Merry Christmas!

North Woods Visitor, by Kelly Riccetti

More Red-breasted Nuthatch paintings...

Painting 82, Red-breasted Nuthatch with confetti-warm feathers...

Pencil drawing, watercolor, oil pastel

9x12 Arches Rough 140 Lb Paper

This little Red-breasted Nuthatch started its life as a pencil drawing. Later that evening when I got home, he morphed into a watered-down watercolor where he sat all night being bored and looking boring. I couldn't take it, so last night I pulled out a new pack of oil pastels that I picked up from Michaels last weekend and an old pack...from 1978 (I couldn't believe they still worked!) and started experimenting. I haven't used oil pastels since high school, so I didn't know what would happen. As I added in layer after layer, I loved the feel. I used a smudge stick and my fingers to blend. At the end, I shaved bits of the pastel over the painting and then smashed the bits in with a downward movement of my finger for a heavier pigment release. He sort of looks like he's among falling confetti (some sort of birdie party, I guess).

Painting 83, Vigilant nuthatch, always ready to work.

Pencil drawing, watercolor, oil pastel, soft pastel

9x12 Arches Rough 140 Lb Paper

The process on this painting was similar to Painting 82, but I deviated on the background, bringing in a square-shaped soft pastel to scrape some of the oil pastel away and then leave its powdery residue behind to be smeared over the rest of the painting. I love experimenting with these different styles. It's so much fun to make up things as you go!

Paintings of a Red-breasted Nuthatch...for the challenge

Sunday morning I went birding at Winton Woods (a Hamilton County park in Cincinnati, OH) with the Cincinnati Audubon Society. This was my first time to bird with the Audubon Society. Normally I go on the Cincinnati Birding Club trips, but Winton Woods is only 30 minutes from my house...and the walk started at 9:00 a.m. (yeah!). I also wanted to go because I had heard Red-breasted Nuthatches could be found regularly at the pine stand there, and I wanted to find out where it was. We started the morning at the Settling Pond on McKelvey Rd. where we saw lots of lovely ducks including Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwalls, Wood Ducks (a lot of them!), Coots, Black Ducks, Bonaparte Gulls (a small flock flew in flashing white against the dark grey sky....beautiful and exciting...), Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, and Northern Shovelers. A Great Blue Heron was also there fishing among the ducks, and we watched him catch a fish, taking his time to finally swallow it down. A Belted Kingfisher could be heard in the distance, and just as we were leaving, a Swamp Sparrow and couple of Song Sparrows popped into view. The Swamp Sparrow was especially beautiful...so dark against the light tans of the cattail stalks. For a complete list of birds we found on the trip, check out the Cincinnati Bird Sightings log, here. (Did I mention it was cold? The day before I was in shorts, but Sunday morning was cold!!!)

After watching the ducks, we headed over to the pine stand on the Parcours Fitness Trail and soon enough the little Red-breasted Nuthatches made an appearance. At one point I had three in sight, but could hear others--probably at least a half dozen were following us through the pines (others in the group had 6 in sight at the same time, so there could have been even more). Their nasally calls were soothing and soft and floated in the cold air around us. Such happy little birds, they were so busy darting from branch to branch...following the branch to the end of the pine needles...never stopping for a rest. They inspired me so much I whipped out three acrylic paintings that evening when I was home (paintings 77-79 in the 100 Painting Challenge), and followed them on Monday with a watercolor (painting 80).

Painting #80, Red-breasted Nuthatch at Winton Woods

9x12 Arches Rough 140 Lb Paper, Watercolor

I used a very light pencil sketch on this painting so the water colors could be vibrant and not weighed down by graphite showing through. I took my time with the water color, so it doesn't show the activity, speed and agility of these little birds as they zip through the branches. Although, when I look at it, he does have a wily look in his eyes and appears ready to spring over to the next branch, which no doubt holds another spider to eat.

With the acrylics I tried to capture the movement of the little imps, plus convey autumn's last hurrah. The cold and overcast morning was a shocker. We had been enjoying Indian summer and had grown used to the warmer temps. The cold made the trees seem barer and reminded us what November should really feel like. Starting without a drawing underneath, I quickly painted in the birds, adding in a dark background to relay the gloom of the morning (and the end of autumn)--flashes of autumn color give a nod to the season at it tries to hold on, but we know winter is on the way...

Painting #79, A Red-breasted Nuthatch flits from branch to branch...

9x12 Acrylic Paper, Acrylic

Painting #78, ...never resting

9x12 Acrylic Paper, Acrylic

Painting #77, ...always looking for another spider to eat.

9x12 Acrylic Paper, Acrylic

If you want to read more about these little birds, head over to BirdingBlogs.com for an article Kenn Kaufmann recently posted.

One more cool thing...two other Cincinnati Nature bloggers were there:

Mike of Everybody Funny was our trip leader. I think his phishing is what brought the Red-breasted Nuthatches out. They were very curious at the sound and came in closer to see what we were all about. Mike is very creative, and his blog focuses on visual poetry, nature, and humor. It's a lot of fun, and his work often makes me think in ways I don't normally think...and that's always good!

...and Kathi of KatDoc's World was there too. I started reading KatDoc's blog a few months ago when she posted on a warble (the larval form of of botfly) living under the skin of a kitten (if you want to get grossed out, click here). Since Matty wants to be a vet, I thought I'd check it out. Kathi is a vet and potter and writes about her vet practice and other interesting things. I had never met Kathi before, but when I saw her, I immediately recognized her from her blog..."You're KatDoc!" was the first thing out of my mouth. Kathi let me borrow her Ohio Ornithological Society hat because it was so cold and I didn't have one. Thanks, Kathi!

The new "hamster" ball feeder strikes again!

...today (in between coughing and sleeping) I looked out the window to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch take a seed from the feeder. At first I thought I was mistaken, but he returned about 30 seconds later. We've lived in our home for ten years, and we've never had a Red-breasted Nuthatch in our yard before--that feeder is good!

I never thought a Red-breasted Nuthatch would show up in our yard, so I was really happy when I saw him fly up to the feeder! Two new yard birds in less than two weeks...

He would fly to the hanging planter and check out the hamster ball....

...then pop up to the rod for another look...

...then he would nab a seed and be gone. He has to be one of the flightiest birds I've seen at the feeder. He would take his seed and fly to the half-dead willow tree to hatch it out.

These aren't the best photos, but as record shots, they work. Yesterday, I spotted our first Dark-eyed Junco for the year (Rick and I always have a contest...I won this year!!), and the day before, our first White-crowned Sparrow flew in too. Our winter visitors are arriving!