Red-Tailed Hawk
about.
This was a really cool comic to do. It was for a “journalism” (or something) assignment at CCS. I went to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) and talked with one of the staff members about a red-tailed hawk they had rescued, as well as a kestrel.
Both were unable to be re-released. The red-tailed hawk because of a horribly broken wing and the kestrel because of brain damage that made him hoot a ridiculous amount. Super cute, but also sad when you know why. Like the fainting goats.
Fortunately, I got to bring Abe with me and he took a ton, ton of reference photos. I am not allowed to share them as part of the agreement, but they were incredibly useful as references. I also got to record the session so I could go back and listen later.
Creator: Angela Boyle
Publication Date: Autumn 2015
Format: FC, 8 pages, 8.5 inches tall x 7 inches wide
Drawn using pen and ink, lettered by hand, and colored with watercolor.
wing feathers
Really got to use my natural science illustration certificate on this! Abe’s photos were invaluable. You can tell they are wing (flight) feathers because one side is narrower than the other. The far left lower feather is how you get those fingers you see sometimes.
tail feathers
OK, I’ll admit. I think these are tail feathers because of the color, but I am not sure. It might be a mix of tail and wing and body. The body would be the small oval ones. Tail would be even on either side with a blunt tip.
sketches
I loved going to VINS. We actually went a bunch of times. Now that I can see these sketches, I remember the one-eyed long-eared owl who also couldn’t be re- released. Obviously. One of my favorite things at VINS was the raven who made a noise like a dog barking far away.