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A year of birds: August 2023
Read more: A year of birds: August 2023While driving past Isaacson’s Bay on August 2nd, I saw a young eagle in the marsh. He turned and looked at me. I am so glad to see more eagles each year; these majestic birds have really made a comeback in our area. The next weekend, I saw a female ruby-throated hummingbird in the garden.…
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A Year of Birds: July 2023
Read more: A Year of Birds: July 2023July is starting out warm, and very green. The marshes are beautiful, and during a recent hike I saw a blue heron flying overhead on its way to another bay. A few days later, while driving into town, I saw what looked like a falcon on a telephone wire. I believe it could be a…
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A Year of Birds 2023: May
Read more: A Year of Birds 2023: MayMay is coming in windy and cool, but with sunlight sparkling on the water when it peeks through the clouds. The egrets are back in the marshes across from Misery Bay, and I watched one as it hunted frogs and preened in between. They are beautiful with their lovely plumes of feathers this time of…
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A Year of Birds: April 2023
Read more: A Year of Birds: April 2023While still cold, with occasional flurries of snow, the days are finally getting a bit warmer, with temperatures creeping into the mid- to upper-30s at times. While snow is still on the ground, it is gradually melting, and the mornings are misty with the evaporation in the air. The ice is nearly melted on the…
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The Family Complement: Acrylic Painting
Read more: The Family Complement: Acrylic PaintingI saw some sandhill cranes with gray plumage several months ago, and decided to create a painting that highlights the complementary tones between their gray-blue plumage and the rust colors of the autumn grasses. “The Family Complement”, acrylic, 16 X 20 inches.
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A Year of Birds: March 2023
Read more: A Year of Birds: March 2023March has come in cold and blustery, with several inches of snow falling, as if to make up for the warmer weather at the end of February. Ice has formed on the bay again, and it is bitter cold. One early morning during this cold spell, I saw a group of juvenile eagles out on…
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Tern Fishing on Lake Huron
Read more: Tern Fishing on Lake HuronI love it when the wind raises on Lake Huron, and the waves come crashing in. This painting is of a tern fishing on a windy day in a bay off of the lake. I spent nearly an hour a couple of months ago watching him swoop into the water and fly back out, fighting…
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A Year of Birds 2022: November
Read more: A Year of Birds 2022: NovemberPart 1 During my hike today at the beginning of the month, the bay is silent compared to the almost constant background chatter of small tweets, whistles and the high “kews” of the yellow legs that are heard during the summer. When I went into town, I saw one of the few birds that has…
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Goldfinch in late winter
Read more: Goldfinch in late winterI think that goldfinches are lovely birds. This past winter, I was house-sitting for a friend (she has three adorable dogs that require special care since they are getting older) and got an unexpected bonus: I saw this little fellow perched on a rail right outside the window. My friend is an avid birdwatcher, too,…
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Egret Flying Over Lake Huron: Acrylic
Read more: Egret Flying Over Lake Huron: AcrylicI am playing a bit more with color this summer, because Lake Huron is beautiful, and has constantly changing colors. This is based on a recent sunset, and I added alizarin and Hansa yellow to my usual palette, as well as a touch of orange, to capture the sunset highlight. Egrets are beautiful birds, and…
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A Year of Birds: June 2022 (part 2)
Read more: A Year of Birds: June 2022 (part 2)The egrets can be seen in the marshes, but are quite shy, and will fly off as soon as they see me. I will keep trying, though. I also saw a sparrow on a log enjoying the sun. I love their markings and songs, which are so cheerful. As I was driving to the store…
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A Year of Birds: June 2022 part 1
Read more: A Year of Birds: June 2022 part 1The days are finally getting warmer, and there was a heat wave on the first of June: the temperature went above 80 degrees (F)- a miracle! And with the warm weather has come mosquitoes, the bane of Michigan bird watchers. Whenever I go into the marshes, clouds of them appear, and they seem to be…