While 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 theContinue reading “A Year of Birds: April 2023”
Tag Archives: ducks
A Year of Birds: November 2022
Part 2 One morning during the second week of November, I got up before dawn, and watched while the sun rose. It was beautiful, and there were the ducks, enjoying the early morning light, looking like black silhouettes against the peach-colored water. I feel blessed to see sights like this, when nature proclaims its beautyContinue reading “A Year of Birds: November 2022”
A Year of Birds 2022: April
April is starting out very cold, after the warm weekend at the end of March. The chickadees and cardinals still visit the feeder, but once the snow melts from the ground I will stop. I don’t want any bears visiting! On the weekend, I go out to Misery Bay, and the canals nearby. I sawContinue reading “A Year of Birds 2022: April”
A Year of (Michigan) Birds: June
It’s early June, and I saw a pair of sandhill cranes at Squaw Bay today. They are beautiful, and hard to see since they are perfectly camouflaged by the ochre reeds and small dead trees next to the marshy water. As soon as they saw me, they went and hid in a clump of trees,Continue reading “A Year of (Michigan) Birds: June”
A Year of Birds: February
Since I am new to living in north Michigan near Lake Huron, I was surprised to discover that the bald eagle not only stays all winter long, but juveniles can often be seen hanging out near Misery Bay and other frozen marshes next to the now frozen lakeshore. They will at times hunt together alongContinue reading “A Year of Birds: February”
Ducks on Lake Huron: Winter
It is fascinating to watch Lake Huron begin freezing in the winter. I happened to see some brave mallards swimming in the cold water between ice a few weeks ago, and decided to paint this scene. This was done in oil over a base of acrylic, with a palette of ultramarine and cerulean blues, titaniumContinue reading “Ducks on Lake Huron: Winter”