Wow

 Male coming in tonight and this is sure fun, mostly.

Same tonight!

 

Same Bird, 24 Hours Later

 

Curiosity?

Last night the male eagle flew right over my head and landed 20 feet straight up in cottonwood on the beach. He watched, preened his feathers, maybe just curious. The dogs started barking at the big bird, and he finally split after about 10 minutes. What a treat.

Nice Joke

Did anyone else spot the plastic Canada Goose hunting decoy at the top of a snag on the south end of Metcalf Refuge? Only there a week, maybe less, and makes you stop and scratch your head, what is that?

Florence Kids

Yesterday we had a fun program for the kindergarten kids here at Florence Elementary. Our favorite teacher Julia White got this snapshot of students with Portia hooting up an owl, and promising they will go outside this spring and summer. Big day for young Bodie the American Kestrel - her first program and a Superstar,  plus she didn't mind Mischa the Peregrine watching from behind.

Yesterday's Osprey Nests

Local and five or six observed Sunday. Maybe seven, let me count.

More Hammering Woodpeckers

This week the migrating Red-naped Sapsuckers returned with their signature tapping - on the metal sculptures all over the yard. Sapsuckers drum beats start fast and slow down, signature. And resident Northern Flickers in abundance. Seems like someone is always tapping, signaling his territory. No insects inside those creatures.

Minutes Old

Just finished this etching. I spent a week on some Sandhill Cranes on Claybord, scratchboard, cattle markers and cheep Walgreens art material and finally gave up. So cranked this drypoint out the last few days, and tried a few new experiments with the Akua ink. Sharp-shinned Hawk on our power line in the yard. 

Eagle Nest

The eagle nest across the river, constructed in 2011. Watching through the scope in the house and seeing her incubate (?) I guestimated that hatching began yesterday. Today the male flew in with a Columbian ground squirrel and she split to take a little break. Hadn't seen much of him lately and thanks pals-this will be fun!

 

Couple More

 

Northern Harrier

My favorite hawk, and saw six of these today at Lee Metcalf NWR, plus three occupied Osprey nests, seven Red-tails, and a bunch of Turkey Vultures. It's happening NOW!

First Friday!

 Join me and the avian artists at Gallery 709 for our "Birds Are Back" Show! From 5-9 pm tonight, 709 Ronan Street in Missoula just off S. 6th W. and Russell St., then up all month.  

Kate Davis, Sally Hickman, Tom Melhuse, Alan Wikoff, and Tom Zavitz

Disaster Artist

You can't win them all and my latest piece just doesn't work. Sandhill Cranes first on Claybord, then scratchboard yesterday. Scored on the nine pieces before this in the last few months, and number ten is a disaster. I tried every single medium known to womankind including cheap Walgreens’s magic markers, oil pastels, gouache paint, Akua ink, and cattle markers. Even broke one Rapidograph pen tip, expensive experiment for that reason! Time to take a break and working on them all day since Tuesday. Then back at it with something that I know works…like an etching!

Common Merganser

 

New Claybord

The living room = printing studio. Working on this Claybord with major experiments. Akua ink, in the printing press, and then oil pastels, sketching in the cranes with a utility knife. FUN!

Another Sculpture Bird

 

Window Doggies

Watching for those first Ospreys at Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, nest on the far left on the pole.  "Our" neighborhood female Osprey has turned up as of Sunday, reports pal Kathy Price - earliest yet by one day!

Mose!

 No eagle shots Friday evening, but splashing dogs. And yesterday's ZOOM program for Wild Wings Choteau Snow Goose Festival, instead of driving in the snow and wind. That would have been 6 1/2 hours in good weather, and who knows with the winter weather advisory and storm watch.

Norther Flicker

 He pounds away on my metal Pheasant sculpture in the front yard, announcing his territory every spring. Ding ding ding.

Happy Spring

 First day of Spring! However, some major snow on the way so we will have to cancel our keynote engagement at the snow goose festival, Wild Wings of Choteau. Maybe a Zoom (I'll let you know.)

Today! Scratchboard

 

Our Boys

Eagles Sonny the Bald and Nigel the Golden who is 28 years old now! Sonny came to us with adult plumage 13 years ago so age unknown, Nigel was shot when he was 2. They get along just fine when no one is around.

Winter Pintails

Just finished this drypoint etching tonight and another experiment, might still need some touches. These Pintails will be friends forever now. 12" x 9" with lots of colors added to the print. Whew, and now a scratchboard tomorrow, just got a bunch from Blick.

2012

A photo from the first year the near-by nest produced chicks, three fledged, and three times since! She's still sitting tight as viewing from the house and beach is clear of pesky cottonwood leaves, not a problem in the "olden days." Those surrounding trees are growing like weeds...HA!

Eagle-Land

A couple photos from yesterday, fish delivery and female feasting. And I mistakenly reported 4 months since the total knee replacement surgery- actually 10 months and was told in a second-opinion surgeon's visit:  "It could take a year. Could take two. Might never heal." Let's hope it does, eventually. 

Eagle Incubation!

Today the female was nestled in the nest for hours, her mate perched above  (later on about how I can tell them apart.) Anyway, this is the earliest start by one day, so add 35 days for hatching, then three months and voila! Fledging on the 4th of July, usually. This photo is ten years ago in April 2014, the only year that they had one chick. However they did skip breeding for three years from 2018-2020. I watch them through a scope in the living room mornings, then on the beach afternoons. My therapy, and 10 months today since the disastrous knee surgery, the pain keeping me awake at night. Bummer.

Eagle Time

Our view from the yard and that's the nest just above my name. Painting some etchings then heading down with the dogs, and camera of course. I missed a couple great shots this winter when I opted to just bring the "little" camera. One when "batteries exhausted." It haunts me, those images, oh well.

Porcupine Painting

My one-day art piece, and thought I would throw it away about 5 times. Hence the fast scratching through the paint on the Claybord to make a Porcupine. I tried colored pencils, photo coloring pencils, every kind of pastel, oil paint, acrylic, and every magic marker in the house, plus plain old Crayola crayons to color the thing.  Nope. So this will be my image to try on scratchboard next. 

Eagle Neighbor

 

New Etching!

Our Long-eared Owl, Degas, an image I have had in my head for years. Now on Rives BFK paper and painted with gouache and Arteza Brush Pens and tons of printing inks! Next a Porcupine painting on Claybord.

 

Floating By

 

See the Eagle and Mose?

Last Evening

 

Leadership Bitterroot

Return of the Chamber of Commerce in Hamilton, twice as many attendees this time and fun. However, you should see our poor muddy driveway now, man o man. We are shopping for a "fix" to the whole driveway this spring or summer.

Home Sweet Home Today

 

Nico at Metcalf NWR

 Nico loves going for rides, Mose not so much, and this one at Metcalf Refuge down the road. About half-way done etching the PETG plastic for the new art piece - a Long-eared Owl, what fun. Goal is to start printing tomorrow or Thursday.

Red-tails and Bald Eagle

  I think my computer woes are over (for now) so a couple photos from this weekend.

Internet-Photoshop Problems, but Now!

Finally getting back and just finished this painting today. I kept saying to Tom every evening all week, “Finishing the Moose tomorrow.” This took until now and calf moose in our back yard, image from many years ago and always in my head. He had a big run in the slough, photo from later that summer:

This painting is 14" x 11" on Claybord, pen & ink, Aqua printing inks, Arteza Brush Pens, finger painting inks and scratching with a utility blade, totally making it up as I go along. Another etching next..Kestrel I think, so much fun now.  T

Sunday Eagles

Down at the river, pre-Superbowl.