The boldly patterned Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus) is a fairly common lapwing from Africa and the Eastern Mediterannean. The bird has a loud call to match it’s in-your-face plumage, described as sounding like “Did he do it?” Of course this just leaves me with more … Continued
Wattled Jacanas are attractive birds with elongated toes that allow them to stride along water lily pads on the edges of the shallow lakes and ponds where they live in South America. The males incubate a pair of eggs on a floating nest. … Continued
Over the years we have had Eastern Bluebirds nest in our yard. What an incredible treat! In the past ten years the field nearby has been slowly taken over by trees, and we have seen less and less of them. … Continued
I love Yellow Warblers. Few birds are quite as cheery as these little yellow dynamos. We have had the pleasure of having them in our yard in the spring and summer pretty regularly the past few years. We are certain … Continued
This painting has been on my “to do” list for a long time. I got photos of this cooperative bird while on a photo trip to Ft. Myers, Florida with my brother Ted. We hit Little Estero Lagoon a … Continued
This is the sixth year that I’ve made Halloween costumes for one or both kids. I guess they really haven’t been costumes so much as hats. One drawback is that the kids have to spend a lot of time explaining … Continued
One Carolina Wren wasn’t enough! These cute birds can make quite a racket at times. The males are exceptionally vocal, making a “teakettle-teakettle-teakettle” call. These wrens are also known for making nests in odd places. I’ve seen photos of their … Continued
Well, you can’t accuse me of selling out. While I love jumping spiders, I can’t imagine there is a huge market for detailed watercolors of them. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong. For a while frogs and toads were among my … Continued
The Common Ground Dove isn’t a bird that I’ve been around my whole life. I’ve only encountered them while on trips to Florida. I really enjoy these beautiful little birds. This particular one was sitting on the dikes between flooded areas at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Blue Jays. They are undeniably beautiful and intelligent birds, but they have a lot of ugly behaviors. Maybe that big brain just causes too much trouble? Blue Jays can empty a feeder … Continued