Radde's Warbler

The 13th of October was a superb day thanks to a Stunning and very Showy Long-eared Owl at the shop and thanks to Rebecca Nason for finding a Radde's Warbler at Schoolton Crop. I could bore your to death with illustrations of Long eared's, as I have a lot of them (I could draw them all day and would if I had the chance).

So have decided to post a Radde's Sketch that I have Given to Rebecca Nason as a thank you for finding this Siberian Gem.

Hearing the news that Rebecca had just found a Radde's I ran from Upper Stoneybreck to Schoolton via the shop and had to run past the LEO that just sat and followed me with the smoothest rotation of its head. Ive never known anything like it and it looked like something Jim Henson had created as it was completely fearless and simply BEAUTIFUL!



I find Radde's Warblers very tricky to draw as their heads always adopt funny shapes, as do Bonelli's Warblers, especially the point between where the head meets the base of the bill. The only bird illustrator that I have ever come across that really does them any Justice has to be Killian Mullarney and still cant believe that they left his little Water Colour of the Radde's in the Brambles out of the 2nd edition of Collins Bird Guide....That was one of the best bits in it! 'Personally I'm GUTTED'

I just hope you never see any of my early drawings of Radde's Warbler and apologise if you have.