While barn owls are prolific breeders and able to recover from short-term population decreases, they are not as common in some areas as they used to be. That is still true in Bond’s Britain, and here in Wisconsin and much of the Midwest barn owls are listed as endangered species.

Despite Bond’s lament, he also offers us this bucolic image:

I often watch a Barn Owl hunting over the long grass, drifting and turning through the trees of my meadow. Dusk is the usual time for these nocturnal predators to emerge from their daylight sleeping quarters. . . . Presumably the bird I watch with such pleasure is searching in my meadow for mice and voles, It looks for all the world like a large silent white moth drifting ghost-like over the tall grass.

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A Very Puffin Feathursday

This week we bring you . . . PUFFINS!! (Fratercula arctica), those absurdly beautiful little auks of the North Atlantic. Yes, they look like characters out of a Dickens novel, or perhaps creatures from Alice in Wonderland, or imaginary birds designed by a 9-year old, and indeed their colorfully silly appearance and waddling gait have earned them the nickname “clowns of the sea.” Nevertheless, Puffins are serious and noble animals, mighty deep-sea fishers,  energetic burrow engineers, and serve patriotically as the official bird symbol for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Their striking appearance, of course, also makes them ideal subjects for bird painters and these images are from paintings by British bird artist Terance James Bond reproduced in his 1988 book Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press. Of Puffins and the making of the large painting, Bond writes:

To some people the physical appearance of the Puffin is most peculiar; large coloured bill, short dumpy legs and a generally awkward disposition. The bird’s popularity is, however, unquestioned and many regard the bird with great affection. . . .

My four Puffins are illustrated in a typical coastal cliff-top environment, with steeply sloping verges usually covered with a degree of grass and vegetation. In order to add more impact to the four birds I have resisted the temptation to show a horizon or background in the painting, preferring to use the combination of the Puffin’s dramatic plumage to create a strong composition.

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Monday Motivation Owl

Here is one serious Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) for your motivation this Monday. This highly adaptable Eurasian and North African owl is fairly common in the woodlands of its range, and its hoo-hoo-hoo call is the quintessential owl vocalization.

This image is from a painting by British bird artist Terance James Bond, reproduced in his 1988 book Birds, The Paintings of Terance James Bond, published in Cambridge, England, by the Lutterworth Press. On painting the Tawny, Bond writes:

. . . most owls seem to possess a drab and uninteresting plumage, but close inspection will reveal a myriad of shades and patterns that are quite beautiful. Some of these patterns, particularly on the back of the head, are so finely detailed that owls take longer to paint than most birds. . . .

The Tawny Owl is illustrated here in a setting of oak trees, for the reason that the slight contrast between the green bark and the bird’s plumage is a colour combination that I find pleasing. Oak woods, of course, are the richest woodland of all and offer the Tawny Owl good pickings in the form of voles, shrews, woodmice and large moths.

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