Eastern Bluebird
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
May
seems a bit messed up to me with Memorial Day weekend coming so early;
and yes, its been a dry - then soaking month as well. But we are
fortunate here...we didn't need a lot...got more than we wanted...yet no
serious flooding here. Oh there's some of the typical streams out of
their banks but no more so or damaging than usual. But we're lucky -
other parts of the state are having real flooding issues.
Cape May Warbler
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
One
thing May has brought is cool weather and some real interesting fallout
of migrating birds. Always up for cool birds! One of the best
migrants that stopped for about 3 days during the constant rain was a
Cape May Warbler. Now we've seen Cape Mays before...up in Canada, but
never passing through on migration. It was a real treat! Liked grape
jelly - had to fight for it with all the Orioles but held it's own
despite only being a third of the size!
Summer Tanager (first year male)
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
We
also were lucky to get a Summer Tanager (first year male) to visit the
feeders for a day. We've been seeing a "Lot" of reports for both Summer
and Scarlet Tanagers this spring and actually "did" get a Scarlet
Tanager for "a few seconds" across the driveway in the Dandelions with
the Goldfinches, but it never showed again...a shame - I'd really have
liked to have gotten a photograph!!!
Baltimore Oriole
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
Brown Thrasher
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
Of
course there were many of the old familiar friends that returned, like
the Baltimore Orioles and Brown Thrashers...but we also got our Hose
Wrens, Catbirds, Orchard Orioles, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Rose-breasted
Grosbeaks, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and many others back for the
season...they so brighten up our days!
Bobolink
photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison
Our
pasture's birds also returned; just yesterday afternoon our Dickcissels
arrived! They're usually the last grassland bird here. Luckily our
Bobolinks have also come back and have been flying from pasture to
pasture doing their flight "thing"...like they're staking out their
territory...or trying to attract a lady. I worry about the Bobolinks on
the south pasture, as it was slightly decreased in size by maybe 3/4 of
an acre...the neighbor who owns the 4 acres south of our one acre,
wanted to take his fence line out and make things more expedient for his
equipment. Every sliver of grassland gone can make a difference...I
don't know if that will deter another nesting on this small bit of
ground. Who knows how much it takes to convince one Bobolink that
there's enough space or forage to raise a family? I'm crossing my
fingers.
"The Hurt-Adkins Mill"
oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison
Finished
a commission for someone out of state. Was a bit challenging
as it was an actual location (in Kentucky) and historic grist mill, that
fell down about 30 years ago. Very little to work with...spent a lot of
time going through historic records to get it as accurate as
possible...worked through the late winter months on this
landscape/location, am very happy with how it finished out! "The
Hurt-Adkins Mill" - oil painting.
"In the Wild Plum - Nashville Warbler"
oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison
I
talked about this painting a couple years back...was working on it the
summer my father passed away. I felt pretty good about this painting
and wanted it considered for an international exhibit but held off until
this Spring, as I wanted it to be included in my solo exhibit at the
Pearson Lakes Art Center last fall.
The
exhibit I wanted it considered for is "Birds in Art". I've been
accepted into this prestigious exhibition 5 times since 1983...that's
only 5 times in 37 years! Its a real difficult exhibit to be juried
into...but most years I keep at it. Then a couple weeks ago I was
notified that this painting "In the Wild Plum - Nashville Warbler" has
been selected by 3 independent jurors across the country to be included in the
international "Birds in Art" exhibition for 2020 this fall.
I still find it overwhelming to
be selected to exhibit with 90 other artists from all over the world.
Because of the pandemic there will be no traditional weekend gathering
of artists, so we will not get to meet new faces or talk with many we've
met over the years. This is the coveted
holy grail exhibit for bird artists - hosting work from across the US,
Canada, South America, Africa, Europe, the British Isles, Asia and
Australia.
The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI will
exhibit Birds in Art from September 18 through November 29th - after
which the exhibition will go on national tour. Years back one of my
serigraphs was selected for an international tour traveling through the
US to Bejing, China.
I guess all those distractions from the birds I so
love paid off once more...I feel very blessed.
Now that I'm a "bit" caught up in the Studio I'm back onto the native pastures here doing some work. The 1/5 acre affected by the septic installation last June had created a Brome patch...should have seen that coming...more work! But I am now seeing more prairie garlic than ever on the east side of the north pasture this year - I'd only documented it in two locations and two patches before...now its up to 8 patches, and the Lead plants are multiplying as well with 7 plants now...up from 4! I appear to have gained Sawtooth Sunflower in the disturbed area and the Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata) has really multiplied on the gravel hillside on the NE section..doing so well they were showing brilliantly from the bottom trail!
Its
been a busy late winter/spring here but now its back to reality...stay
safe out there and treat each other with caring and respect.
Have a Good
Summer!
