A secretive song bird that likes shady, damp areas, lives in the Indian subcontinent.
Have you ever tried painting watercolor on bristol board? It doesn’t absorb like watercolor paper but that has its own advantage in that paint can be slightly moved around and even lifted. Its really nice to work on a dry surface without having to worry about sharp edges all the time. Be aware that it wont handle washes though, if you want to try this. Here are some inprogress shots:
Watercolor Journal 