February

Everyone disses February but it's become one of my very best months. There's real time to work on projects and to see important things such as our Snowies and backyard flocks- and when you get a snowy afternoon like this- well- It's the skiing month, the dunes are snow hills and the marsh tundra. And all the holidays! Valentine's, Winter vacation, Chinese New Year, and more. Now on Saturday, it's a good day to post. It's snowing again- a light fine fast one. I've been so involved with these birds I haven't been able to put my mind to posting- but here you can see why on one of the leaves of this project seen above. I have five of these going for my Nature Folio plus a new painting, with its main subject the blue bird flock of a few weeks ago. With birds- well any living thing really- it's all about angles of things as they move. A feather marking changes shape  constantly as the bird hops around.

A hawk has found us. It first showed up a couple of weeks ago- I think I blogged about it. I've seen it take a few passes through our sanctuary here several times since. You can see it on the bottom right corner in the photo.

Bird log- Today- Hawk.
Pair of hairies.
Pair of downies. One very graciously came right up to the window, as has a robin who's letting me see his exact eye ring.

Kitchen Studio

   The Studio is now the kitchen. Even if the barn had heat, the bird feeder in all this snow would be holding me fast at the window.  Each time I sit, something marvelous happens despite the invariable    slow starts. Yesterday I had a flicker- very unusual- and today- amazingly a hawk strike! It went after           I'm sure one of the small birds and landed in the old kitty cage- yes- that one of the cat painting on my Facebook page- Was gone too fast to identify but I'm drawing up what I can remember.

The little drawings in the foreground are on a sheet in my Wildlife Folio, my series of sketches of the wildlife all around me. I started it last year, and it is important because if I've drawn something quickly  I can go back to them to see if colors, markings and such things are falling correctly on the animals.

I think a bird log is in order here. I'll set it up as part of this blog. First entry is one from the other night.

Bird log, January 28 - Dusk 

Owl- first sighting for this year. Flying before me towards the end of the road- white, very long wingspan. Went to the top of the famous Snowy owl pole, then across to the marsh when I got out of the car- don't do that!