Robert Vaughan

I am really looking forward to starting a new and exciting project today, this Golden Eagle being the first of a long list of flora and fauna to be illustrated

A small selection of the Christmas cards that are available on my website. You can see the full range at www.robertvaughanillustrations.com

A few sketches of the birds when they did land close by.

A picture of the flock in flight, there may even have been a few out of frame. Very hard to count as they were extremely erratic.

An older painting of a small flock I had during a wintry week in Donegal a few years ago.

Having been delighted with a single Snow Bunting on Monday, I was amazed to find 14 on Tuesday, and atleast 24 yesterday in the Leitrim hills! Sadly, they rarely settled for long, flying far and wide while I was doing survey.

Same over here, we used to expect them in every gull flock. I found one on my school pitch in 02, and a returning bird by my old house in Dublin from 2011, but I am struggling to see them annually these days. I think my high count was 8 in April 2004!

A 1st winter Ring-billed Gull was reported near one of my survey sites, so a slight diversion after work yesterday resulted in great views as it fed amongst the gulls and mallards in a small park.

Having spent the day in the hills on a survey and seeing almost nothing yesterday, I was delighted when this snow bunting shuffled out of the heather by my feet and posed so well for almost 15 minutes. Wonderful to see such colour on what seemed like a bleak and barren site.

There is still something 'odd' about their profile from looking at photographs, I would hope that it would be enough to get me to give one a much closer look.

Thanks, I'm always on the look out for them! I think the head/bill shape is distinctive enough to get alarm bells ringing even at a distance, some day! David Sibley had a good post about this a few years ago that is worth a look if you have not seen before www.sibleyguides.com/2011/07/dist...

A few sketches from the weekend. Goosander is generally a scarce and shy species in Ireland, always distant at a few regular sites, so I was delighted with one showing well with mallards in Ramelton town on Saturday. The Coal Tit was one of a few birds during some surveying yesterday.

Thanks Ed.

White-tailed Eagles are becoming an increasingly regular sight in Donegal, and can almost be guaranteed at a few favoured locations. This was a rough study from a few years ago to help me age the birds I was seeing.

This is disgusting in all regards. The crime, the time and the silence. As soon as these crimes have been committed and announcing info won’t risk an investigation, then this should be communicated nationally as fast as possible.

Two new Christmas card designs are still available on my website. A huge thank you to everyone who has bought them, and for the kind feedback, it is really appreciated!
Please check out www.robertvaughanillustrations.com for more.

Cracking shots Sean, a stunning bird.

A few sketches of a pair of Bullfinches that were quietly feeding in our garden recently. They looked even better against the autumn colours surrounding them.

This adult Pink-footed Goose showed particularly well, sleeping in a roadside field with some Greylags.

It was a great opportunity to sketch the details of what is still a relatively scarce bird away from a few sites.

The 2 Taiga Beans remained distant, but gave an opportunity to focus on the structure, being quite distinct from the more regular Tundra.

Hopefully they remain for the winter now and I will be able to return for better views and more sketching.

I was glad to see the 2 Taiga Bean Geese last week at Dooey in West Donegal. Having managed brief views of 1 of the 9 Taiga's that had been at Inch, it was a great opportunity to be able to take in the structure and details.
A Pink-footed sleeping in a roadside field made for a much better subject.

Thank you very much Toby for your kind words.

Thank you very much Holly.

Thank you very much Ed, a real treat for us in the north West!

Thank you very much Steph, I really appreciate your kind words.

Thank you very much Steph. I was really lucky with the Swainson's especially showing so well, and being the perfect subject!

Thank you so much Harry, I really appreciate the kind words.

I completed the Swainson's and Grey-cheeked Thrush illustration over the weekend. It was really enjoyable to work on these 2 subtle American vagrants that I was lucky to see earlier this Autumn close to home. #donegalbirding

A few sketches of the head, it spent most of the time hunched over feeding.

It did occasionally stand up right, and even puffed out the head and neck feathers in display at times.

I had only started sketching the AGP when the Bittern appeared. Lesser yellowlegs and a great white egret, plus both barn and long eared owls made for a very memorable evening.

Typical view for the most of the evening.

A big surprise on Saturday was a Bittern appearing at Inch Island, Donegal. I had just started sketching an American Golden Plover when the Bittern flew in and landed infornt of us. Although typically skulky, it was on show regularly until darkness allowing some sketching.

Two new Christmas card designs now available on my website, www.robertvaughanillustrations.com
Plenty of other cards, prints and some new originals can also be found there.

Thank you very much Harry, I have had this sketch for a few weeks now, and a painting idea that I just need a little more time to get around to!

Probably a bit of both. Historically, most birders that did do the north-west would do it in September, and would then go south-west in October. Donegal in horribly underwatched, even by Irish standards!

Swainson's Thrush and a pencil out line of the Grey-cheeked, both surprise new birds for Donegal that stayed over a week allowing everyone plenty of time to see them.

Donegal has a poor history of American passerines, so it was a bit of a surprise to hear of a Swainson's Thrush last month. Nobody could then have predicted what would be discovered in the following week, with Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and 4 or 5 Red-eyed Vireos. #donegalbirding

I have just re-stocked on my Christmas cards, including a few new designs that I will share in the coming days. Please have a look at my website to see more www.robertvaughanillustrations.com
Many new original paintings and illustrations are also available.

The long overdue 2024 BOC News is now published online at
tinyurl.com/BOC-News-2024
Some amazing images and stories from around the Observatory network and a memoriam for the late Steve Wing.