Lee Ann van Leer
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorHello Donna, I will send you an email to with some various alternatives to you. We try to make it clear in the course description that this is fluid acrylic paint in this course but that doesn't mean everyone sees the materials references before hitting the buy button. So it can happen. There are some other students on here using alternative types of media. You probably won't be able to get the same colors and fine strokes and texture if you use watercolors. However there is plenty to learn in the course such as drawing, feather tracts, bird anatomy considerations, and other tips and tricks that are useful. I will send you the promised email later tonight or this weekend. In the meantime you can search through the various posts throughout this course discussion boards and see the outcome others using watercolor have had. Here is the advice from our course developers: We don't recommend substituting other media for this course. To maximize your success in taking this course and for optimal results in your artwork, we strongly recommend investing in the Golden Fluid Acrylics, in the colors listed. Once you've mastered Jane's techniques in fluid acrylics for this course, you could find ways to adapt them to the range of capabilities of your preferred medium, if not acrylics. NOTE: Price for all paints from Amazon as of December 5, 2022: $76. Price for all paints from D. Blick as of December 5, 2022: $69in reply to: Draw: Northern Cardinal Basic Shapes #1014661
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorIf you would like to get detailed up to date information about migration please go to our Bird Cast website and look at the tools and links there. Also if there are particular raptors or species of birds you want to know if they migrate and where to you can look them up on our All About Birds Website. Put in the species name and look at the range map.in reply to: Were are they going? #1008584
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorHello Donna, We don't recommend substituting other media for this course. To maximize your success in taking this course and for optimal results in your artwork, we strongly recommend investing in the Golden Fluid Acrylics, in the colors listed. Once you've mastered Jane's techniques in fluid acrylics for this course, you could find ways to adapt them to the range of capabilities of your preferred medium, if not acrylics. 1. Highly recommended paint Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylics You will need thirteen 0.5 oz–1 oz (15–30 ml) colors at the fluid acrylic consistency (instead of high flow, heavy body, or open consistency). Your instructor, Jane, chose these colors to help you depict the birds you’ll paint in this course, as well as any birds you’d like to paint in the future, using the techniques taught in the course. Keep in mind that your results may be significantly different if you use other paints, even other acrylic paints, because of the variation in color and consistency among paint brands. COLORS USED IN THIS COURSE: Benzimidazolone Yellow Medium Pyrrole Red Quinacridone Magenta Ultramarine Blue Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) Yellow Oxide Burnt Sienna Carbon Black Titanium White Titan Buff Van Dyke Brown Hue Pyrrole Orange 2. Recommended brushes, paper, and palette Water Brushes Jane’s preferred water brushes, Pentel Aquash, are available in a set of four, which includes one flat brush and three round brushes in small, medium, and large. If you want to use another brand of water brush, you should have at least two brushes: a small round brush and a larger flat, or round, brush. Painting Paper A thick, high-quality painting paper, like Legion Stonehenge Hot Press, is best. You can use thinner, less expensive paper, but we’ve found you’ll have the most success with a hot-press (smooth) paper that’s at least 140 lb. weight and approximately 9×12 inches (about the size of A4 paper). Palette and Accessories You’ll need a palette like Masterson Art’s Sta-Wet Handy Palette, which comes with a sponge and a several sheets of disposable palette paper. Your acrylic paints will dry too quickly, even in one painting session, if you don’t have a wet palette. You can buy additional palette paper separately if you need more. 3. Additional supplies Sketchpad paper 8×10 or 9×12 inches; Bachmore and Strathmore both make good sketch paper Tracing paper; Bachmore’s Artist Tracing Paper is the one we found easiest to see through Artist tape Number 2 pencil traditional or mechanical pencil with a 0.5–0.7mm lead Kneaded eraser Eraser stick, such as Factis(R) BM2, or another soft eraser Graphite transfer paper, such as Craftsmart Graphite Paper Ball-point or gel pen in any color except black (we liked red); having a second color can also be handy Rags (cotton works best) and/or paper towels Spray bottle Although you can certainly take the course without these items, they can be quite useful: A hair dryer that can operate on a cold setting to dry paint more quickly A printer and/or photocopier; color versions of reference photos are particularly usefulin reply to: Watercolor #1008525
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Lee Ann van LeerModerator
@Neil Some people are trying variable mediums however we don't recommend substituting other media for this course. To maximize your success in taking this course and for optimal results in your artwork, we strongly recommend investing in the Golden Fluid Acrylics, in the colors listed. Once you've mastered Jane's techniques in fluid acrylics for this course, you could find ways to adapt them to the range of capabilities of your preferred medium, if not acrylics.
in reply to: Watercolor #1008524 -
Lee Ann van LeerModeratorGo here to our Nest Watch site for advice on nest boxes. Right Bird, Right House. Western Screech Owl Nest Box info and plan Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box info and plan
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorWe recommend using the Feather Atlas to help you with feather ID. As always after you take your photos leave the feathers where you found them due to laws prohibiting the collection of most wild bird feathers.in reply to: Eagle, Goose, or Vulture? #1004183
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorWas probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk you saw.in reply to: A Mystery Eurasian sparrowhawk in USA #1004182
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorhttps://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Grosbeak/id Pine Grosbeak, female. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Grosbeak/idin reply to: Merlin couldn’t ID #1004180
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Lee Ann van LeerModerator
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorThere were some that were in a set but they are no longer in a set. We will be updating the supply list later this month. You can still buy all the required paint colors individually. They are found not only in some local paint/art supply shops but also online at retailers such as D i c k Blick and Michaels. Make sure the paint you are buying is Golden Fluid Acrylics paint as specified in the supply list for the course. Again we will be updating that list soon to remove the "set" and show that the paints can be purchased separately.
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorWe recently took the flight lessons from our large Bird Photography course and put them also in a smaller course that is just on How to Photograph Birds in flight. Even if you don't purchase that smaller course you still might benefit from looking at the free sample/preview video in the Sample area. How to Photograph Birds in Flight with Melissa Groo online course Sample video from it The full length course the smaller course it was excerpted from is Bird Photography --Thanks! Lee Ann, Bird Academy
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorOh wow. Those are so nice. Your love for the birds shines through in your art. Thanks for posting.
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorI think you mean the third topic of Lesson one. It doesn't appear that there is a video for that topic. There won't be a video for all topics. However I will double check with the content developers and get back to you. Thanks for asking. If you have further course related question please email us at birdacademy@cornell.edu as the discussion boards are more for students to interact with each other and won't always be monitored by staff regularly.in reply to: Fabulous Female Hummingbirds #972799
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorHello Sophia, Thanks for alerting us to the confusion about this video. We have updated the video title and the instructions to make it more clear that this video you are drawing on your own while watching Jane and that she is not narrating what she is doing. Here are the updated instructions: <
To encourage you to draw more independently this time, I will not talk you through techniques. You can follow along with me and pause as needed, or you can draw them completely on your own. Remember to draw from macro to micro>> -
Lee Ann van LeerModeratorMallards can dive just not as well, as often, nor as deep as "diving ducks". If fact I have photographed them diving in the winter time in the shallow water via a large open area we had in the ice created by a bubbler. They were diving under and coming up with large bullfrog tadpoles. They then had quite a time even swallowing the tadpoles. When one Mallard came up with a tadpole the other Mallards would chase the Mallard around trying to steal the tadpole away from it (and sometimes succeeding.) American Crows would sometimes get in on the action waiting at the edges of the open water in case a Mallard dropped a tadpole and when this happened the crow would snatch it away. Bullfrog tadpoles take a few years to turn in to a frog. That is why there were tadpoles in the pond even in the dead of winter here in Ithaca, NY where the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is located.in reply to: Diving Mallards? #918216
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorThanks for asking. What country, province, or state are you in? I am not sure where if the world you are and thus not sure of which species of vulture you are referring to. Vultures may be large and dark, but they are not known to be a danger to humans. If you gave me more information about the species and what more specifically is your concern? Once you know what species of vulture is in your neighborhood you could find out more about their life history and the benefits they provide to the local ecosystem and food web. You could then help educate your neighbor of their positive attributes and help them overcome any fear they may have of vultures that could be perhaps attributed to them based on their large size or dark color? By eating things such as carrion of dead farm animals, roadkill, mice, and shrews they help recycle the nutrients of these animals and spread nutrients needed to renew life. If you have a landfill or compost facility, they might be found there eating garbage or rotten food. They is beneficial for soil conservation as they are taking food nutrients that were tossed out and processing them and then fertilizing the soil, fields, natural areas etc. with needed nutrients. This is one-way nutrients are recycled or replenished. This article that was in our Living Bird Magazine may be of interest to you: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/information-seekers-roosting-black-vultures/in reply to: Edgar Allen Poe neighborhood? #918087
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorIf you tell us what city, and country you live in that will help. Often they are just eating natural foods instead both plant and animal foods. There are many reasons birds might not be at the feeders: Bird populations fluctuate seasonally and from one year to the next for a range of reasons. Often when someone reports that birds have gone missing from their yard, they are just seeing normal variation. Causes for these regular changes include: Fluctuating food supplies: Cones, berries, seeds, and insects change from year to year, causing birds to move about to take advantage of food surpluses and to escape from areas with food shortages. Also, birds have different dietary needs during different times of the year, so they may move to or away from your feeders seasonally. You may notice fewer birds at your feeders during the late summer and early fall as there is usually lots of natural food available. Weather patterns. Birds may temporarily move out of areas to avoid droughts, floods, storms, exceptional heat and cold waves, and other unusual weather conditions. Predator populations. Foxes, birds of prey, cats, and other predators have fluctuating populations too. When their populations are high, bird populations may fall. This can also happen on a very local scale, such when a hawk takes up residence in your yard. When the predators move on, your birds will come back. Disease. On rare occasions, outbreaks of diseases can sharply reduce numbers of certain birds. Examples include the effect of West Nile virus on crows in the early 2000s; House Finch eye disease; and salmonellosis on feeder birds. Habitat change. Tree removal, housing developments, land clearing, fires, and other changes can change the number or types of birds you see. Seasonal, Breeding, & Behavioral. Bird detectability may vary based on the season or the stage of breeding. For instance some birds may be less detectable or less likely to go to a feeder when they are brooding eggs or when they are tending to nestlings. Also song birds change their frequency of singing. They may sing a lot during breeding season but less frequently or not at all during other parts of the year.in reply to: Rose-breasted Grosbeak disappearance? #909274
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorWhen birds aren't at your feeder it sometimes is because there are very fresh and plentiful natural foods in their neighborhood that they are preferring. As far as your feeder they like black oil sunflower seeds, striped sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and more. They could be busy feeding fledglings which require lots of bugs. Here is information about the parental care at the fledgling stage from our Birds of the World subscription site.
<>Association with Parents or Other Young From Kinser (67), and others as noted: For first 11 days after fledging, young rarely move from branches on which they are perched; in one Indiana study, each fledgling was fed a mean of 8 times/hr (range 4–15, n = 60 hours of observation), with feedings usually in a series of trips in rapid succession. From about 12 to 20 days after fledging, young move around more, occasionally leaving parental territory, but still receiving almost all food from parents. After this, young continue to be fed at least occasionally until 25–56 days after fledging; last young of season receive food over longer period than earlier broods (315, 293). When just 1 young fledges, both parents feed it initially, but after ~12 days, female generally stops to start new nest (67). Prior to female's re-nesting, fledged brood may be divided among parents (280, 208); afterward, male feeds all young until next brood hatches (100), and occasionally for a couple of days longer (314). In southern Ontario, across breeding season, young are fed for average 32 d after fledging (n = 13 clutches; 293); in southern Indiana, for average 39.2 d after hatching (n = 16 clutches). Young may permanently leave parental territory by themselves, or they may be driven
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norcar/cur/breeding#young Here is a list of natural foods they could be eating instead:Vegetation: Northeast. Primary vegetable foods include fruits and seeds of grape (Vitis), smartweed (Polygonum), dogwood (Cornus), sedge (Carex), mulberry (Morus), sumac (Rhus), vervain (Verbena), tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and domestic corn (Zea mays) and oats (Avena sativa). Southeast. Includes bristle grass (Setaria), blackberry (Rubus), grape, sedge, panic grass (Panicum), and corn. Southern prairies. Includes grape, doveweed (Croton), bristle grass, dogwood, mulberry, knotweed (Polygonum), and hackberry (Celtis). Southwest. In Sonora, Mexico, fruits of Bursera (including B. hindsiana, B. microphylla, and B. laxiflora) are consumed and may be important during periods of drought (197). Animal Food From McAtee (217). Larval and adult insects, including beetles (Coleoptera), mantises (Mantodea) photo , grasshoppers (Acrididae), crickets (Gryllidae), katydids (Tettigoniidae; eggs), butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), cicadas (Cicadidae), leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) and other small homopterans (Homoptera), stinkbugs (Pentatomidae) and other true bugs (Hemiptera), ants (Formicidae), sawflies (Symphyta), dragonflies (Anisoptera), mayflies (Ephemeroptera), lacewings (Neuroptera), and flies (Diptera). Also, spiders (Araneae), centipedes (Chilopoda), snails and occasional slugs (Gastropoda), and bivalves (Bivalvia). Known to consume periodical cicada (Magicicada spp., 224). from Birds of the World.
in reply to: Northern Cardinals not coming to my feeder #909273 -
Lee Ann van LeerModeratorEven though you might not be able to see a reflection the bird probably was and their vision is different than humans. Northern Cardinals are well known for pecking at themselves in a variety of reflective surfaces. These articles advice on how to get rid of the reflection during this period of year. Since he is still living you'd want permission to set up an eBird account on his behalf. You may need volunteers from a local birding club to band together to get all the checklists data entered in. It is often too time consuming for one person to accomplish. A Bird Keeps Flying into my Window or Car Mirror, on Purpose. What Should I Do? We usually see this behavior in the Spring—the time of year when most birds establish their territories, find a mate, lay eggs, and raise young. To ensure success, they defend their territory aggressively, and will attack and try to drive away any bird they view as a possible competitor or a threat to their young. When they see their own reflection in your window or car mirrors, they assume they're seeing a competitor and attack the image. We sometimes see this at other times of year as well—less frequently. This behavior usually dissipates within a few days or, at most, weeks. But while it lasts, the bird may exhaust or even hurt itself, and it distracts the bird from far more important activities. Plus, this behavior can be extremely annoying for the people witnessing it. To get rid of the reflection, you must alter the reflective surface. You can cover it with fabric, or newspaper--or a tarp. When you're no longer seeing the bird nearby you can remove this. Often, rubber snakes frighten birds away, at least temporarily—although like any object that doesn't move, the birds get used to seeing them. There are a host of other things to try at: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-birds-hit-windows-and-how-you-can-help-prevent-it/ and here: https://abcbirds.org/get-involved/bird-smart-glass/in reply to: Female cardinal peculiar behavior #909266
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Lee Ann van LeerModeratorAn American Robin was trying to nest on your light. If you observe this again please let it keep building. They very often successfully nest on top of porch lights and it could take them a while to get the nest right, especially if this is their first nesting attempt in their life. You will find this article helpful: There's a Bird Nesting Near my House. What should I do? If you want to help the American Robins out for next year and you'd rather them not building on your light you can provide them with a nesting platform that is nearby where they were trying to nest. NestWatch American Robin nest structure plan and info. This is a species that is on the decline in many states so they could really use your helps. Thanks for caring and asking. --Lee Ann van Leer Bird Academy Project Assistantin reply to: What bird did this? #909265