red wattled lapwing by Pratim Das

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Lovely watercolour, lots of colour.

I've never seen one of these Pratim, but looking at your painting I would like to see one now!

Thanks karyl Quigley.... Thank and my pleasure Paul Hopkinson...that it creates this kind of wish on your mind...

PAKHI DEKHUN PAKHI CHINUN (OBSERVE THE BIRD AND RECOGNIZE)..RED WATTLED LAPWING.....WATERCOLOUR...The Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is a lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. It has characteristic loud alarm calls which are variously rendered as did he do it or pity to do it leading to colloquial names like the did-he-do-it bird. Usually seen in pairs or small groups not far from water but may form large flocks in the non-breeding season (winter). Red-wattled Lapwings are large waders, about 35 cm long. The wings and back are light brown with a purple sheen, but head and chest and front part of neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colours, from belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of crown. Short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and the long legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. It breeds from West Asia (Iraq, SW Iran, the Arabian/Persian Gulf) eastwards across South Asia (Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the entire Indian subcontinent up to Kanyakumari and up to 1800m in Kashmir/Nepal), with another sub-species further east in Southeast Asia. May migrate altitudinally in spring and autumn (e.g. in N. Baluchistan or NW Pakistan), and spreads out widely in the monsoons on creation of requisite habitats, but by and large the populations are resident. This species is declining in its western range, but is abundant in much of South Asia, being seen at almost any wetland habitat in its range. In parts of India, a local belief is that the bird sleeps on its back with the legs upwards and an associated Hindi metaphor Tithiri se asman thama jayega ("can the pee-wit support the heavens?") is used when referring to persons undertaking tasks beyond their ability or strength. In parts of Rajasthan it is believed that the laying of eggs by the lapwing on high ground was an indication of goo