More Bird Photos

Yesterday I headed back to the coastal trail to see if the shorebirds have started arriving yet. Like a dummy I forgot to consult a tide chart before going. It is important to time a visit to the mudflats for high tide. Otherwise the shorebirds will be too far away because they tend to stay near the water.
There were no Sandhill Cranes in view yesterday, but I got so many good photos of them last week, so I'll include some of those photos here.

Cranes of all species tend to be amoung the most majestic of all birds. Most species of cranes around the world are in varying degrees of peril. Some are critically endangered. Sandhill Crane populations are stable, and healthy overall.

I'm not sure just how many species of crane there are worldwide. I can think of about ten species. There are probably no more than about fifteen species altogether. Would'nt it be nice to be able to see them all in their natural habitat? Dream on. The only crane species I have seen are the Sandhills, Grey-crowned Cranes in Uganda, and two Whooping Cranes in New Mexico.

Yesterday I saw lots of Hudsonian Godwits from a distance. This photo was taken last spring.

I also saw only one Gadwall at Spenard Crossing yesterday. This photo was also shot last spring.

The goldeneyes were still at Spenard Crossing yesterday. These Common Goldeneyes were engaged in constant courtship display. Thy will pair up, and disperse soon to find tree hollows for nesting along local rivers and lakes.

There was still ice covering about half of Westchester Lagoon. That did'nt stop the drake goldeneyes from pursuing the hens. There was a constant noise of cracking and grinding ice as it rapidly melted. The temperatures were about ten degrees cooler yesterday than they were the previous week.

In the open water part of Westcheter, I saw this Common Loon. For reasons that I don't understand, loons are seldom seen on Westchester. It would be nice to see that change.

One last chickadee photo from last week. I'll be going back soon to see what new things show up.

300

It's MayDay, a perfect time to put up my 300th blog post. I'm sorry for blogging so much. I never intended to be so prolific, but this thing is a perfect opportunity to make a record of my life history when I would never keep a journal or write an autobiography.
The painting above, In the Dawn Mist, 16x20" has been published widely by Wildwings, and I hope they keep doing it.

This painting, The Untamed Land, 16x20", was purchased by a European bank. I think it was Barclays. I wish they would collect some more of my artwork.

I forget the title and size of this painting of Tufted Puffins. I gave it to Dr. Harrison, who saved my eyesight some years ago. I will forever be grateful.

This is one of the first paintings I did after moving to Alaska in 1997. It sold right away.

Another of my early Alaska paintings. I was very impressed by the lush summer vegetation all around my house in Eagle River. This is a terrible photograph, but the painting looked fine. It is a Snowshoe Hare.

This is probably the only Bluethroat that I have painted. Bluethroats are an Old World species, but a few of them breed in Western Alaska every summer. This painting is 8x10" I should do another one.

This 16x20" Caribou painting was given to Dr. Swanson, who was the partner of Dr. Harrison, between the two of them, they performed 19 eye surgeries of various kinds to save me from complete blindness. My eyesight is terrible none the less. At least I can still paint with the aid of a magnifying visor. My color accuity is not what it once was. It sure beats total blindness.

This little Golden-crowned Kinglet was made into a limited edition print. It was one of the few print series that sold out completely. Those were the good old days.

This 16x20" wolf painting sits in Treasure Art Gallery in Sedona Az. I hope that it eventually sells. I think it's a good painting. The mountains in the background are the mountains above Eagle River. Part of the Chugach range.

Easily one of my best paintings, Palmer Hay Flats, 24x48". Right now is the time to see migrating Snow Geese on Palmer Hay Flats, about 40 miles from here.

Big Changes in a Week's Time

Last Thursday I went back to Spenard Crossing, Westchester and the Coastal Trail. There was plenty of ice, and only one Trumpeter Swan at Spenard Crossing.

There are at least three sub-species of Lesser Canada Geese that show up in Anchorage. Some are very small with very short necks. Some also have white rings around the base of their necks. You can see the size differences between these resting geese.

Today, (Thursday) was the warmest day of the year so far, 57f. I went back to the same places that I went to last week. Stuff was melting rapidly. The photo above shows the rotting ice around Fish Creek. The ice turns dirty brown as it melts because dust and soot trapped in the snow and ice over the course of the Winter gets concentrated in the shrinking ice. It was still mostly white last week.

The snow and ice was gone from parts of the mud flats, and there were lots of geese feeding there.

Amoung the new arrivals was a pair of Sandhill Cranes on the mud flats. They are one of the most highly anticipated species along the coastal trail.

These cranes were in a different part of the mud flats than where I usually see them. They were close to the trail and in good light until some fools let their dogs run loose. I was not happy. This is a wildlife refuge where dogs are supposed to be on leashes.

Meanwhile at Spenard Crossing, nearly all of the ice was gone. Along with the Common Goldeneyes, there were a few pairs of Barrow's Goldeneyes the male above. Shovelers and Buffleheads were other new arrivals.

A sleeping Red-necked Grebe.

The Bald Eagle was back in it's customary tree near Westchester Lagoon. All is right with the world.

I usually ignore Black-capped Chickadees but migratory passerines have'nt arrived yet so there's not many small birds to photograph.

They are a bit challenging to photograph when they are not visiting a bird feeder.

Greater Yellowlegs, 8x10". I first painted this in 1999. Over the years I sent it to two different art galleries and placed it in numerous art shows. It never sold. Darn it, this is a good painting and it does'nt deserve to be painted over.
A few days ago I added the grass in the foreground and updated  the year next to my signature.
The only shore birds I saw today were a few Greater Yellowlegs. The main push of shorebirds will be here in about another week. I can hardly wait.

Pika n' Stuff

The latest painting, Collared Pika, 8x10". There are two species of pika that I know about in North America, and other species in Europe. A cute painting but a little boring.

This photo I shot a few years ago at Independence Mine near Hatcher Pass, is the only reference photo that I used for the painting.

This is the only other pika painting that I can remember doing. It is also 8x10", and based on a different photo of the same pika from Independence Mine. It languished in a gallery for a few years until they sent it back. Oh well. I like it too much to paint over it.

To flesh out this post a little more, I'll add photos of some more old paintings. This is a 16x20", Trumpeter Swan painting. I hate the gnarled trunk in the foreground. I sold the painting anyway.

American Dipper, 16x20". I think that this is the only dipper I have painted. I like it well enough, although it is a strange composition. I'm glad that also it sold.

Another painting that sold easily. It's a 6x4" Rock Ptarmigan. I know that I should do more miniatures like this.

This was an odd sized comission for a retired couple who were leaving Alaska. They seemed pleased with the painting. Not so sure that I am.

12x16", Speckled Tanager from Costa Rica. One of the tropical paintings that I was able to sell in Gary's Homer gallery, The sea Lion.

The Stately Birds

This is a detail of the painting that has kept me busy for the last week or so. Know what it is?

Another of the birds in the painting. These are the Alaska state birds. Hence the title of this post.

This is the full painting, The Stately Birds, 16x20". They are Willow Ptarmigan in Fall plummage. I always have high expectations for my paintings when I start on them, and I'm almost invariably disappointed by the results when the painting is completed. I'm not terribly let down with this one.

This is an old 18x24" Golden Eagle painting. During a moment of discouragement, I painted over this one. I probably should'nt have acted so rashly. The following paintings also came to an unfortunate end.

Another old, 24x18" Golden Eagle painting. Either I painted over this one, or gave it away. I can't remember.

A real departure from my usual subject matter. This 11x14" Alaska native village was stolen from me along with about 15 other paintings. I was'nt too devastated because I already had a large inventory of unsold artwotk.

I spent a lot of time painting this 24x36" canvas of a Wolf with Mt. Mckinley in the background. At first I was pleased with it. Over time I started to hate it more and more. Eventually I painted over it. Too bad.

Another doomed painting that got recycled. This 16x20" Canada Goose composition deserves a better effort.

Two Days in the Sun

After the snowiest winter ever, more than 11ft in Anchorage, 40ft in other places, we have had bright sunshine for about 5 days. I got to spend some quality time outdoors yesterday and today. The photo above shows Scott Christy above the Matanuska River near Palmer yesterday afternoon.

Another view of the Matanuska River Valley, looking in the opposite direction. It was hard to photograph because of the blinding, white light.

Scott, Jean and I played around Palmer, went to dinner there, then a Matsu Bird club meeting. Afterward we went in search of a male Eurasian Widgeon that was reported at the meeting. We got to the area at around 9:30 pm. It was just getting dark. This is Pioneer Peak above.

The only real sign of Spring around here is the open water, and the presence of waterfowl, like the Trumpeter Swans on the far right. See them? There were some American, and one Eurasian Widgeon in the water as well. The Eurasian Widgeon is my third lifer for the year.

There are 7 swans in this photo. See them all?

One last bird before dark, a Bald Eagle. The trees will not start to leaf out for about another month.

Today was too nice to stay indoors and work, so I visited Westchester Lagoon and Spenard Crossing. The Common Goldeneyes were once again very photogenic. This time with stronger light.

They are just too cute.

I could hardly hope for a better photo op.

This female Common Merganser was also being exceptionally cooperative.

Most of the ducks were the ubiquitous Mallards, but there were a few Pintails. Other ducks that I saw but did'nt photograph were some Greenwings, a scaup, a widgeon, and a male Canvasback. There were gulls and one swan, plus several Canada Geese.

Camera shy.