First time I spotted it was in the Schoorl dunes, where it fluttered from post to post along the bike path. And shortly thereafter, indeed, saw one during a walk in the backyard, on a sandy patch of the Westerheide.

Besides shape and color, the bird’s posture is an important part of conveying the creature’s character. This wheatear often stands high on its legs. Alert and upright, it scans the surroundings for the next insect to run after.

The Northern Wheatear is not doing great in The Netherlands.

I printed this Wheatear in 2021.

Drop by at my stand this weekend and you can take one of these handprinted little greeting cards for your best mother in the whole world. Hope to see you at the Spring Art Fair in the Johanneskerk in Laren. Of course there will be all kinds of beautiful art presents to see and available to buy.

Hope to see you there!

The grumpiest waterfowl on every canal and pond.

Territorially very intolerant with a fiery red eye. Not interested in building a nest. The one on our neighbourhood pond was probably deaf, too. The nest was built right next to the fountain’s nozzle. The constant clatter of the falling water apparently didn’t interest them one bit.

And such sweet little chicks, eh? Would the red on their little heads be the same as the red in the eye of the adult coot?

Technically speaking, this print is a textbook example of ‘white is the hardest color’. The paper already is white, so that white forehead and beak would blend right in with the light color of the paper. That’s why this coot is looking back, so that the white parts would contrast against the black plumage.

Another characteristic is, of course, those very long, lobed toes. Here too, I had to find a solution to show two legs without getting bogged down in a tangle of toes, or making it look like it was roller skating.

European Herring Gull number fifteen is about to fly out. Only five remaining. Bonne voyage!

Look at it, studiously not watching you :)

Every print in the 50 Birds series comes mounted in a 24 x 30 cm matte. This is a standard size for frames so you can find the exact right one.

Here you see it framed in a brushed aluminium frame with non-reflective glass. Once I had seen the difference between regular glass and this type of museum glass, there was no way back. It is so much easier on the eyes. Makes all the difference in actually being able to see and enjoy the work it protects.

I’ll go into a bit more detail about the origins and process for this print. Subscribe here to get that delivered to your inbox: https://blog.royscholten.nl/newsletter/

2026 is the year of the Little Owl in The Netherlands. This means more attention and research for the smallest owl in the country.

I made this Little Owl print in 2019, as part of the 50 birds series. I printed a limited edition of twenty, of which now only two remain. Unique: this is the only print in the series in which both eyes are shown.

Buy art, support owl: When you buy one of these last prints I will make a donation to the supporting organisations.

If you’re interested, contact me.