Smew, Smew, Smew

This is an older painting - and reminds me of why I eventually decided to pursue painting and drawing birds more seriously than photography. It was the very first male Smew I've ever seen. I only got a short glimpse of it through my binoculars as it was hurrying away and almost instantly took flight with the other Smew.

What my camera got out of the situation is this:

Thus, when I got home, I took out my paints and worked the image I had in my mind into a painting.

Fortunately it wasn't the last time I got to see a Smew up close. Since then I've actually seen one even better (another white male), from around 5 meters, calmly preening. And even though the white male is a beauty, I've got a soft spot for the species itself. This Fall I've had the chance to enjoy dozens of Smew on a nearby lake.

A flock is quite a lot of fun to watch when it's fishing. They're constantly on move - and almost impossible to count. When one dives, all the others follow, popping up one by one after a while. When they rest, they are just as much fun. Some of them are preening, some are taking a nap, and some are still patrolling for fish.