Nature Journal

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Bandits

This is Notch – I think she may be a first time mother. She has at least 2 babies so she got bold enough to come up to the deck. It seems they get hungry about this time of year. I also see them in the deep winter when the snow is thick. Otherwise, they only visit at night. How do I know? My tomatoes growing on my second story deck keep disappearing.

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Blackpoll Warblers

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During the shutdown I have not been birding like normal, other than off my back deck. However, the back wild space has delivered in spades – actually, in what we birders call “lifers” (the first time you spot a species.)

We had a couple of Blackpoll Warblers go through last week, giving a brief, yet very delightful glimpse as they paused on their travels from S. Am. to Canada.

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Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

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The Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s have been plentiful this season. I have my own photos, but a friend, Steve Bradley, took one of a male that truly inspired me. I used his photo for my painting and one of my own for the female.

First I practiced drawing them since their big old beaks were a new shape for me.

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Then I tried the male on my Mom’s Mother’s Day card/letter. I decided I liked that so well, I did the couple in my nature journal (the first image above.)

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Nest Building

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I watched a Cooper’s Hawk wrestle with a huge stick that had a smaller one hooked to it.  When he finally got them untangled, he ended up with the short stick and appeared quite disgruntled about it. He tossed it down and left, at that point, and went up into the tree and started wrestling with another branch. It was very entertaining.

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