may workbench

Chad & Dave~

I have not done a Wigeon rig - always just one-offs with paints custom-blended. Somebody needs to ship me a beat-up bunch of Bean's Coastals or Herter's 63/72s......

All the best,

SJS
 
Mr. Sanford, I'm not sure which one I like more. They both are absolutely gorgeous.
The Sandpiper..... It looks like the beak, head, and body are all one piece. I was under the impression that head is supposed to be a separate piece, and a dowel for beak? Trying to learn.
I would love to come on the studio tour, but you wouldn't be happy because you would have to beat me with a stick to get me to leave.
Beautiful work, Jeff
 
Good morning, Jeffery~

My shorebirds are built differently - depending upon the species and the pose. This Solitary could be done from one piece - making certain that the grain runs through the bill. Of course, this can only be done if the head is not turned left or right. On the other hand, I am also carving a Mourning Dove. Even with its short bill and straight-ahead posture, I was afraid of grain runout so I mortised a length of dowel into the head.

The Whimbrel has a separate head AND the bill is a piece of Hickory (limbwood grown to the curve) mortised into the head.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, other than going where there is plenty of wading marsh with a camera, try WWW.ejphoto.com
pretty good pile of photos and easy to traverse. Just hit birds and scroll down until you find what you are loking for.
Nice thing about them is no side pockets AND primaries seem to always go past the tail. Maybe that is what makes them so agile?
Should have paid more attention to all of that stuff when in Argentina--Looked at a lot, BUT, did not take photos.. Perhaps, there is one more trip in me......
 
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Thanks very much, George~

That's a great site - I will be sure to bookmark it.

Shorebirds are a favorite group of mine - and I really miss them from Long Island. Here in dairy country, "shorebirds" mostly means Killdeer and Woodcock.....

All the best,

SJS
 
Working on a screech. Another evening or two and I'll have it ready to seal. Haven't decided which color phase to paint it yet.
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Nice bird, Bob!

I wonder if they were ever common enough to have earned a "gunners' name" - were they called "Labs"? or "Spoonbills"?

(but I think my first extinct species will be an Eskimo Curlew.....)

All the best,

SJS
 
From what I have read about them they were never really all that common to begin with .They were all pretty much gone by 1870. They were hunted commercially for the east coast meat markets in the major cities but were not considered particularly tasty like canvasbacks were .I think the were usually mixed in eider and scoter company alot the share similar diets . One recent theory on Labrador ducks claims that they were hybrid from Stellers eider and Common eider it would explain alot why for instance there are no eggs in any museum collections that are positively DNA mapped as Labrador Ducks.Interesting history and mystery surrounds the Labrador duck .

 
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