Little Joys

Getting to watch the birds migrate back into the area (or through the area, as the case may be) is one of the little joys of springtime.

The pine siskins have flown in with the goldfinches and they are all voracious winged piglets that empty my feeders in record time. I think they try and beat their previous personal best every day!

The siskins are far more speckled than the golfinches, although they still have yellow markings to help them fit in.

In the picture above, you can see a group of goldfinches (two of them squabbling), with one siskin. Can you spot him? He's on the far right cup holding its own on the feeder.

Here you can see the highly speckled breast and head feathers to set them apart.

They chatter in the trees along with their finch friends and it almost seems like they're scolding me for letting their little feeding troughs get empty (seriously, I fill those cups two or three times a day and there are other feeders, too!).

Here's a view from the back, so you can see the wing markings.

Finally, here's a goldfinch in the process of putting on his breeding plumage to impress the ladies. He looks like he's wearing a harlequin costume, but he's already quite striking. Also, it's a really good contrast to the siskin above, should you ever need to identify either one of them at a glance. 

They may be small, but they're delightfully entertaining. 

And I've said it before, but pigs can fly...

A Superb Scaup

 This is the only scaup I have seen so far this year.

He's a very handsome specimen of drakehood, so I don't know why he hasn't attracted a girlfriend yet. I'm guessing he won't be alone for long.

After all, he keeps himself extremely well groomed and seems like an ideal mate.

If the light hits him just right, the feathers on his head glow a lovely emerald green.

Scaup are diving ducks, so I was happy that this fellow held still long enough for me to get some decent pictures. The divers usually disappear before I can get focused and then they pop up somewhere completely different and I have to focus all over again and yep, they dive before I get the picture taken. Yes, I'm slow.

It was a nice walk. Baloo and I used to visit this lake quite frequently when we had errands to run in town and the ducks always fascinated him (not to mention the muskrats!).

It's Draw a Bird Day!

 

Once again, it's Draw a Bird Day! On April 8 we celebrate the birthday of Dorie Cooper, who in 1943, visited her uncle in the hospital, as he was recovering from a land mine injury during World War II. He was understandably upset and depressed at the loss of a leg and, in an effort to cheer him up, Dorie asked him to draw her a bird.

He complied with her request and they laughed at his poor artistic skills, but she promised to display his bird in her room, anyway. After this first visit, every time she would come to see her uncle, the soldiers on the ward would hold bird drawing contests to see who could come up with the best picture. It always seemed to lift everyone's spirits.

Sadly, about three years later, Dorie perished in an automobile accident. At her funeral, the soldiers, nurses and doctors from her uncle's ward filled her coffin with bird drawings in her honor and her birthday has become an unofficial celebration of Dorie's bright and indomitable spirit and an excellent reminder to find joy in life's simple delights.

Here's an invitation to draw a bird for Dorie's birthday. Your drawing doesn't have to be fancy or accurate – remember, her uncle's was pretty bad. But if you're great at drawing birds, show off your skills! This year, I drew a playful bluebird of happiness, thinking of the 8 year old Dorie.

Don't forget to share your drawing with someone to spread the joy and honor Dorie's memory. 

 

Happy Draw a Bird Day!

Posing for Portraits

This colorful little house finch decided to pose for me at the tip of a lilac twig, so I was able to get a few good pictures of him.

 
Usually, the birds are hidden among the many crossing branches and it's hard to get a good look at them.

I try to take full advantage of any clear views I can get.

All the different poses are entertaining and offer carving possibilities, too. This fellow is likely to end up immortalized in Tan-Z Kut.

This last one might be my favorite. He looks so puzzled and inquisitive. So, that's today's portrait sitting. He was an excellent model, don't you think?


 

The Nuances of Nesting

The geese are scoping out possible nesting sites in the wetlands.

This particular goose caught my eye from across the lake. It was just standing there on one foot, watching the world go by and surveying its domain.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if a nest appeared in the grass right about there.

 Another pair of geese were paddling along in the shallows, but they sailed right past the one that had seemingly staked a claim on that particular piece of shoreline to find a different spot for their homestead. 

There will be fuzzy little goslings bobbing around in the water before we know it.

Happy Easter!

I just had to pop in and wish you all a very Happy Easter! This time with a little bit of carved art. :)

 

Every now and then, the back yard bunnies give me a perfect pose - and I couldn't resist carving this one. 

I hope you and your loved ones have a joyful celebration - finding eggs, feasting and spotting the occasional Easter bunny on its way home from a long night of spreading springtime delights. Not to mention chocolate... 

Late Moonset

A few days ago, I went out early to see if I could catch the full moon setting over the bay. Unfortunately, even though it looked like it might find an opening in the clouds, the moon stayed misted over and always partially hidden. I didn't think I had gotten any good shots, but when I finally downloaded the pictures from the camera last night, there were a few that I sort of liked.

 
Since the clouds completely blocked the moon at the viewing spot nearest my house, I walked up to the boat launch, hoping the sky might clear a little for me. Sure enough, the moon peeked out from between two cloud banks with a soft, misty glow.

A couple of swans swam into the frame and I thought they added a nice counterpoint to the reflected moon.

As I said, the moon never came out from behind the clouds completely, but the effect was soft and peaceful. So, I thought these pictures might be worth posting, even though it's a few days after the actual event.