Under the new tin roof of the visitor center (historically the Smithsonian’s Barro Colorado Island dining hall, back in the day when lady and gentlemen scientists came in from the field and dressed for dinner every night in their best white tropical-weight worsteds) is a sprinkler system, pipes painted red. Trogons are sedentary birds and he took his job seriously and didn’t mind me at all, being as how I was sedentary too, sketchbook on knee. 1 hour pose (one of two sketches), watercolor over pencil, 8 1/2″ x 11″ Stillman & Birn Alpha Series.
First day out of the box on the island and we had birds, thunderstorms, and a gorgeous huge tropical fly caught by researchers (and released unharmed). The birds were very cool but the bugs, oh my, the bugs.
Masked tityras, roving bandits of the canopy…actually, they were snooping around a fruiting fig. I plan to snoop around there myself. From 5 to 25 second poses, watercolor over pencil on S&B Alpha Series 8 1/2″ x 11″
And now, a fly. Turn up your sound if you enjoy loud buzzing fly noises, turn it down if you don’t.
Happy Friday.
(update: a biologist here gave me the name and the lowdown on the fly. It’s called Pantaphthalmus chuni, aka, neotropical timber fly. Has no functional mouthparts, does not bite- or eat. Adults exist solely to reproduce. And so you all know, it’s also the world’s largest fly. Really.)
I can’t believe the Trogan sat still for you for so long! I feel your pain regarding the bugs, I’m in Malaysia at the moment and absolutely covered with mosquito bites! I love your paintings and really enjoy my visits to your blog 🙂
Amazing blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress
or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused .. Any recommendations? Cheers!
Drawing The Motmot 
I can’t believe the Trogan sat still for you for so long! I feel your pain regarding the bugs, I’m in Malaysia at the moment and absolutely covered with mosquito bites! I love your paintings and really enjoy my visits to your blog 🙂
Fab
That was one frustrated fly 🙂
Yes, fab! Now that’s a fly. Hate to have it fly into you. Looks like it could leave a bruise!
You’ve caught the jizz of a Trogon
Amazing blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress
or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused .. Any recommendations? Cheers!