Mike Langman artwork

Updated Dec 2009

Mike Langman - Field Sketches

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Black-throated Thrush

Scorriton Down, Dartmoor, Devon 28 October 2009

Full story on this bird at Devon Birds website

As a keen birdwatcher Mike combines his artistic skills with his birding, when the opportunity arises – usually when finding a rare or scarce bird he’ll quickly sketch the bird into a pocket A5 notebook. The colours are noted and added when he gets home with watercolour paints.

Penduline Tit

Clennon Valley, Devon 14 January 2009

Full story on this bird at Devon Birds Website

Sardinian Warbler

Berry Head, Devon 12 November 2008 - my first BBRC passerine find at the site in 30 years!

Yellow-Browed Warbler

Clennon Valley, Devon November 2005

Pallas’s Warbler

Berry Head, Devon November 2007

Siberian Chiffchaff ‘Tristis’

Broadsands, Devon Jan 2008

Surf Scoter 1^st winter male

Broadsands, Devon Dec 2007

Leach’s Petrel

Berry Head, Devon Nov 2007

Long-billed Murrelet

Dawlish, Devon Nov 2006

Dusky Warbler, moulting to summer plumage

Clennon Valley, Devon 24 April 2004

American Robin

Godrevy, Cornwall 18 Dec 2003

Hoopoe

Berry Head, Devon 19 April 2004

Serins - two Females

Berry Head, Devon 2006

Fea’s Petrel

Berry Head, Devon 17 July 2001. For a seawatcher on his local patch it doesn't get much better than this!

Red-flanked Bluetail Berry Head October 2005

Yelkouan Shearwater notes from Bulgaria September 2003

Many birds were in active wing moult showing tatty trailing edge to flight feathers and often with distinct pale greater covert bars due to feather loss? The contrast between the trailing edge and coverts of the underwing was not nearly as strong as Manx and the underwing was cleaner than Balearic. Most did not show dark untertail coverts.

Masked Shrike Cyprus March 2000, male bird in full song then hunting with tail waving around.

Long-tailed Skua, adult, June 2001 Shoalstone, Brixham, Devon full tailed adult came in out of the murky conditions and sat for some time on the sea with Kittiwakes

Today all of Mikes field notes are not redrawn but for years Mike would meticulously transfer the drawings from the sketch books into a yearly birding book. This started in his early birdwatching days (Late 1970’s) when the field guides were woefully inadequate and even common plumages for example the bright yellow juvenile plumage of Willow Warbler where not shown in the fieldguides of the day. His sketches made sure Mike looked in detail at any bird that took his interest and undoubtedly increased his knowledge and understanding of the identification of those birds. Many of Britain’s best birders are avid note takers – whether in sketch or written form. In recent years photography has taken over from the notebook, it certainly has its place but there is still a need for high quality note taking.

These are some of the pages from Mikes yearly notebooks dating back to 1979:

Aug 78 -Jan 1979 colours not found in Field Guides of the day!

Nov 1979 Got the 'adult' Little Stint wrong, and took a day of school for the Greater Sandplover.

Aug-Oct 1979 two trips to Scilly and a new bird at Dawlish Warren.

Jan-Dec 1979 the Lapland Bunting got my heart pumping most - a new bird and I found it!

Dec 1981 Christmas holiday from College - a nice present waited for me!

Oct 1984 Scilly

March 1985 Dartford and Wells Wood

Nov1985 Pagham and Westleton

Dec 1985 my second White-tailed Eagle (following the Oxfordshire bird) at Benacre, My first Waxwings at Wiveton but best of all a self found winter Short-toed Lark on a Torbay seafront!