WoodSong

Kirtland’s Warbler Festival - A Celebration of Nature

Cindy — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:59:29 +0000

For several years my hubby and I volunteered at the annual Kirtland’s Warbler festival, held in neighboring Roscommon County. I usually helped out at Joe Rogers rehab presentation and Garry helped little tykes bait their hooks at the fishing pond. This is wonderful festival, that celebrates not only the Kirtland’s Warbler, but many other birds- members are on hand from the Michigan Bluebird Society, Michigan Loon Presevation Associatiion and many more, to educate visitors on the wonderful avifauna we have in Michigan and ways we can help preserve, protect and enjoy them. They have hands-on exhibits and tours that take birders out into the protected breeding grounds of the rare and still endangered warblers. (We’ve never done the tours ourselves, as we did counts in the past and know right where their stronghold is located.)

I received an email from my good friend Durwood Coffey this evening and was thrilled to learn he’s the featured artist! I wish we could attend, but my mother is flying in this weekend for a long-overdue visit .. But if you happen to be in the area, as a few of the readers here are, go check it out. Stop by Durwoods’ exhibit and enjoy this celebration of birds and nature- you’ll be more than glad you did :)

Jelly-heads

Cindy — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:26:45 +0000

At least that’s what I fondly call Baltimore Orioles, a few of which I photographed today- we have over 2 dozen adult males, females and a few immatures here now scarfing orange halves and grape jelly down like crazy.. such animated sugar-buzzed birds :)

Out There

Cindy — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:06:06 +0000

We had a most beautiful visitor today- one we haven’t seen on our property for way too long. The oddity is Evening Grosbeaks travel in large mixed focks, but this bright fella is alone. I don’t usually take feeder images, but I’m still very weak - it was grand just to see him and hear his garbled notes- unlike their relatives, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Evenings don’t have what you’d call a definite song- but I certainly dont hold that against them :) He was still out there at dusk, splitting sunflower seeds like the seed-cracking pro he is.

So much actitity that my head was spinning.. dozens of spring azure butterflies flitting over large whie trilliums and a few forget -me-nots.. the ongoing battles between the 3 red-headeds with a y.b. sapsucker joing in the chase- a lone racoon feeding side by side next to the wood duck pair.. swainson’s thrush at the pond where an unidentfied dragonfly basked on the sun-warmed slate stones.. a bold male hummer nectaring beside me on the deck as a large lumbering bumble bee searched for pollen.. baltimore oroles gathering nest materials and the loud yodels of loons from the lake.. spritely american tree sparrows scratching next to wild columbines as a small flock of palm warblers wag their tails from nearby braches overhead..indigo butings seeking shelter in the spruce where a few ruby-crowned kinglets are gleaning unseen insects, but not before I gasp at their iridescent plumage. Then the unmistakable winnowing of an american woodcock as it displayed.. unseen but not unheard. I didn’t want to go back inside. Ever.

But.. despite the chill, my windows are cracked so I can still listen for flying squirrels and owl talk- part of me is always out there.. it’s where I live and breathe. Deeply.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Cindy — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:04:37 +0000

‘With colors of red, black and white-
Striking at rest- striking in flight’

Two males are having a territorial battle out back today.. this is the most aggressive of all woodpeckers. They glow in the bright sun as the fallout of wingeds continues..the greatest show on earth.. and then some.

Fallout

Cindy — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:10:16 +0000

We’ve had a HUGE fallout of migrants today- among the 17 ‘new’ arrivals I’ve heard/seen so far arriving on strong south-westerly warm winds (the best for pushing birds northward) is my most favorite bird - our first male Ruby-throated hummingbird. He’s drinking nectar, I’m happy dancing.

Ahh, just heard an Ovenbird and dashed into the kitchen where I spotted a Black-throated Blue warbler on the same branch as an adult American Redstart.. both singing! that makes 19. The trees are just dripping with birds. Each one is just gorgeous, and they’re feeding, scolding, bathing and singing so loud, all at once. Auditory overload :)

Appreciating Beauty

Cindy — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:55:23 +0000

I receive numerous image usage reqests weekly, which is a given for anyone with a nature photography site online. I’m not big on self-promotion but many buyers, authors, event promoters, and artists etc. stumble onto my website via websearches. My site isn’t half finished yet since my latest medical relapse, but enough is up that generates plenty of interest to keep me on my toes. I always appreciate the requests because in reality, many use my images without asking permission. I don’t post large files online for this reason.

I received a request for one of my most popular images of an eastern chipmunk recently- and as I always do if possible, I checked out the website in the included link. This was a bit different- the artist is a woodburner, a master at her own craft of pyrography. Julies’ work is simply amazing. Her passion for her work is evident, as it is with anyone who puts their heart and soul into their creations, no matter what meduim they choose to use. She says so eloquently:

“My art is a combination of left and right brain, heat and wood, a reconnection of past and present, finding passion and purpose in life everyday. It’s about appreciating beauty and celebrating life; it is an outlet for my creativity and a tribute to living in the moment, while cherishing the fond memories of the past.”

Visit her galleries. Beauty is best experienced when shared :)

Joy

Cindy — Sun, 04 May 2008 03:02:59 +0000

BIRD SONG
Laura E. Richards

The robin sings of willow-buds,
Of snowflakes on the green;
The bluebird sings of Mayflowers,
The crackling leaves between;
The veery has a thousand tales
To tell to girl and boy;
But the oriole, the oriole,
Sings, “Joy! joy! joy!”

The pewee calls his little mate,
Sweet Phoebe, gone astray,
The warbler sings,
“What fun, what fun,
To tilt upon the spray!”
The cuckoo has no song, but clucks,
Like any wooden toy;
But the oriole, the oriole,
Sings, “Joy! joy! joy!”

The grosbeak sings the rose’s birth,
And paints her on his breast;
The sparrow sings of speckled eggs,
Soft brooded in the nest.
The wood-thrush sings of peace, “Sweet peace,
Sweet peace,” without alloy;
But the oriole, the oriole,
Sings “Joy! joy! joy!”

They’re back :)

Month of the Planting Moon

Cindy — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:35:59 +0000

“Trees are the earths’ endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.”
(Rabindranath Tagore)

It’s hard to believe we’re already into May, yikes. We made another long and tiresome trip to Ann Arbor earlier in the week, and I wish I’d at least stuck my small Canon g6 in my purse. There’s not much I enjoy about crowded suburbia downstate, but the flowering ornamental trees and bulb flowers were resplendant and so full of bright colors. Our area dogwoods are at their peak now and are being hammered by winds and rains, so I’m glad we took a short drive down a few area trails to view them yesterday. While scoping out an area lake for trumpeter swans, I heard our first eastern meadowlark and enjoyed a swamp sparrow as he scolded me good for parking too close.

Like clockwork a beautiful male rose-breasted grosbeak appeared at the feeders today. We lost quite a bit of flora to a few hard freezes, so a trip to the greenhouse is in order soon - pretty sure we saw a r.t. hummingbird darting across a trail lare in the afternoon, so it’s time to get nectar, flowers and oranges out for our new guests very soon.
Appreciate all of the recent emails.. my ‘to answer’ folder overfloweth :)

Flower Power

Cindy — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:15:53 +0000

‘The earth smiles in flowers.’

Most, if not all of these beauties are now up, or at least their leaves are popping through the leaf litter- yellow wildfowers are the first to show, then whites. I photographed most of these on our property, or very close to home..our growing season is short but oh so sweet. No special techiques used, I don’t re-arrange blossoms or leaves nor carry mist bottles.. all in natural light, no cloths or diffusers, etc etc.. I let nature and available light do the work :)

Our property is teeming with Yellow-rumped warblers and many others today- two male Northern flickers are having a very vocal dispute on on our now green grass and the air is so rich with birdsong…

more colors to follow soon..

Hey baaaay- bee!

Cindy — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:22:47 +0000

Our resident American goldfich males once again look like little bright lemon drops- their songs are a constant each day outside my bedroom widow.. they’re gorgeous in their breeding plumage.

Lots of avain activity this week- b.c. chickadees are now nesting in one of our baffled nestboxes and the woodpecker tribe is displaying and banging away on metal objects to attract mates.They’re trying to out-drum each other. Sandhills have been passing over nightly by the moonlight as have many other species.

Garry saw his first timberdoodle of the season while up in the hills with Feeb yesterday- running her is off limits though for now during the breeding season. He also saw a probable first year black bear on a two-track trail. It beat feet pretty fast. I hope they stay away from our feeders this yerae- it’ll be oranges and grape jelly season soon.

Had a 3 owl night last evening- two great-horneds calling and a barred spooked behind the garage late when Garry went out- it landed only 20 feet away untl it made a kill. Hopefully they’ll fair well this year despite west nile virus being a reality.