1st winter Collared Flycatcher at Spurn

I have to admit the following bird was one of the hardest things I have ever had to illustrate. I usually do a few draft illustrations prior to finishing something that I feel comfortable with and allow to go to print.

However with this particular bird I must have done several sketches before I even began to like the look of what I had drawn.

With a bird as subtle as this meant I had to mainly base my work on photo reference and compiled the sketch from a medley of several images. This piece is not going to print in Yorkshire Birding but this is one that I feel relatively happy with and think it conveys Collared Flycatcher rather than Pied Fly.

It is slightly tilted which tends to happen when birds are in the hand resulting from the bird being off balance and being unable to readjust its weight accordingly resulting from the legs being held in situ.

I have uploaded three scans of the same illustration and will upload the one I decided to use in Yorkshire Biridng once it goes to print.