I don’t see shrikes very often. In Michigan they occasionally pop up in the winters. We’ve even had Northern Shrike in our yard twice, which was incredibly exciting. They like to take prominent perches in the open where they can survey the area for prey, which can make them easier to find. In Florida we saw a couple of Loggerhead Shrikes, which look similar. Another nickname for shrikes is “butcherbirds.” They hunt small animals such as insects, mice and, frequently, smaller birds. They often impale their prey on plant spikes, like those of a Hawthorn tree or, occasionally, on barbed wire fences. I guess using a spiky tree makes eating the food a little easier if you only have a hooked bill and can’t carry a knife and fork.
I tried out more cold press paper for this painting. As expected, it took the background wash very easily and allowed for a smooth and blurry look. It is definitely easier to work on for washes than the hot press paper. The bumpy surface is a little harder to use when transferring sketches and putting in detail. Some of the bumps also show up in the final scan, which is suboptimal but not unexpected.
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