More bird paintings for the challenge...

Painting #70, Meadowlark Peeking Among Poppies

Acrylic, 6x6 canvas paper

Painting #69, Three Little Birds

Acrylic, 6"x12" canvas paper

Matty helped me name this one. He thought Bob Marley's song, "Three Little Birds" fit it perfectly:

"Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")"
Boby Marley, Three Little Birds

Paintings 63 - 68, Red-headed Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers

ATCs, mixed--water color, acrylic, and colored pencil

Paintings 57 - 62, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches

ATCs, mixed--water color and acrylic

Remember these? Paintings 57 - 68 are all ATCs. I sketched them back in September and painted them shortly after, but I forgot to scan them and put them in the challenge. I kept looking at my total and thinking it was really low...then I remembered the ATCs! D'uh! Now I'm completely caught up and should be able to make the challenge by the end of the year.

Art in five-minute bites...

...tastes just as sweet!

Over the past couple of days I've been sketching birds on tiny sheets of paper sized 2.5" x 3.5". The sheets are called Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), and I'm having a lot of fun with them. My two friends, Amy and Chelle (waving to them), gave me a couple of packs of "assorted" Artist Trading Cards five or six months ago. I've moved them from here to there, always intending on getting started with them, but never really knowing what to do with them. A couple of days ago, I opened a pack and read about the ATC movement. I'm so out of the loop I really didn't know what there were about. Here is blurb from the introduction of an assorted pack of Strathmore ATCs:

"Artist trading cards (ATCs) are miniature pieces of art that are traded around the world. Artists create, trade and collect art at organized "swap" events, either in person or online. It is a great way to meet other artists and share your work. The only official rule for ATCs is the size: 2.5" x 3.5"."

Seems in 1997 a Mr. M. Vanci Stirnemann from Switzerland created 1200 of these small cards by hand for an exhibit. On the last day, he asked the other participants to create their own ATCs and trade with him at a closing party. That was all it took. The movement took off as other artists started creating and trading miniature pieces of artwork. I've started using them to sketch whenever I have a few extra minutes. I have the cards by my computer and all I have to do is bring up old photos to get started. I just did 12 cards and can already see a style emerging.

...first three ATCs are of a Red-headed Woodpecker. I took these photos on 12-05-09. I was in Cleveland and went birding with Loopy and the Doodles (from Birds from Behind). Bringing up old photos and drawing them brings back all the memories from that day. The images on the first three ATCs are very small and light with nary a hint at detail or accuracy--the paper was slick, and I think they are destined for pen and ink and watercolor. Click here for the original post of photos.

...the second set of three are of a Northern Flicker. I found this little lady at Fort Ancient. I can see more detail emerging and the images are larger (less bird fits on a card). Click here for the photos that inspired these drawings.

...set three...a White-breasted Nuthatch from the Little Miami River Bike Trail. He was so sweet. These photos never made it on to the blog because they were a bit blurry, but for sketching I don't need high quality. I can see the style getting darker and and larger. Less and less of the bird fits on the card, but it's cool, because the bird's personality is starting to show through. This series might end up as colored pencil renderings.

...finally, in the last set I've switched to just head shots. The eyes always bring art to life, so it doesn't surprise me that I'd focus on the head. I found this Red-bellied Woodpecker on the Little Miami Bike Trail as well. I remember watching him eating the berries. I could hardly breathe trying to capture that moment when he had a berry in his bill! You can find the post of these photos here.

Rick snapped this photo of me late last night as I sketched out the last Red-bellied Woodpecker in the series. You can see the other ATCs on the desk. It's a great way to get art into your life when you don't have a lot of time. I leave the cards on the desk and whenever I have a few extra minutes I sit down, pull up a photo on the screen, and sketch it.

...now...let's see how quickly I can get color onto them to get the 100 Paintings in a Year Challenge back in swing! I've completed 37 paintings. That only leaves me 63 paintings to complete by December 31. Oh boy...

Matty behind the lens...

Matty and I were in the kitchen when our beautiful Red-bellied Woodpecker flew up to the suet feeder. The day was overcast and grey, which seemed to be the perfect weather conditions for glowing red feathers. At first Matty and I just watched him, mesmerized by the intense red-orange, then Matty grabbed the camera and took a few photos. He didn't know if they would turn out because it was his first time to shoot. I think he has a pretty steady hand and good eye! He was shooting through glass too... Way to go, Matt! I LOVE them!

...and down below, two Mourning Doves were hanging out being sweet. They caught Matty's eye too...

A Red-bellied Woodpecker eating a salamander (or lizard)...

Birding Longboat Key, Florida

...continued from the Great Blue Heron post.

...now that's not something I see everyday. As a matter of fact, it's the first time I've ever seen it at all! I was birding at Quick Point Nature Preserve on Longboat Key when I heard this Red-bellied Woodpecker tapping at the bark in the tree above me. It was a duller thud than usual, and when I looked up I found out why. He was also pulling at something stretchy. As I focused in with the camera lens, I was surprised to find the "something stretchy" was a salamander. A totally new sight for me. Our woodpeckers tend to stick to the bugs and berries. We have salamanders in Cincy. Lots of them, but they are mostly on the ground or in the creeks. In Florida, they are everywhere--and fair game for a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

After lodging the salamander under the bark, he began alternately tapping and tugging at him. Does anyone know what type of salamander this is likely to be? I haven't a clue.

At first I didn't know if he was eating the salamander or just playing with him. After a while I could tell he was most definitely eating him. The salamander seemed to be dead throughout the ordeal. I didn't see him trying to crawl away. Most of the time he was lodged under the bark.

...this was not a quick process. The woodpecker had to work for his dinner...

...such a strange sight for me, but I guess Florida birders see woodpeckers eating salamanders all the time.

After tugging him loose here, he shoved the salamander back into the crevice in the wood and started pounding away at him again. I didn't get to see how long it would take him to eat all of the salamander (or if even if he would) because a guy with truckload of mulch drove up underneath and scared him away. A little before that a female flew in for a bite, but the male chased her away. I guess he wasn't in the mood for sharing!

Red-bellied Woodpecker eating greenbrier berries along the Little Miami River...

Winging it across the Little Miami River in its distinctive undulating flight, the Red-bellied Woodpecker was recognizable before she announced herself with her loud, rolling call. She seemed to be flying with a particular destination in mind, and I soon found out why as she landed in a tangle of vines covered with plump blue berries where she immediately started devouring them in quick gulps. I’m not sure what species this berry is, but I assume it is some form of Smilax (Greenbrier) berry.

The female Red-bellied Woodpecker wasted no time plucking off one berry at a time and swallowing them whole.

She had such a taste for these berries she was not bothered at all when a loud group of cyclists whizzed past. She almost tolerated a couple of roller bladers too, but fled to the other side of the river in fright as they drew near.

On my way back, I found her once again in the tree, munching on the fat, plump berries.

Unfortunately, just as I went to photograph her on my return walk, I got the old "nothing" click because the card was full. Rats! Normally I have a back-up card, but Sunday was my first time out in the woods since the Swine, and I was a little fuzzy and forgot to bring extra cards. It will be interesting to go back in a few days and see how many of the berries remain (and maybe catch her lurking around looking for more).

p.s.
We had another new yard bird today!
I was in the kitchen working, when I heard the faintest sweet peep out the kitchen window. It was 47 degrees outside, but if I can stand it, I have that window open so I can hear the birds outside. I froze and listened, because it was a new “yard” sound. Soon it came again, and there was no mistaking it….a Golden-crowned Kinglet. The tiny little sprite hopped from branch to branch in the ornamental plum tree just outside my kitchen window. Magic… That’s three new yard birds in as many weeks, a Blackburnian Warbler, a Red-breasted Nuthatch…and now a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Yeah!!

Red-bellied Woodpecker on our new round feeder ball...

This is the best new feeder ever! Within days of hanging it, the chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers had become regulars. The Blue Jays haven't been able to use it, which makes me think the Starlings might not be able to either. So far, none have shown up.

Such a beautiful bird...it's a lot of fun to watch him swoop in, hang upside down, and then "drop" and fly to the big Ash tree to eat or stash his food.

I've hung it from a rod off the deck, so the ball is about 10 feet from the living room window...perfect viewing. This is the only feeder that has ever lured the Red-bellied so close to the house (on a regular basis).

When I saw this in the store, I assumed the people who made hamster exercise balls were venturing out into bird feeders. It was so cute, I had to give it a try! Thanks, Mary for carrying such a cool feeder at your store!

I always love seeing that blush of red on his belly. From a distance, you can barely see it, up close it's like someone ran a paintbrush loaded with Merlot over those feathers!

If you're in Cincinnati, and you're looking for the "Hamster" feeder, head over to the Wild Bird Center of Mason in the Deerfield Towne Center. Mary will fix you up!

Click here for older Red-bellied Woodpecker posts if you like looking at red-bellies!

(The Wrath of the Swine comes and goes. I did a lot of sleeping today again. Thank goodness for Tylenol and Advil...)

I almost missed this gorgeous Red-bellied Woodpecker, his mate, and their nesting cavity because I was in the grip of warbler-mania…

The last week of April and the first three weeks of May are one of the most exciting times on the Little Miami River Bike Trail. I never know what sort of neo-tropical migrant is going to show up along the river corridor, and I have to admit I am addicted to the thrill of the hunt. In a post a week or so ago, I talked about that surge of adrenalin that comes every time I spot a new spring migrant. It’s a powerful feeling and definitely drives my birding in the spring, so when I recently headed to the trail with warblers on the brain, I shouldn’t have been surprised at my nonchalant attitude toward one of my favorite birds, a Red-bellied Woodpecker.


As I tried to zoom in on a Chestnut-sided Warbler, this gorgeous fellow kept hovering around me competing for my attention, and I felt warbler-lust push a fuzzy “I don’t have time for this bird--I have to concentrate on the warbler” through my mind. But this loyal winter friend was persistent, and his gentle knocking on the wood and unusual tameness started chipping away at my warbler preoccupation. Slowly, with normal appreciation and love of him returning, I shifted my attention and started studying him.






I walked about five steps further to catch him on the other side of the tree, and there was the female...and next to her, their nesting cavity. I couldn’t believe it. I had almost missed this find because of a spring migrant adrenalin addiction!!




After the female went into the cavity, the male stayed around for a bit before leaving to hunt for food, his calls echoing through the trees as he flew off (almost, it seemed, chastising me for ignoring him, but then forgiving me for finally giving him the attention he deserved...).

Saturday at the Little Miami Bike Trail

It’s been flurrying all day today and very cold, but Saturday it was mild and beautiful! Rick and I had a little extra time, so we ran over to the Little Miami Bike trail for a quick bit of birding. It was fun!

It was a gorgeous day. You can see things are just 

beginning to green up (although after today’s grey, 

cold, snowflurries, who knows what’s in store).

We had only walked a couple hundred feet when we saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker couple foraging together, the male very closely shadowing the female (mate-guarding behavior), and then a little further down the trail, a pair of downies were doing the same thing. It was fun to watch them, the male constantly following after the female, or sometimes, the male would fly off to another tree and the female would follow.

One half of the downy pair, the male had a watchful eye on the female!

A little further down we found this freshly excavated 

nesting cavity, but no one was around. I’ll have 

to keep watch to see if any birds take up residence!

On the way back, as we got closer to the Powder Factory, we heard the buzzy chatter of a couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, the first sighting of the year!! Hanging out with them was a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Rick got photos of them, but they aren’t as good as the kinglet I photographed on Sunday! :-P

I love Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. They are always 

singing, making noise, and moving all over the 

place, plus they are another bird of summer. 

On Saturday I was happy to have this photo, 

but after Sunday, the bar was raised! 

A Red-bellied's red belly!

We don’t often get to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker’s red belly. Because woodpeckers spend most of their time hugging branches, limbs or tree trunks, the belly goes unobserved. When I took this photo, I didn’t realize I captured his rosy-colored belly feathers and was surprised when I brought it up in Aperture to crop it down.

I wouldn't call this the reddest belly out there, 

but if you look closely, you can see the rosy color.

Kel, the feeder is getting low! 

 ...if I can just turn upside down, I might be able to….

Everyone thinks those pesky little downies are so 

cute, but I’ve a few cute tricks up my sleeve as well…

…try my left side...I think it's better…

Red-bellied Woodpecker Vigorously Defends his Territory

My neighborhood White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers and Red-bellied Woodpeckers have claimed this feeder as their own. Maybe because it’s so close to the tree they feel it’s an extension of the tree, and therefore, theirs. I don’t know, but I stock it everyday with them in mind, always including a mixture of peanuts and black-oil sunflower seeds. Today, as I looked out the window, a starling tried to squeeze in on the feeder action, and the red-bellied would have none of it.

Move on, mister, these seeds and nuts are mine!

Be gone, seed thief, or I will pull out a feather (and he did!).

I mean business, and I’m bigger than you…now!

Red-bellied Woodpeckers have several threat displays, such as raising the feathers on their neck and crown, or, as shown above, spreading out their wings and tail to appear larger to the intruder.

…not until the starling was long gone did the red-bellied feel calm enough to go back up to his icy treetop, knowing his feeder was safe.