Birds, Birds and More Birds

Cotton ball with legs

2011-07-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

I started this loosely painted Killdeer chick yesterday. I use my normal palette of ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, Indian yellow, and titanium white. Instead of applying thin glazes of individual color, I am adding the colors on the canvas and mixing them as I paint. I will keep it in the studio for awhile to see if anything nasty jumps out and begs to be changed. Then I will put the finishing glazes on.

Every year we have Killdeer nesting at the airport. This year I saw two different clutches running around with their parents noisily doing their broken wing distraction. When I see this behavior, I quickly look behind me and see the young chicks running for the grass. The chicks grow fast, so these puffballs with legs only last for a week or so.

Turtleback Bird Walk

2011-04-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today I co-guided a community birding walk up Turtleback Mountain Preserve with San Juan Land Bank preserve steward, Ruthie Dougherty. We had a beautiful day, one of the first warm sunny days since maybe last August. It has been a very cool and wet spring and the migrant birds have been slow to come. Thirty plus Orcas birders showed up to hike the trail to see birds and views that are unbelievable. We assembled in the parking lot and were met with many different bird songs. Some birds were heard more than seen, but the day gave us some great birding opportunities, including this Cassin's Vireo who was displaying and foraging with its mate. Our bird list is as follows:

American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pacific (Winter) Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, Common Raven, Pine Siskin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Rufous Hummingbird, Cassin’s Vireo, Purple Finch, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Brown Creeper, Canada Goose, Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Ruthie gave us great information on the Land Bank's restoration of the Garry Oak habitat in this area. With the restored habitat, we are all hoping the newly introduced Western Bluebirds on San Juan Island, will eventually find Orcas a good place to live.

With some CSI work looking at signs on tree trunks, roosting places, feathers, and pellets, we were able to figure out that Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers, as well as Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, and a mammal and bird-eating hawk, like the Red-tailed Hawk, also lived in the area.

It was a good day. I hope everyone enjoyed the walk and the weather. Happy Birding. Kim

Good birding again!!!

2011-03-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

The field trips for my introduction birding classes were a great success. The first day started off with 40 mph wind gusts and two pretty rainy squalls, but we were able to see just about everything we saw a few day later when the wind was calm with sunny skies. I guess that goes to prove that birding is usually good if you just get out and look. The introduction class focuses on the bird's groups and we were able to see just about all of the groups for this time of year. The group/ species list is loon (Common and Pacific), grebe (Horned and Pied-billed), cormorant (Pelagic and Double-crested), marsh birds- waders (Great Blue Heron), goose (Canada), dabbling duck (Mallard), diving duck (Greater and Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck), merganser (Common, Red-breasted, and Hooded), sea duck (Harlequin, Surf Scoter, Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead), raptors (Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, and Red-tailed Hawk), sandpiper (Black Oystercatcher), gull (Mew and Glaucous-winged), alcid (Pigeon Guillemot), pigeon (Rock and Band-tailed), woodpecker (Northern Flicker), kingfisher (Belted), corvid (Common Raven, American/Northwest Crow, and Steller's Jay), tits (Chestnut-backed Chickadee), nuthatch (Red-breasted), thrush (American Robin), sparrow (Song, Fox, Golden-crowned, White-crowned, Dark-eyed Junco, and Spotted Towhee), blackbird (Red-winged), finch (House and Evening Grosbeak), Starling and House Sparrow.

As always, it is very hard to pull ourselves away from the bird activities outside Otters Pond B&B to eat our lunch. We did see an off colored Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Comparing it to the normal one in the upper left, this one's chestnut color is migrating into the white patch on the side of the neck and cheek area. It gave the bird an overall peachy or rufous color and was quite easy to pick out from the rest. We can memorize what each and every species looks like. If we don't have a basic understanding of how to identify the bird groups, then unusual marked birds such as this one, or a partially albinistic or hybrid bird can throw us off and may get misidentified.

Thanks again Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast for letting us enjoy your wonderful hospitality. It is always fun and never a dull moment.

Until next time, happy birding.

Hooting Around

2011-02-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

Last summer, Jeff Rice from the University of Utah, called to ask for help with another owl project. I met Jeff years ago when he interviewed me about owls for the radio show “Pulse of the Planet”. He is now involved with the Western Soundscape Archives project, http://www.westernsoundscape.org/, and wants to record the vocalizations of Great Horned Owls. I thought I could help, since I have been monitoring a pair of Great Horned Owls for the past couple of years. Knowing that the owls would start vocalizing at the beginning of their breeding season, we made tentative plans to meet sometime in January.

In mid December, I started looking for the owls. They were not in their usual haunts and I did not hear any vocalization. I continued to monitor the area well into January, but could find no sign of them, even after bushwhacking the area and walking the trails at dusk. I was starting to worry that the birds would not nest this year. Human activity had significantly increased over the past few years with a trail system that went by the nest tree. Were humans walking their dogs driving the owl out of the area? Owls do not make their own nest; instead, they use the old nests of hawks and corvids or a hollow in a tree. A suitable nest site is a limiting factor in whether an owl will breed in a given year. Thus, a breeding pair of owls strongly defends the nest site. A stick nest built by a hawk or crow, may be destroyed after a couple of nesting cycles, but this nest is in the hollow of a broken tree and will stand up to repeated nesting cycles. This is a very important nest site. I really could not imagine they would abandon the site. In addition, I know a couple of other Great Horned Owl pairs that nest year after year in areas heavily trafficked by humans. I had observed a Barred Owl in the area. Could the smaller, aggressive owl oust the King of the Forest? I needed to spend more time out at night.

My husband and I went out around 7 pm to see if they were active a little later. We visited the nest site, but saw and heard nothing. On our way out, we heard a distant screech. I thought it might be the Barred Owl, so I screeched back. Eventually, the owl came to perch in a tree above us. It was the Great Horned. Yes, they were still in the area. We beat a retreat out so we would not bother them. I contacted Jeff that I finally found the owls, but was concerned that they were not hooting. We agreed to wait until the end of January in hopes that the owls would be more active. I continued to search for their day roost, but to no avail. Another night, we went out at 7:30 pm and again heard the screeching, but no hooting. The bird seemed to be in the same far off location, so just before Jeff’s arrival on the island, I decided to make one more foray into the swamp and find an alternate nest site.

Mucking through the flooded salmonberry and wild rose bushes and rotten alder, I searched every branch for a roosting owl and every large tree for a nest or hollow. I did find an alternate Pileated Woodpecker nest tree and a nice natural hollow in a huge tree that was being occupied by a mammal. After finding a fresh gull kill, I left the area thinking the owls probably would not nest so close to a tree climbing, predatory mammal.

The next day, I met Ruthie Dougherty with the San Juan County Land Bank, http://www.sjclandbank.org/, and Jeff Rice at the Land Bank Preserve. Scouring the area with three sets of eyes turned up nothing, but the owls hooted as we were leaving. They were still in the far off location and I was nervous that this would be a bust. We returned later that afternoon to set up two recording stations. One was at the mammal tree and the other beneath the owl nest tree. On our way out from setting up the mammal station, the Great Horns started hooting and one was close. We ran to the car to retrieve Jeff’s hand held parabolic dish and recording equipment. By the time we returned, the owl had moved further away, but seemed to be over by the nest. It was getting dark and the owls had stopped vocalizing by the time we got to the nest site. While we are searching the site for the residents, trying to get them to call, and deciding what to do next, we saw the female fly out of the nest. This was exhilarating on many levels. The owls were using the nest site, and they were actively hooting in the area, but had we ruined everything by disturbing them? Now that the female was out of the nest, we knew we had better get the equipment set up. It was now completely dark. The nest tree is difficult to find and it took several attempts to locate in the darkness. Jeff set up his equipment including one of those large microphones with long, fake fur on it. I thought the mike would be toast in the morning, since it looked like some giant mouse, but it survived.

What that microphone picked up through the night is some of the best Great Horned Owl vocalizations I have heard. I have attached a snippet of the recording. Listen to the entire piece and try to pick out all the different vocalizations. I believe this recording is the courtship leading up to and including copulation. If anyone has comments on this, I would really like to hear them. To start the recording, click on the box below or the start triangle at the bottem of the box. I am relieved that we did not bother the owl’s activities and I will be monitoring their progress through the season.

Bird Quiz- Jan 4, 2011

2011-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know the weather was a little crazy, but I hope you all survived it OK. I have a couple new birds to ID. Remember to first ID the group, then figure out the species, age and sex if you can.

This is an odd angle of view, but I like the detail work. If this was your feeder, you would have the benefit of the bird moving and you being able to see other features. Here we are able to discern the bird's overall dark color, some pattern on its feathers, and its environment. This should be enough information. Let's start with the environment: a bird feeder in someones backyard. That probably rules out most predatory and insectivorous birds. We know that birds who eat this type of seed (millet or mixed seed) are usually seed-eaters or omnivores. Even though some woodpeckers come to feeders, the tail of this bird is quite rounded and does not have the stiff, pointed, center tail feathers of woodpeckers. It also seems to be too small to be a dove or pigeon. So we are left with about half of the passerine groups. Notice that the dark feathers are edged in a rufous to buffy color. Many Starling feathers are edged in rufous, especially with their fresh non-breeding plumage. The tail of this bird looks long and it does not have an "oily" iridescent look to the feathers, so we will rule out Starling. First impressions of this uniform feather edging should indicate the bird is a juvenile. Some juvenile sparrow plumage is edged, but they tend to have lighter outer tail feathers or wing bars. Other than the feather edging, there is no lighter outer tail feathers. We can see a pattern change on the left scapular region of this bird, but there is no visible wing bars. This bird also has edging on its upper tail coverts that seem to go onto the back, many sparrows do not have edging on the lower back feathers. The overall dark color and lack of pattern, excludes sparrows, finches and cardinal-type birds; leaving us with blackbirds. The scapular pattern should make you think of a male Red-winged Blackbird. I know many of you got this one right away, but I wanted to show you the beauty of a plain, common bird and explain its features.

Most of us recognize this bird is in the shorebird group. Many of us might stop there thinking it is too difficult, but lets see what we can do. When it comes to shorebirds the first thing to do is classify the bird into one of the subgroups: plovers, sandpipers, and others. The others (oystercatchers, stilts, and avocets) are very distinctive and can be ruled out. Plovers, like Killdeer, have large eyes compared to their head and a short, thick bill. This bird has the distinctive sandpiper "look". We discern the different sandpipers the same way we figure out the difference with all species, look at the beak, feet, color, and pattern. This bird has a medium length bill, brown, mottled pattern and yellow legs. If you go with just the yellow legs, you will actually narrow the field down quite a bit. Now, the cryptic rufous/buff color removes yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Wandering Tattler, Surfbird; and the bill length removes dowitchers, snipe, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Upland Sandpiper has a long, narrow neck and the Wilson's Phalarope has a very thin, black bill. For North American, we are left with Rock, Purple, Pectoral, Stilt, and Least Sandpipers. Remember with sandpipers, the breeding, non-breeding, and juvenile plumage may all be different. This bird's plumage is bright rufous/brown and is not showing the gray, adult non-breeding plumage. Although, this bird looks very similar to a Least Sandpiper, we must rule it out due to the obvious light color at the base of the bill. The Least bill is all black. The bright white edges of the mantle and scapular feathers often indicate juvenile plumage along with the rufous or buff edging. If this bird is a juvenile, then the distinctive mantle and scapular edging, rule out the Stilt Sandpiper. The primary feathers of this bird's wing does not show any of its tail, indicating a long wing. Both the Purple and Rock Sandpipers have shorter wings and the primary feathers do not extend to the end of the tail, so its tail would be visible. The browner plumage, distinct white mantle and scapular feather edging, yellow legs, rufous cap with medium supercilium line identifies this bird as a Pectoral Sandpiper. Process of elimination is a very strong tool in identifying birds. If I had shown you the front of the bird and the contrasting colors and markings of the breast and belly, it would have been an easier identification. Happy birding.

Bird Quiz- Nov 22, 2010

2010-11-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

I am now putting my bird quiz on-line for everyone to test their knowledge. By opening the quiz up to the world, I will try to very the birds from western North America to birds from around the world, at least my world. Of course the bulk of my photos are from the West, but you never know. My students will benefit from being introduced to other species, but remember to try to identify the groups. I will try to have an explanation of the species and what to look for, so you should be able to pick up some tidbits of info even if you do not know the species. I will use the following format so that you can scroll down and look at the picture first before finding the species ID within the text. Please feel free to comment. Remember, the photos may be difficult to see all the features because that is often what you face while birding. Good luck.

Lets start with a comparison of two species that may be difficult to ID when seen as individuals. As you can see, comparing them side by side is a bit easier. First, try to discern the quality of red color. Does the red tend towards the yellow or blue side, or rather is the red warm or cold? You can think of it also as strawberry or wine color. House Finches are an orange-red while Purple Finches are a purple-red. Second, note the markings on its sides or flanks. Are the lines fine, bold, or diffuse? My camera has a hard time focusing on the side of a Purple Finch because the lines are blurry. House finch have bold lines and Cassin's Finch lines are fine. Third, how extensive is the red color. The Purple Finch (on the right) seems to have a blush of red almost everywhere, whereas the red is absent from the flanks, auriculars or ear patches, back, tail, and wings of the House Finch (left). Finally, if you are looking up at these birds, look at the vent feathers under the tail. Purple Finch vent feathers are white, where as House and Cassin's Finch have fine streaks. Remember that there is often variations within individuals, so do not use just one identifier to tell these two birds apart. Looking at a really red finch does not make it a Purple Finch. The females are a bit easier to ID and may be in a future quiz.

Ok, time to test your knowledge on this bird. First, note the habitat the bird is in. That will narrow your first impression down. The shape of the beak and wings will narrow the group down to waterfowl, but is it a goose, dabbler, diver, or sea duck. The arrows show key indicators in helping to ID this bird. I want you to notice the black belly, but note the absence of a white vent or tail, this rules out most geese. Many waterfowl are identified by their speculum or feather pattern on the secondary wing feathers (inside, trailing edge of the wing). This bird's secondary feathers are all white. If you don't know the bird and are thumbing through you bird book, you will notice an number of ducks with white on their wings. Some even have a bit of white on their face like this bird, but only the White-winged Scoter has a black belly.

I hope you learned something from this post. Please feel free to share it with your friends. If you have bird ID questions or photos to share, feel free to contact me. I hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving weekend.

Artistic Process- Bateleur Eagle

2010-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Captive
7 x 8 in. oil on board

I was captivated by the imagery of this bird because of the melancholic expression of the eagle. The head down, feathers flattened, eyes averted gives the impression of a submissive bird. The reflection of the bars of its cage in its eyes was icing on the cake. I love painting birds, share my passion for birds and educate people about them. Normally, I try to represent birds in a positive light. This image is opposite the usually flamboyant, comical, and attention seeking personality of this species. If you search for Bateleur pictures on the Internet, you will mostly see them with their head feathers erect and the bird standing in a funny, upright position. They have a load caw that goes with the posturing. This bird is quiet and subdued. You can read more about this bird in my earlier post on March, 2009.

I use a variety of techniques to create my paintings. Sometimes I draw an outline of the subject and make-up the background, or apply a more detailed drawing of subject and scene, and other times I just start painting. One day I was compelled to render this imagery, so I just dove in. The animation shows the steps I took in taking this painting to completion. There were clumsy and ugly moments before the beautiful bird emerged.

Adventures at Reifel

2010-11-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Mute Swan

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, just south of Vancouver, British Columbia, delivered again with more than 50 bird species in four hours. A group of birders from Orcas and Fidelgo Islands made the pilgrimage to Reifel and were not disappointed, albeit we did get wet. Most of us met at a local restaurant the night before to meet, socialize, and have a good time. The weather was questionable, but none of the hardy birders questioned their decision to go on this outing. Early the next morning on our way to the sanctuary, the loyal gatekeeper Mute Swan greeted us as we crossed the bridge onto Westham Island.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

The welcoming committee of Mallard, American Coot, and American Wigeon were on duty in the parking lot. We set off after donning layers of thermal under garments, fleece, and raingear. It is always a challenge to get past the first 100 yards. After checking the list of birds seen that week; wading through an endless group of milling ducks; identifying the various sparrows around the entrance, which includes House, Song, Fox, Golden-crowned, White-crowned, and Dark-eyed Juncos; we make it to the lagoon. There we find three Black-crowned Night-Herons. This central location also brings Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes flying overhead; and Gadwall, Double-crested Cormorant, Rock Pigeon, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Starling, Long-billed Dowitcher, and American Kestrel perched in trees, bushes, logs or swimming in the lagoon.

Wood Duck

As we made our way around to the observation tower, we stopped to feed the Black-capped Chickadees from our hand; studied the difference between Song and Fox Sparrows; and saw Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Purple Finch, Black Squirrel, Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck, and Cedar Waxwing. The observation tower was busy with a high school group and our group, but the birds did not seem to care. The pond had a variety of ducks including Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler. Long-billed Dowitchers were taking advantage of the rain and were preening. In the trees around the tower, we found a Cooper’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, and Northern Goshawk, all looking for their next meal.

Northern Goshawk

The rain went into overdrive and we decided to go back to the warming hut for lunch. On our way back, we saw a Belted Kingfisher and were able to get close views of the juvenile goshawk. Unfortunately, the rain kept obscuring our binoculars, so our best views were with the naked eye. As the rain ran down our back and started penetrating the raingear, we had to make one more stop where we added Pied-billed Grebe, Bufflehead, Dunlin, Northern Flicker and Hooded Merganser to the list.

The warming hut was a welcomed haven. Stripping off our wet outer gear and taking the waterlogged bird books and lists out to dry, we settled down to our lunch. It is hard to focus on lunch when there is so much activity going on outside. In the pond in front of the hut, we saw many of the species we had already seen, as well as Lesser Scaup, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Merlin and Glaucous-winged Gull. We also watched the goshawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and Peregrine Falcon hunting or playing in the wind.

Sandhill Cranes

Although the wind and rain finally drove us home, everyone had a great time. For those who had not been to Reifel, they are now familiar with the area and can return. On our way off the island, we saw Northwest Crows, Trumpeter Swan, Snow Geese, and Sandhill Cranes. What a great birding day!

Fall birding class

2010-11-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Another over-wintering birding class is complete. Our field trip was great. We saw examples of just about every group of birds on Orcas at this time of year, and it wasn't even blowing 50 mph. The clouds were at ground level when we headed out to North Beach, but the air was calm and many birds were seen. There were Northern Flickers with one foraging in the sand on the beach, a crow (American or Northwest, take your pick) with its beak stuffed with bread, Harlequin Ducks dazzling us with their beauty, and a small flock of Mew Gulls that hung out at water's edge so we could study their "cute" look compared to the Glaucous-winged Gulls. Other birds seen in this area were Surf and White-winged Scoters, Horned Grebe, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, a Song Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, and a small group of Pigeon Guillemots in their non-breeding plumage.

After North Beach, we headed to the Crescent Beach Preserve where we witnessed a mixed flock feeding frenzy on Madrone berries. Flying to and fro where American Robins, Varied Thrush, Purple Finch, Starling, Dark-eyed Junco and more jays. We also saw a Hairy, Downy and Pileated Woodpecker in the area along with Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Pine Siskin, and a brief glimpse of a Brown Creeper. Out in Eastsound from Crescent Beach we added Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Loon, Bufflehead, Canada Geese, and one of us saw a Barrow's Goldeneye.

We were getting hungry, so it was time to head to Otter's Pond Bed and Breakfast for lunch, warm drinks, bathroom stop and much more birding. The B&B is a wonderful place to stay with beautiful grounds, a lovely house, an awsome breakfast (I hear), and excellent birding opportunities at their feeders and in the pond. The up close views of the Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, House Finch, chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-winged Blackbirds, jays and juncos interrupted watching the foraging behaviors of the dabbling ducks (American Wigeon) and diving ducks (Ring-necked Duck). Thank you Otter's Pond B&B for another successful birding stop-over and the hot raspberry cider was wonderful.

After lunch we checked out West Beach and were able to add Great Blue Heron and Bald Eagle to pot. Double-crested Cormorants were on the pilings drying their wings and looking like Thunderbird totem poles. A River Otter swam in the cove and we got more great views of Harlequin Ducks. The damp, cold day finally took its toll and we decided to call it a day.

Birds from Central America

2010-11-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy as usual with birding, traveling, teaching birding classes and painting. I am in the process of finishing up a couple of pieces. The first one is the Scintillant Hummingbird painting I posted last time. This is not the smallest bird in the world, but very close and is the smallest that I have seen. "Master of His Domain" is a little feisty male who does not believe he is as small as a large bumble bee. He comfortably perches out in the open, chasing other larger hummers away from his piece of the garden. We saw this bird and many more wonder species in the cloud forest while I guided a birding tour to Costa Rica last January. We visited four different ecosystems. On the Caribbean slope we took an "Anthony Bourdain" like adventure into the Costa Rican/ Nicaraguan frontier to have a memorable lunch. We stayed as close as you would want to an active volcano watching large car-sized, glowing lava boulders roll down the slopes and feeling the rumblings and grumblings of Arenal Volcano. We saw Resplendent Quezels and more in the cloud forest and enjoyed sunset drinks over the Pacific at a hill top resort. Not only are these tours a way to share some of these fantastic birds and locations with others, but I also try to capture as many reference photos I can for painting and my bird classes. My "Spoonbill" painting came from a prior tour to Costa Rica.

"Amazon Beauty" is a Red-lored Amazon I came across while doing field work in the far northwestern corner of Panama. We trudged through the jungle and countryside everyday listening for the fire cracker pops that manakins make while displaying on their lek or communal breeding grounds. We were looking for the hybridization zone between the White-collared Manakin to the northwest in Costa Rica and the Golden-collared Manakin to the southeast in Panama. Our journey took us to Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. I had seen these parrots many times before high in the trees, but stumbled upon this captive bird out in the yard of small house. I was able to really study the bird and marveled at the beautiful iridescent blues in the green feathers.

I truly enjoy traveling and seeing other cultures, fauna and flora. Traveling is no only educational, but very inspirational to creating some nice paintings. Hope all you can get out locally or farther and enjoy a good vacation.

Works in progress

2010-06-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

"Master of His Domain" is one of many oil paintings I am presently working on. The subject is a Scintillant Hummingbird sitting on an agave plant. This very little hummer (the size of a large bumble bee) had so much personality. He gave the larger hummers in the garden of Savegre Mountain Lodge in Costa Rica a run for their money. This is the smallest hummingbird I've seen and I was captivated by its boldness and color. I tried a different technique for this painting by painting the background first, then adding the subject. This may seem intuitive, but you have to be careful that the bird doesn't look 'cut out and pasted' into the scene. I still have work to do to develop the birds form and highlight its colors. I will also put some finishing touches on the agave to increase its depth and blend the painting together. I have taken my time on this painting and have been really enjoying painting it.

"My Dowitchers in a Row" of course is a play on 'do you have your ducks in a row', which I often don't. I am painting this piece loosely. I did not start with a sketch on the canvas like most of my work, but just started painting on a purple background. I have many alteration in a painting when using this technique, as apposed to following a line drawing. I want it to have a rough, unfinished look, but we will see what the final painting will be. I still have a ways to go.

Good day for birding

2010-06-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Great Horned Owlet

This spring's intermediate birding class focused on migration and the birds seen on Orcas Island in the summer. On our field trip, we saw a number of migrants, as well as resident species. I monitored the Great Horned Owl nest again this spring, but the class missed seeing the owlet, although many were able to see one of the parents. After the chick fledged, I found one of the parents being attacked by an angry mob. I was able to shoot some video of the mobbing (see video). Once the mob drove the owl off, a Pileated Woodpecker flew in and went to its nest. During our field trip, we were fortunate to see the woodpecker chick sticking its head out the nest hole.

Pileated Woodpecker chick

The list of birds we saw are:

Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Barn Swallow, American Robin , American Crow, Bald Eagle, Glaucous-winged Gull, White-crowned Sparrow, Cliff Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Savannah Sparrow (only myself saw), Orange-crowned Warbler, Song Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Purple Finch, Swainson's Thrush (only myself saw), Pacific-sloped Flycather, Black-headed Grosbeak, Canada Goose, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Northwest Crow, Common Raven, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, Rufous Hummingbird, Starling, Belted Kingfisher, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Red Crossbill, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Tree Swallow, Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Red-winged Blackbird, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Mallard, and Common Yellowthroat.

2010-03-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy 2010 so far. In January, I guided an exclusive birding trip to Costa Rica (blog coming soon), my Avocet was juried into CVG 2010, a month long show of Washington artist, at the Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton, WA, and the first weekend in March I had a showing of my latest art pieces at the Arts by the Sea. This show was a collaboration with a musician friend, Marianne Lewis, who played a harpsichord concert of Baroque music, followed by the art reception with wine and cheese. We both had fun and it was a neat melding of the arts.

Recently, I have been painting smaller, more intimate works. The size and lower price makes these pieces very attractive to people. You can view my latest art work on my websites, but you will have to visit both originals for sale and the archives to see them all.

This is my third year of teaching birding classes on Orcas Island. We just finished the introduction class and field trip (see blog below) and will start the first of two intermediate classes next week. As anyone who teaches, already knows, you are continually learning and refreshing your knowledge as you teach. I love that part and look forward to the classes. I am very lucky that I get to work with birds, paint birds, watch birds, and get to hang out with people who like birds. Happy birding to all.

Birding Northwest Style

2010-03-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

Weather forecast for the day of our birding field trip called for 100% chance of rain with 30-40 mph winds gusting to 50 mph. That morning I woke to rain and wind. Not ideal birding conditions or any outdoor activities for that matter. But, over coming my tentative reservations, I packed a lunch, put on my raincoat, and went to the meeting spot. I was surprised. Almost every student was there. Are all these people crazy or do they trust me that much, that we will have a great time and see lots of birds, while getting soaked and blown about. OK, let's do this.

We went to the lee side of the island to find those water birds taking shelter from the wind. We were rewarded with some beauties- Red-breasted Mergansers and Harlequin Duck. Since this class focuses on the various groups of birds and how to tell them apart, we were able to study the different ways aquatic birds dive underwater. The sea ducks, like Harlequins and Surf Scoters, opening their wings as they kick with their feet, where as, a Common Loon kept its wings tucked tight to its body and used only its feet to dive. We also saw Buffleheads, a Bald Eagle and Glaucous-winged Gulls soaring on the wind, off in the distance a Marbled Murrelet was detected, and Double-crested Cormorants were sitting upright on pilings. It was cold and we eventually sought the warmth of our cars.

Passing by some open fields on our way to Cascade Lake, we saw a large flock of American Crows and Canada Geese foraging in the grass. At the lake, I was thrilled to see that the Tree and Violet-green Swallows were back. The lake provided us a great opportunity to compare the "oreo cookie" ducks or rather the diving duck group. A lone male Greater Scaup, along with the usual flock of Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup, gave us a side-by-side comparison of these like birds. We also marveled at the intricate plumage of the Hooded and Common Mergansers, compared the difference in color saturation of an American Robin with a bright white and a dark green background, saw the identifying characteristic outer, white tail feathers of the Dark-eyed Junco, watched a beautiful Song Sparrow pose for us just feet away, and saw another Bald Eagle fly over head.

Nothing like the excitement of some good birding and cold, damp weather to get your appetite up. I was getting hungry and it was time to stop by Otter's Pond B&B for some great birding while eating our lunch inside the warm, cheery home. It was hard to focus on our lunch when there is so much to see. On the pond, we completed the duck groups with a representative of the dabbling ducks, the Mallards. More Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead and Hooded Merganser were seen as well. At the feeder, just feet from where we ate, we saw Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, juncos, Steller's Jay, and the season's first Rufous Hummingbird. In the trees, we found a Northern Flicker and another Bald Eagle with the brightest feet.

After lunch, we continued on to see if the Great Horned Owls were nesting in the same snag as last year. We didn't see any activity at the broken top, but much evidence was found that the owls were in the area. The large owl pellets showed that the owls were eating both birds and mammals. On our way back to the cars we saw another hummingbird and watched the acrobatic Chestnut-backed Chickadees hang up-side-down on the alder catkins. At Crescent Beach, we watched the fly-up-and-drop the clam foraging behavior of both the gulls and Northwest Crows. Historically, the San Juan Islands only had NW Crows, but American Crows are infiltrating the far reaches of the NW Crow's range in Washington. Much debate has risen as to whether the two are truly separate species. They are very difficult to identify in the field but using their behavior can help. NW Crows have a strong affinity to the marine environment and without human interference will forage alone the shoreline. American Crows do not have this marine associate and forage inland. Now I have witnessed both species eating french fries and human garbage, so we are helping to blur the lines between these two species. Other birds at Crescent Beach were the "cute" Mew Gull, more Surf Scoters and Common Goldeneyes.

In the southern part of Orcas Island, we saw a Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawks soaring over the fields, a marvelous male Belted Kingfisher perched over the water, Pelagic Cormorants, Rock Pigeons, White-crowned Sparrows, and more Bald Eagles. The Pigeon Guillomots were at the ferry dock as usual. We were able to watch this alcid dive using only its wings, which is different from the sea ducks and diving ducks. On to Killabrew pond gave us good looks at a perched Double-crested Cormorant, three Trumpeter Swans and one more eagle. Ayer's Pond revealed only a few Ring-necked Ducks and Lesser Scaup. We were tired and cold, but fulfilled. We had a great day of birding. The sun even broke out a bit. In the Pacific Northwest, you have to just get out and do it. If you wait for the weatherman to make your decision, you will never do anything. I want to thank my students for coming out, daring the weather, and having a good time.

Intermediate Birding Class II

2009-11-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

The fall intermediate birding class is over. We had 5 weeks of classroom work and students learned about the birds that over-winter in our area. They learned to identify the non-breeding plumage of many of our aquatic species from alcids to grebes to loons; discovered the variable, but brilliant, colors and patterns of the many ducks in Puget Sound; and were confused with the hybridization of the gulls and the difficult distinction between crows. The students did get a handle on those LBJs and now can identify the difference between finches and sparrows, although more practise is needed to be confident with the hue of red of our House and Purple Finch males. All in all, it was a very good class with great discussions in bird physiology and behavior. Our field trips were great even though the weather was questionable. In both trips we dodged the rain and saw a large variety of birds. Many thanks to Sue at Otter's Pond B&B for letting us warm up with a hot drink while birding your wonderful property. The following is our trip list. The two field trips mainly saw the same birds, but I have added a W or S if only the Wednesday or Saturday trip saw a different species of bird.

Killdeer (S), Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Loon (S), Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan (W), American Wigeon, Gadwall (W), Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser (W), Hooded Merganser, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Mew Gull (S), Bonaparte's Gull, Rock Pigeon (S), Band-tailed Pigeon, Hairy Woodpecker (S), Common Raven, American Crow, Northwest Crow (at Westsound), Steller's Jay, American Robin (S), Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch(S), Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow (S), Golded-crowned Sparrow (S), Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Pine Siskin (W), and Red-winged Blackbird.

Just goes to show that even when it looks bad outside, you can still have a great birding day! Thank you to all my students. I enjoy these classes as much as you do. Kim

Busy Fall

2009-11-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I posted. Boy, has it been busy. This summer I got married (my first time) and in September we went on our honeymoon. We decided to go to Curacao, which is an island in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela. We chose Curacao because it is in the hurricane shadow and we wanted to go someplace neither of us has been. It was a great trip. Curacao has a colorful history of indigenous people, pirates, colonialism with the Dutch and was the center of the slave trade in the New World. The architecture is really neat and the diving is well worth going that far. We were able to see most all the bird species on the island. Most of them came and visited us on a daily basis, eating our crumbs. This is a Troupial, and we also had Bananaquits, Tropical Mockingbirds, Rufous-collared Sparrows, Yellow Orioles, Gray Kingbirds, Brown-throated Parakeets, Blue-tailed Emeralds, Groove-billed Ani, Bare-eyed Pigeons, and other doves visiting the gardens around our suite and a White-tailed Hawk and Crested Caracaras flying by.

After our honeymoon, we went up to New Jersey for the opening of The Art of Conservation art show at the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum for the Artist's for Conservation group. My piece that was juried in was "Prickly Predicament" of a Cactus Wren in a Prickly Pear Cactus. The weekend was filed with great excursions to the Bronx Zoo and the American Museum of Natural History, having interesting conversations with the public at the opening, and meeting new friends in the art world. I truly enjoy going to the art openings to meet with the public and to network with my colleagues.

Once we returned home, I had another wildlife art show at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA. What a beautiful location for a wildlife show. The theme animal was the Orca or Killer Whale, and the first morning of the show a pod of Orca froliced in the waters just of shore, how fitting.

The next week, I started the third in a series of birding classes I teach on Orcas Island. That has kept me busy for the past 6 weeks. We are trying to do our field trips this week, but the weather is not cooperating with us. We did get some good bird sitings yesterday and hopefully Saturday will be as good.

Can't Keep Um on the Shelf

2009-08-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

My last two paintings I have finished sold before or just after they were released. I know this is good and I shouldn’t complain, but I didn't get to spend time with the finished product. This year I have been focusing on creating smaller works, 9x12 inches or smaller. I find that they take just as long to complete as a larger painting. With my style of applying thin layers of paint with drying time between each layer, still adds up to 20-60 layers or days at best.

I really enjoyed painting Half Revealed. I added some 'educational opportunities' to this painting. I can't help myself; I am an ornithologist and educator. Half Revealed has an obvious connotation with the subject only half illuminated, but there are some subtle components that are revealed to help you identify this bird. First of all the bird is looking straight at you with forward facing eyes and what looks like a facial disc. Forward facing eyes tells us it is a predator, not prey with eyes squarely on the sides of their heads. The facial disc reminds us of an owl. Looking closely, you will see the bird has long wings. Also, I purposely lit the bird's foot. The long, slender leg with relatively long toes may remind you of an accipiter hawk, like a Sharp-shinned or Copper's hawk. The fact that the legs and toes are bare, not feathered tells you that it is not an owl. The long wings indicate a soaring raptor. So what is Half Revealed? What may make this subject harder to identify is that it is half-way between its juvenile and adult male plumage. I also like to take liberties with the color of my subjects. I don't want the painting to look like a photograph, so there is usually some feature or attribute that I may highlight with extreme color or texture. I like the way this bird's gray feathers reflect the blue of the sky, creating an almost slate blue hue. Have you figured it out yet?

Half Revealed is a male Northern Harrier. Harriers are an unusual hawk in that they do have a facial disc and soft, 'hairy' feathers like owls. They also have semi-silent flight and use their sense of hearing to help them hunt. Their long wings and light bodies allow them to fly effortlessly over open fields in search of mice. Do not under estimate this bird. I trained this bird for educational programs and it has the tenacity and excitability of an accipiter hawk. In fact, one day my colleagues and I watched a wild male harrier snatch a robin right out of the air, like a falcon. Its slow wing beats misled us, and apparently the robin, into thinking it was not a threat, but the lightening fast maneuverability and the strike from below of those deadly feet, told us otherwise. That memory is burned into my brain and that day my respect for the Northern Harrier as a predator increased exponentially.

American Coot is nearly 4x7 inches and sold before it left the studio. Coots are often overlooked. They are quite common, drab, and unattractive. Their all dark body is highlighted with a little color on top of its head. Coots do have one interesting feature and it is their feet. These birds can float on the water and swim like a duck, dive to the bottom of a pond to feed, and easily walk on the land; but they do it on brilliant blue-green lobed feet, not webbed feet.

This individual was seen while on a birding trip to SE Arizona. We had rented a paddleboat to go out on Lake Patagonia to do some birding. This bird found us and proceeded to chase us all over the lake. We don’t know if it was protecting its territory or was just a ‘spoiled’ bird and wanted a treat. We could hardly pedal fast enough to get away.

I didn’t want to portray the bird in this excitable state, so slowed it down and put it on more calm water. This painting was to practice painting water, more than birds.

Fundraising for The Peregrine Fund

2009-07-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have always respected the work The Peregrine Fund does with preserving birds of prey around the world. I cherish the time I worked and volunteered for the Pfund, and now I am involved with a fund raising campaign. I will donate 30% of all sales of the “Harpy Eagle” prints, as well as the original painting, to The Peregrine Fund. The limited edition giclee prints are archival and printed on canvas. The series size is limited to 50 prints of the 15 x 20 inch image and 76 prints of the 9 x 12 inch image. You may purchase these prints mounted and framed or not mounted and unframed. The prices of the prints are $330 framed/ $115 unframed for the 15 x 20 inch print and $160 framed/ $60 unframed for the 9 x 12 inch print. The original painting was part of the prestigious “Birds in Art” 2008 show and is touring the country this year for that show.

I am partial to working with birds of prey and especially eagles. This painting was inspired by my volunteer work with The Peregrine Fund in Panama. I spent time as a hack site attendant at the release site for captive-bred Harpy Eagles and at the Panama office helping to create an environmental education manual. Hack site attendants monitor the health and behaviors of the young eagles that have been moved from the captive breeding facility to the release site. First, they watch the birds in the hack box, which is a large, elevated cage that allows the juvenile birds to get acclimated to their surroundings before they are released. Once released, the eagles stay close to the hack box and are still fed by the attendants. The young harpies wander further away over time and are tracked with radio telemetry, so they can still be fed. Harpy Eagles in the wild, stay with their parents for a few years, so the attendants track and feed the young birds until they are hunting consistently on their own.

The following is an excerpt from my journal from 4-26-04 at the hack site in Panama. The day before we went on an 11 hour hike through the jungle tracking some of the released harpies and is when I got stung by a Bullet Ant…. “Slept in today. I was very groggy after the Benedril (I took two Benedril because half my face went completely numb after the Bullet Ant sting). Today was a rest day and boy did I need it. I was stiff and sore and tired. I went out with Irene for the 4 pm observations of the young birds in the hack box. Towards the end we saw one of the previously released female eagles (named Fortuna) climb up on a log. She was soaked and we weren’t sure if she could fly. We watched her for awhile, but it seemed like she couldn’t fly. I circled her from behind to see if I could encourage her to find a higher perch for the evening, but she refused to move. I was able to get a good look at her and her feathers were soaked and folded, she was grounded. We knew that one of the young birds was caught by a jaguar and one by an ocelot, so we were worried that she couldn’t get high enough off the ground before night fall in one hour. We decided to try to catch her. We only had my rain parka and I was the only one with experience, so I slowly approached her with my parka spread out like a blanket in front of me. She was very defensive- faced me, spread her wings, opened her mouth, but she did not try to fly. I got within two feet of her and it was obvious that she was not going to turn and run so I could put my coat over her safely. My only other option was to grab her feet. Now I’ve done this many times with Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Bateleurs, and smaller raptors, but a female Harpy Eagle has the deadliest feet around. I knew the risk of being injured. She was so vulnerable, being drenched, unable to fly, and now less than an hour to dark. I had to do it. Irene didn’t know what I was going to do, so she started moving closer. The bird took her eyes off me for a second to look at Irene, and I made my plunge. I grabbed those legs, those very thick legs, one in each hand and held her on the log until Irene could come over and fold her wings in. That worked, but we were now on opposite sides of the log. Irene had to let go so I could get her on her back so she would remain calm until Irene could get around the deadfall and wrap her up in the coat. Success at last, with the eagle wrapped up, Irene holding the body, I’m holding each leg, we carried her over to the ladder of the hack box. With great effort and patience we climbed that 18 foot ladder. Irene with one hand on the ladder, one arm around the eagle’s body, I have a foot in each hand and none left for the ladder, we finally got her up to the hack box platform. We released her onto the platform, but she was exhausted and scared she just laid there. After she settled down and her breathing returned to normal I went to get my coat and right her. We left her standing on the platform. I did manage to get footed when we were wrapping her up. She didn’t bear down hard but I’ll have a good bruise and one of the punctures hurts. My hand went partially worthless at the time. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold her feet. She was soooo strong. I know what we did was foolish, but it’s my instinct to do what I can to help.”

My hand did swell up like a balloon for a couple of days then was fine. Fortuna remained on the hack tower until the next evening. We found her in good condition feeding in her “feeding tree” a few days later. The images that I used to paint this work were taken from the education bird that was at the Panama office. This individual bird is now working in the education program at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Please support The Peregrine Fund’s projects by purchasing one of my prints. Thank you. Kim

Pigeon Guillemot painting

2009-07-12T09:51:00.001-07:00

I haven't given an update on the Pigeon Guillemot painting for awhile. I am continuing to develop the layers of color in the rocks and have put highlights on the birds. I am now putting in the detail work on the birds and will darken rocks behind the birds. I am doing 7 other paintings at this time, so progress on any one painting may be slow. Since some layers may only take a few minutes to apply, I usually have a number of painting going at once. In the works are- the guillemots, a Swainson's Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Robin, Northern Harrier, Great Gray Owl, and American White Pelicans. I like having the variety of subjects and each painting is at a different time in its evolution, so I can work on which every painting fits my mood at the time.

Our babies are back, we hope.

2009-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last summer a nest of Cedar Waxwings had been disturbed and the babies were spilled onto the ground. They were watched all day to see if the parents were feeding them, but after finding no activity, I took them home to feed. I have raised my share of baby birds and these babies were not doing so well. One was quite starved and the other three would have lasted only a day longer. We started feeding them and thankfully they took to the food readily. We were able to fatten them up in a week, but because of the cold snap we had in June, all the berries were still green. So Wayne built them a nice aviary that we could put them in during the day, but at night we brought them indoors. Deciding to keep them longer gave us the chance to train them to eat on their own and as the blackberry bushes started to ripen, I put whole branches in their aviary for them to start to forage on their own. The waxwings grew fast, but were inseparable. We called them Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Mo. They called constantly when they were away from each other and the calling became insistent until they all came back together. For those of you who can still hear the call of waxwings, it is a very high, buzzing sound that can be a little irritating. As they grew and gained their Independence from being hand fed, they of course became more flighty. One day Mo was able to escape. He flew well. It was time to release them, but the food was not yet plentiful. So I called and searched for Mo, but no Mo was to be found. I felt bad of course, because I didn't have a double door system to prevent escape and I knew how close these babies were to each other. I kept checking for Mo, I hoped he would be ok out on his own. Later that afternoon, I found Mo on top of the aviary trying to get back in. He was frantic. I was able to catch him and put him back in the aviary with the others, but poor Mo was severely effected by his experience. It took him nearly a day to go back to his old self. When I first put him in the cage, he was almost catatonic. He remained in the same place I put him for hours, even though the others were all together and calling for him. He wouldn't eat and hardly responded to any stimulus. I watch him and just let him settle down in his own time. By the next day, he was up with his siblings and soon started feeding. Within a week, we were able to open the aviary door and let them fly away. They stayed in our yard for a few days. A week or two later, I saw four young Cedar Waxwings alone in an area heavily laden with blackberries about a quarter mile from our house. I thought it was Eeny, Meeny, Miny, and Mo, because they all came out together and started calling when they saw the dog and I walking the trail.

This summer, we have four Cedar Waxwings coming by daily to bathe in our stream. Of course, there is no way to know, but we like to think it is the birds we raised last year and that they have come back to the area that they fledged.

I have learned a lot about the close bonds the waxwings seem to share. Watching them as chicks trying to get as close as they possibly could to each other, becoming distressed if one ventured away, seeing the debilitating effects of long term separation, and watching these four come down together everyday to bathe. They truly are a beautiful and interesting bird. The next time you hear that grating, high-pitched buzz, stop and watch the interaction of these lovely birds. It is considered anthropomorphic to give human emotions or feelings to animals, but it does seem apparent that these birds reap more of a benefit of their bonds with each other, then just the survival advantage of a flock. Give me your thoughts. Kim

New corvid painting

2009-06-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is my latest painting. It is 8 x 10 inches painted on board. I call it "Road Kill", but not sure that is the best name. I have a strong curiosity to all the corvids (ravens, crows, jays and magpies). Not only are they intelligent, inquisitive, and fun to watch, but they are beautiful. Their feathers are well defined and the all black color, really is not black. The light hits their feathers and reflect various colors depending on the angle the light hits the feather and what is reflected in the feather. Sometimes it is like an oil slick, sometimes the "black" feathers reflect the overcast skies and look white. This phenomenon captivates me and gives infinite painting possibilities. Since these are essentially black birds, I like to take liberties with their colors. I also enjoy "abstracting" the bird's plumage. You can give the idea of feathers without painting each and every one of them. Let me know what you think of this paint and corvids in general.

My Pigeon Guillemot painting is coming along. I have been developing the background and balancing the color of the rocks. I will soon start putting transparent glazes of white on the birds to create their form. This has been a fun painting to do. Well stay tuned for more. Kim

The ugly stage

2009-06-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle stages of developing a painting. I have a good start on the birds and am experimenting with the background. At this point the overall painting is pretty clumsy and colorful. I have three layers on the background: blue, red, and yellow. The next steps are to finish the layering on the birds, by continuing to develop their form and to neutralize their color. The background will evolve to accentuate the subjects. Keep checking in on how the painting morphs. Kim

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

It has been beautiful lately. I just could not stay inside and paint. I started two new paintings; one of a Swainson's Hawk and another of Pigeon Guillemots. My painting technique of applying individual color layers of transparent paint with drying time between, allows me to have several paintings going at once. I generally use a triad of colors, usually the three primary colors, and white. Some layers contain detail and take some time to complete, but other layers may take only a few minutes to paint. I then have to wait at least 24 hours to let it dry.

I love to see where these layers will take me. I do not like to rigidly compose a painting, because subtle nuances in the layers may change the direction of the painting from my original composition. Sometimes the painting turns out completely different then my initial thoughts. I also like to make up the background. Most of my "non-scene" backgrounds are fun to build and are only there to accentuate the subjects. In the guillemot painting, I have applied blue, red and yellow layers on the birds and have only applied one layer so far to the background. I often add a little background midway through the development of the subject to see where the painting may go. It does not mean that this will be the background, it may change, maybe I will add a horizon.

Some people think painting 20-60+ layers is tedious, some have a hard time visualizing the end product, while others are not comfortable with the lack of control over the painting. I am intrigued by the process. I like to play with the color, lighting and mood. I also enjoy creating a painting that looks like a cohesive piece from a far, but as you approach the individual colors and details of the marks become apparent. The more you look, the more you will see. I rember viewing an original Van Gogh and being completely drawn into the painting. The painting was of a heavily treed garden. If you stood back, the scene was easily recognizable, albeit in Van Gogh's style. I found myself edging through the crowd and planted myself about a foot away. I was completely engrossed in the brush strokes, the color combinations in each brush stroke, and the complexity of how he created a painting from individual "paintings within a brush stroke". I want my paintings to be enjoyed from afar, but I also want to engage the viewer with the individual brush marks or color combinations. I will continue to post this painting as it develops to see where it goes. Please add your comments to this blog. Talk to you soon. Kim

Fallbrook Art Show and trip

2009-05-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well we made another big drive to an art show, this time in Fallbrook, CA, and gathered great resource material and ideas for more paintings and my birding classes. We travelled the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts. For most of the way, the driving was tranquil, views were spectacular, birding was great and the camping was wonderful. Late April- early May is a great time to do this trip. This year's weather was cool, but we had very little rain or baking temperatures. For this Alaskan, I have a very small window of perfect weather, about 72-78 for me. We did hit temperatures down in the upper 30's to lower 100's. That's a pretty good swing.

Some highlights and low lights were the Coastal Redwoods. I never tire of looking at and walking amongst these tall trees. North coastal California has it all. Giant Redwoods, beautiful coastal views, and a mild climate. I could have lived without the giant ticks that seemed to be everywhere. I stopped counting at finding over 20 on us, in our camper and on the dog. Thankfully, none of them embedded, but it still gave us the heeby-geebies for several days. Our van was also hit by a large widow-maker while driving down a very, very twisting road on Highway 1. The branch came straight down and made a very loud bang as it destroyed our front headlight trim.

We hit it big for shorebirds at Bodega Bay. The tide was out when we first arrived, so we had fish and chips for lunch. As the tide started coming in, the birds came closer to us. These shorebirds did not seem to be interested in us and we were able to get pretty close and take good pictures. Towards the late afternoon, we parked and as the tide came in, it concentrated the birds and brought them right to us. What a day that was. We saw Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Short-billed Dowitcher, Willet, Semipalmated Plover, Red Knot, Killdeer, Western Sandpiper, and Sanderling. It is fun to see them in their breeding plumage, since most of the shorebirds I see are overwintering. We also went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium to see their shorebird exhibit. I always like going to that facility. Watching the jellies and the schooling herring are fantastic. I also got good bird pictures and am in the process of composing a painting of Pigeon Guillemots I saw outside the aquarium.

After Monterrey, we had to make a bee-line for Fallbrook. It had taken us so long to get down the coast that we needed to make up some time. We camped just outside of Fallbrook at a nice RV site. The Fallbrook Art Center hosts the annual Reflections in Nature show and invites less than 30 of the nations top wildlife artists. I was honored to have been selected and to show my work amongst the other artists. If I was in the market to buy wildlife art, it would have been very difficult to decide on a piece. Every artist had work I would love to hang on my wall. The weekend was great. I met some very nice people, made some good contacts, received great comments on my art, made some sales, and was inspired to work even harder on creating good art.

After the show, we decided to go up the east side on the way home, so we headed for Joshua Tree. What a fantastic place. The geology, botany, reptiles and birds in the area are all worth going to visit. We camped among some large boulders that seemed out of this world. After the almost required van trouble, this time we had to drop the fuel tank to change leaky fuel lines, we headed across the Mojave Desert and into the Sierra Mountains. Mona Lake is very interesting as is the scenery through the mountains, although we did think we would soon be abducted by aliens because our compass was swing around and around the entire way through the Sierra. After another break down and having to drop the fuel tank again in the middle of a vacant lot, we were on our way to Eastern Oregon and Malheur. One of my heavens on Earth is Page Springs at the southern end of Malheur NWR. For me, there are few things better than getting up early and driving out to the "owl corner" at Malheur and having a cup of coffee while watching the Short-eared Owls course the fields. The southern part of Malheur NWR was fantastic, but the lakes are now completely dry and headquarters was so cold, not much was there. We decided to keep on moving and after two more nights camping, we were home. I am now trying to catch up on everything and mull over everything I learned from the trip. I have a few paintings already swimming around in my head that I need to get started. Well that's it for now. Stay tuned for more art and adventures. Kim

Spring Birding Field Trips

2009-05-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

The field trips for the spring Intermediate Birding Class were filled with good birding, ID challenges, and finished off with good views of the Great Horned Owlets. The Wednesday trip's weather was intimidating, but we still saw some great birds. The list for the day was:

American Crow, Common Raven, American Robin, Starling, White-crowned Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Rufous Hummingbird, Spotted Towhee, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Orange-crowned Warbler, Song Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Black-headed Grosbeak, Townsend's Warbler, Great Horned Owl, Violet-green Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, and House Finch. Not bad for a cold, blustery day.

That Saturday we went out for the second trip and saw the following:

American Robin, Turkey Vulture, Rufous Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, American Crow, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Western Tanager, Bald Eagle, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Warbling Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Northern Flicker, Wilson's Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Red Crossbill.

A few days after our field trip, one of the owlets was found stunned on the trail. After an evaluation, it was put up in a tree off the trail and by its nest tree. Great Horned Owls do spend some time cruising around before their flight feathers are fully grown in. They are usually not injured, but can come in contact with people and dogs. We will hope for the best for these two owlets and wish them well.

The migrants have arrived and birds are very busy courting, building nests and I have even seen some of this years young already. Keep your eyes to the sky, ears open, and binoculars close by. Happy birding. Kim

New oil painting

2009-03-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Captive

Kwang came into this world in the mid-60’s. She is dark, but has a flamboyant way of expressing herself. She is an African aerial acrobat, but is unable to flying through the air with the greatest of ease. She is captive.
Kwang came to this great country from the Dark Continent, but not as a slave. She is in the field of education and has done her job for more than 40 years. That is a monumental task for a human, but Kwang is a bird, a beautiful Bateleur Eagle. Kwang has no children, she lives in a small house compared to her parents in Africa, but don’t feel sorry for her. She has been pampered her whole life. She has had a secure place to live without predators, has had the best medical care, and has never experienced hunger. The fact that she has lived nearly half a century in captivity proves she has had a good life.
The role of captive wildlife in zoos and education centers is multi-faceted. Some are essential for the survival of the species in the wild through captive breeding programs or as genetic banks; many give people an opportunity, they may not otherwise get, to see animals from around the world; most generate educational opportunities to teach the public about the unique attributes of that species; but more importantly, captive animals make positive connections with people and create empathy for the preservation of our planet’s natural wonders and biodiversity. The popularity of saving the Giant Panda from extinction was not generated by the few people seeing them decline in the wild, but from masses connecting with the pandas in captivity and then being open to learning about their plight in the wild.
Kwang is nearing retirement. Her work schedule has been eased. She is old, we think. Longevity studies on birds are difficult, but some birds in captivity do live to 50 years. For our sake, we hope Kwang has many more years to spark compassion for the lives of people, animals and habitats half a world away.

Everyone's a Maverick

2009-01-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

They are up there. Endlessly circling...... and circling. They want to come down. They just want to go home.

I have spent most of my life in remote areas. Places you can call home and feel a strong affinity for. Small places that are isolated and to get in and out takes some real effort. Sitka, Alaska is located on a remote island on the outer edge of Alaska. From down south (lower 48 states), it takes three hours by jet or nearly a week on the ferry. No other community is accessible by roads from Sitka. When Sitka gets socked in by fog, it is like no one else in the world exists. You are truly isolated.

Rakops, Botswana is situated in the heart of Botswana, Africa, in the Kalahari Desert. There is a sand track road to Rakops, but the closest town to do any major grocery shopping is an entire day of waiting at the hitching post, hoping someone drives by, hoping they have room in their vehicle, hoping they will stop, and hoping they will pick you out of the others trying to get a ride. The trip is always gruelling and takes 6-8 hours. Sand track is slow going, dangerous, and dirty, because you are almost always in the back of a pickup. After you do your shopping, you go back to a hitching post and start the process over in the reverse direction. If you are really lucky, you have a friend with a vehicle and room inside their truck, then you can run your errands in one day. Unfortunately for those of us living in Rakops, it was infinitely easier to find a vehicle going to a major town, then going to the middle of nowhere. We were definitely remote.

Still circling. How many, 2, 4, oh no now there are 6. When will they ever come down.

Now, I am living on Orcas Island. A beautiful, pristine, and remote part of the extreme northwestern corner of Washington State. Again island living; planes and ferries for us. A Costco run to the mainland on the ferry, will take you about 8 hours round trip, by plane you can do it in an hour. We opt for flying and have a 1947 Stinson and a hanger house. In fact, we have the aircraft maintenance business on the island and work out of our home. We much prefer to fly to Bellingham, were we keep an extra car, and do the shopping we can't do on the island. Yesterday we flew over to b'ham. We hadn't been there for two months. It's not that we wanted to stay away for so long, but the weather has been a bit on the bad side in Western Washington. We had wind. This makes for a very uncomfortable ride, so we choose to stay away from high wind, and boy did we have high wind for quite some time. Then came the snow. You can fly in snow if you can avoid your wings from icing up. Lucky for us, we couldn't even open the hanger door or taxi the plane in the deep snow. Snow that kept piling up. Christmas was white this year. In fact, we had cold weather and snow on the ground until the New Year. Then came the rain. We call it the Pineapple Express. We seem to get them every year. It's warm, moist air from Hawaii and brings a lot of rain to Washington. Well the rivers swell, fields flood, and homes are destroyed. Finally the wind stopped, the snow melted and the water drained into the ocean. Now with the calm air, clear skies and temperatures around freezing, an inversion setup. This inversion settled in and wouldn't leave. Freezing fog ever day for a week. This gets old fast. Inversions are oppressive, depressing, and gray. The forecast kept extending the inversion time, promising sunshine in a few days, then a few day longer. Finally, we wake up to sunny skies. Get the plane out and lets go.

The ground temperature is 37F but is 55F at 2000 ft. The inversion is still on. We better not dottle in B'ham. After a smooth landing, we find our car battery deader than a door nail. Thankfully, we have access to other islander's vehicles and soon jump the car and do our errands. We are rushed. The weather has changed on Orcas and we need to get back. We try to get gas, but both self-serves are not working, so we decide to take off and hope we can get home without spending too much time circling. Half way to the island, we see a bank of fog extending from Canada straight to our airport. We decide to take a side trip to another airport to get fuel and wait for the fog to lift. Our second trip back to Orcas, we find that the fog didn't dissipate and is straight over the airport. We start circling. We have heard many other planes circling over head in the past week. We have been so cautious and patient. Waiting for the right day to take off. This was the day and it back fired on us. So we circle. Thankfully our neighbor is on his hand-held radio giving us constant updates on his ground perspective. The fog is moving wildly, ebbing and flowing, opening up, socking in. We circle above the fog. Finally, a call saying he can see the hills to the south. Down we go, out over the water, lower, lower, lower. As we get down to 100 feet above the water, we strain to see the runway. We are getting closer to the bank of fog. At some point, you have to make a decision on whether to go for it or abort, and need to have room to pull out without hitting the fog or something more solid. We are getting to that point. Do we have time to make the turn? Wait, I see the runway lights. I don't see the runway, but I do see the lights. Our ground control can now see our headlight. We can do it. GO FOR IT! I can still see the lights. Wayne sets his path to target those lights. They are fading, no there they are, go go go, oh don't hit that tree, oh that tree is higher than we are. You got her, is what we heard from the ground. We can now see the runway, ok we've got her. We make a perfect landing and taxi home. There were five us out that day and we all got down safely.

Today, we have up to six planes circling. Some have been circling for well over an hour. One plane was able to be talked down, but the others slowly flew off to find other ways back to the island. We will see what tomorrow brings. Even in the continental United States, we are still remote. Everyday life is a joy and a challenge. We are all mavericks in our own way. We are capable of anything if we are willing to make decisions and take responsibility. Best wishes to all. Kim

Birds in Art National Tour

2009-01-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

My Harpy Eagle painting was not only selected for the 2008 "Birds in Art" show in Wausau, WI, but will also be going on the national tour. The venues on this years "Birds in Art" tour include the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek, CA (Feb 15- Apr 18, 2009); Frank H. McClung Museum, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (May 8- Aug 16); Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT (Sep 5- Oct 12); and Miller Art Musuem, Sturgeon Bay, WI (Nov 14- Dec 31, 2009). If you are close to any of these venues, please stop in and see the Harpy. After the national tour the original painting goes to The Peregrine Fund.

First Impressions are Everything!

2008-12-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

The spring birding classes are scheduled. The introduction to birding class "First Impressions are Everything" will lay a strong foundation in bird identification that will last a lifetime. This class will include 7 classroom sessions on Saturdays 10am to noon starting January 17, 2009 at the Orcas Public Library and a day long field trip to practise what we have learned. Our focus for the class is to develop skills in identifying the various bird groups. This extensive knowledge will facilitate species identification, and therefore increase our enjoyment with bird watching both locally and abroad.

"Beyond a Glimpse- Migrants" is the intermediate spring class that will introduce the San Juans summer migrants along with our resident birds that are actively seen in the summer. This class runs for 8 weeks (7 classroom sessions and 1 field trip) on Monday nights from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Orcas Public Library starting March 23, 2009. We will discuss bird migration, speciation and learn to identify individual species of migrating and resident birds most commonly seen in the islands during the summer. We will address the 'exceptions to the rule' like this hybridized Northern Flicker and why they are difficult to identify.

"First Impressions are Everything" and "Beyond a Glimpse- Over Wintering" will be held in the fall.