Ruffing it!

With the nights beginning to draw in my 'output' will soon hopefully increase. Autumn's too short and birdy to be spending too much time drawing, and I like to be out on the uplands this time of year which usually means...very few birds! Little field sketching means withdrawal symptoms after a while, so I'm already itching to get back into it come November. I try to concentrate on waders during the late summer and here's a most recent effort. I reckon the ruff's fairly convincing, the mud too, but the background water doesn't work that well. Despite feeling I can re-create it back in the studio (the kitchen table!) it ultimately comes up short. Must try harder! Please feel free to comment and criticize!
Thanks for looking.
Russ

                                        Field sketches of juv. Ruff, Old Moor, 25th Aug 2015