Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

This amazing bird is available in my shop in an array of different artworks

According to the Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds, Australia is home for 54 species of parrots. I was camping for the National Folk Festival in Canberra and early in the morning we were awakened by the loud raucous screeches of a large flock of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, an Australian icon. In the morning sun I could see their shadows passing over the tent. I was astonished.

I have also found a way to make this blog carbon neutral, I recommend it to all of you who run a blog or website, find out how at http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/carbon-neutral/how-you-can-join/
Until next time..          Matteo

The Sleeping Hardhead

First of all I would like to thank all the new followers (so many!), those of you who leave comments, it is very nice and inspiring to read your kind words and follow your blogs, and thanks to every visitor as well. This bird is now popular in this blog, you can easily see the sketch that originated the painting in one of May's posts. What intrigues me about this male Hardhead is that he's got a broken wing and he is also the only specimen living at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.. I wonder how he got there.. Hardhead - Aythya Australis 

Until next time     Matteo

Australian King Parrots

Toohey Forest can reveal very nice surprises sometimes, as it did this one, with a whole flock of males, females and youngsters Australian King Parrots. Never seen them there before. These are very elegant and gentle looking (and sounding) birds. I am still amazed to see how wildlife lives at such a close contact with people in Australian suburbia. Australian King Parrot -Alisterus scapularis. That's all for now, you are all very welcome to follow this blog by Email (on the left) for automatic updates, thank you! Matteo

Eastern Great Egret

With this new painting I tried to capture the brightness of this Eastern Great Egret - Ardea modesta. The bird was preening and literally spreading light from the bright white feathers. From the sketchbook: 'This is the most beautiful heron I've ever seen. Extremely long neck. Amazing light as fine plumes on the back, more graceful than any swan or crane'. Another one from the Boondall Wetlands.



What did you use?

I was asked a few times what are the tools I like to work with.. These latest sketches are from the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, a place I haven't come back for a while..

These are the tools I like using when sketching outside: water colour suitable sketchbook, watercolors, water soluble ink pen, water brushes medium and small, water proof ink pen, fountain pen filled with water colour paint (charcoal grey).

Rainbow Bee-eaters

Looking back through last year's journal I came across a sketch and some photos of the Rainbow Bee-eater -Merops ornatus- from the Boondall Wetlands, last October. They are migrating birds that come here to breed for the summer. Probably they are now gone back north. Amazing colours and shapes, it was a pleasure to capture their beauty with watercolors.. 

Insects and a Yabby's claw

1. Freshwater Crayfish or Yabby, Cheerax destructor, claw -Crow's Nest, QLD.

2. Evening Brown Butterfly, Melanitis leda -Brisbane City.

3. Red Arrow Dragonfly, Rhodothemis liftinacki -Crow's Nest, QLD.

4. Australian Emperor Dragonfly, Hemianax papuensis -Brisbane.

5. Unidentified Moth, -my room.

Pale-headed Rosellas

Toohey Forest. To my surprise they were not as shy as usual this time. The couple stood on the same tree for a long while, giving me the chance to observe and study them thoroughly. Among the amazing variety of Australian Rosellas, the Pale-headed is the only one I've observed in Brisbane so far..



New generations and feathers

Autumn encounters: new generations, a young Kookaburra, and moulted feathers, one from the Kookaburra's tail. 

Teals and Stilts

 

This is the last painting from the Sleeping Birds series, Chestnut Teals and Black-winged Stilts, ink and watecolour on paper, 30x40cm, from a beautiful place just about a hour north of Brisbane called Bribie Island, that place teems with wildlife..