Shootin' Birds

A new painting which is not entirely new.  It was a painting which I was not totally happy with because it was too overwhelmingly yellow--school bus yellow.  I decided that I just had to "finish" it and this is the result.  Not much difference in composition just color changes.

Time to reflect lets us see things, even a painting, in a more objective way.


It is also the time of the year when the birds are starting the reproductive season in their lives.  A most interesting time, which with our warm winter, seems to be starting early this year.  My favorite place to see this happening is at The Alligator Farm down in St. Augustine.  I happily accepted an invitation to accompany good friends and fellow photographers, Stephan and Jo-Ann on such an adventure.  The entrance to The Farm is always a treat as it visually is a very pretty place with attractive plants included in their landscape, and a wide variety of birds and monkeys, all in addition to the many types of gators and crocs and other critters who reside there.  A visually exciting greeting once inside the gate were two of my favorite tropicals, a Pitcher Plant and a Bird of Paradise, in full bloom. 


Next on the agenda, soon after you enter the park is another rare and exotic gator, beautiful Albino Alligators.  They are both rare and exotic.  They are only found in Southern Louisiana.  They are kept underneath a roof to protect their delicate white skin from sunburn.  Usually the big female is in this enclosure but since this is mating season she may be out on a date with a handsome pale gentleman.  The Alligator Farm is permitted to do breeding programs with several of the endangered critters they keep in their Park.  These gators are part of that breeding program.


I stroll onto the boardwalk where according to Stephan, who had been down the week prior, we should find lots of birds.  It would seem there were certainly lots of alligators as they were feeding them from the feeding platform when we arrived.  The water was "jam up and jelly tight" with gators all watching and hoping for a treat.  There was a lot of dogfood-like pellet chow thrown into the pool but the more prized treats were several large dead rats which were tossed into the mob below.  There was really a feeding frenzy when those special "rat" treats were thrown into the fray. 




As I walked on down the boardwalk over the alligator pond I couldn't help but think how interesting the reflections of the trees were with the alligator laying in the middle of them.  I especially loved the way his head was outlined with the reflected white and black reflection of a slight water ripple.


Reaching the end of the boardwalk where there should have been a hundred big white birds, we found only a few.  Very strange.  We began to ask around from some of the other photographers what had happened to the birds.  We found out that the birds had flown away after workers came in to do some work, some of which involved a chain saw.  Well that explained that.  But there were still some of the Great White Egrets working on nest building and getting ready for mating.




A few of the other birds which were still hanging around included the the Black and the Yellow Crowned Night Herons. This Yellow Crowned Night Heron was busy napping his afternoon away.  They actually do hunt in the daytime too but mostly I have observed them just sleeping, with a quick glance now and then when they hear the camera shutter click.


Only a few of the many, many Woodstorks which will eventually arrive were there.  They are the largest of the birds which nest in the rookery and are America's only Stork.


I really like palms which are left natural without the pruning to remove their petticoats.  This is how they appear if left to their own ways.  There is a similar one on the way home from the gallery which I see each day as I make that trip.  So many trees are pruned into being something they are not as in Crepe Myrtles.  It is called "the murder of the Myrtles".  I thought it was funny a couple of weeks ago, that a class was announced at the local Lowe's on how to "properly" prune a Crepe Myrtle, and then the same weekend their landscape crew came in and butchered their own plantings of Crepe Myrtles doing exactly what the class instructor was saying "don't do".  The girl who works in the plant department was livid.


But the Great White Egret was perfect and regal looking as usual.  The mating season brings on the beautiful long land lacy plumage for which they were once killed in great numbers.


This fellow was busy building his nest getting ready to have a nice new home for a young family with room to expand.  You can see the green lores starting to show up on his face also a sign of mating season.


Since there were not that many birds I head off to check out other areas of the park.  The Reptile building houses several interesting and varied snakes.  Besides some very, very large ones, there is the King Cobra, which I find interesting and yet unnerving to only be inches away from this deadly fellow.  Do you know that it is believed over 50,000 people die from snake bites in India and Bangladesh each year.  From this vantage point I can closely examine the intricate patterns in his body and head.  My favorite snake, who is always in this symmetrically draped position, is the wonderful bright green snake in the photograph.  I had to ask where he was because he had been moved from a small glassed cubical to a large more natural environment shared with two other of the really big snakes.  It looked like the female Monitor Lizard was the only one in residence (I know "Lizzard" is not correct but I'm sure you remember our adoptee Lewis Lizzard from last year).  I am not sure where the much larger male is.



I exited out the other side of the Reptile building to see some very active shenannegins by this colorful Cassowary.  This is a very large bird and from head to foot probably stands almost as tall as me.  He seemed to have a thing, whether love or hate I am not sure, for the park worker who was just leaving the area.  The big bird seemed to be trying to get to him in a very agitated state of mind.  In a few minutes the worker came back and he said he wasn't sure what the deal was but that the bird was all about wanting to get with him and follows him everywhere when he is nearby.  Could be the feeding routine.

I crossed over to the African section and found these guys also following one of the zoo keepers.  Food was the motivation in this case and maybe that was the reason for the other.


An exciting nesting is taking place there as well as one of the Buzzards has laid an egg.  One of the other females is looking on as mom stands up to turn her egg.  She glares at the girlfriend when she looks a bit too closely.  The Daddy is sitting up on the nearby snag.


There were four parrots out but the one in the center was the star of the show.  They are sitting out on natural perches unrestrained.  Parrots are very intelligent and this one began to interact with me as I talked to it.


It began to dance for me when I talked to it, prancing and swaying back and forth.  A very fun and unexpected interaction. We even got the attention of a little girl nearby who also came over to enjoy the show.  


An Angels Trumpet bloomed wildly through the fence back at the Alligator pond. They are a very beautiful flower and an easy one to grow from cuttings.


By now some of the birds are starting to settle back into the trees.  Some Roseate Spoonbills are flying on top of the tree we used to call The Woodstork Tree.  However, last year the Woodstorks moved over to other trees it was primarily used by the Great Whites.


Its always a challenge to try to catch a bird in flight.  Once in a great while I actually am able to do that.  The flight of these big birds is very beautiful to watch with variations in the species in the way they hold their heads, feet and flight patterns.  The way these great wingspans can catch and seemingly hold the flight form in midair gives you a chance to really see how graceful their flight is.



It was an overcast day and as an artist I love the patterns of light from the sun which makes me different from serious photographers who love the unbroken image of an overcast day to not have the sun patterns on their subject, but I am an artist, a painter, and artists love the play of light on their canvas.



But in either case the mating dance is a beautiful sight as it begins by this fellow as he bows and gracefully reaches his long neck skyward all the while spreading his feathers to show off for, and to attract the females attention.


Toward the back of the pond almost out of reach of my lens is what I call the swimming hole where the birds, especially the White Ibis, like to gather and bathe.  It may be that it is an area, because of the downed trees and underbrush, in which they are protected from the Gators in the main part of the pond.  A young Little Blue Heron who has yet to acquire his blue color wades in front.  His dark bluish looking bill tells me this is not one of the egrets.


With time running out for visiting hours in the park suddenly Jo-Ann yells out the word "incoming" which is the cue to all of us to look skyward.  And 'incoming' it was, -the birds return in great numbers to their favorite place as the calm of the park returns without tourists and chainsaws to mess with their comfort zone.


The trees suddenly fill with what had been missing all afternoon.


In a matter of minutes the trees begin to look like they are decorated for Christmas, adorned with lots of white ornaments.


There were a greater number than usual of the Little Blue Heron, one of my favorites.  The youngster from the swimming pool area joined this fellow so maybe it last year's offspring.


There were lots of the White Ibis although they never seem to nest here.  I wonder where that happens.


This old snag is a favorite perch for all of the bird species.  They seem to take turns getting this birds eye view of the park.  It becomes a "King of the Hill" type of game when the youngsters, later in the season, vie to see who gets the best spots.


All the photographers hedge their time a bit and wait snapping photos until the park worker comes to personally say it is time to leave (as if we didn't really know that).  It is just a few minutes to squeak out a few more shots with no one in the park but you.  We all appreciate the gift of about 15 minutes after closing time alone with the birds.  Today it was just five of us some who have come from far away.  One fellow from the Midwest says he comes every year to "Shoot the Birds".


Now the birds and the gators can have their park back.  Now it is their world only.


The clouds had finally broken up, allowing some light and a tiny patch of blue as one straggler makes his way and becomes my final shot before turning to the exit gates.  Another good day of shooting birds has drawn to a close but hopefully as the season progresses into nesting, hatching and juvenile's I will get to return for more rounds of shooting.

Beachcombing Again

"It" is finished, -done.  Adding Dragonflies was the last bit to be done.  Keep in mind this is a 6 foot wide painting which is why it has taken me so long to get it finished.  As my sister commented today when she saw it, "There's a lot going on in that."  And I said "Yeah, there is". 

I started the drawing onto the canvas just after Labor Day.  I didn't work on it every day but in spurts, as time restraints of running a gallery allow.  I also stopped long enough to paint an abstract watercolor to enter in the Jacksonville Watercolor Show, (bringing home a 2nd Place Award, so it was time well spent).

But it's finally come together.  One more coat of varnish and it is ready to go to its new home.  Now I am ready if the weather holds, to take a day and just go fishing.

And along the edge of my favorite fishing hole, the Atlantic ocean, I took a stroll just before the DST change over, which makes it impossible to go after work, and after one of our several Nor'easters.  I found lots and lots of shells.  Some I put back in the water because the inhabitants were still alive.  The resident of this shell was not alive, but had living shellfish attached.  There are two kinds of Pen Shells in our area, and this one, without rough ridges is the Sawtooth.  The other with 15 rows of horny ridges is called the Rigid Pen Shell.

This lovely Channeled Whelk was quite alive, so it was tossed back into the sea.

Walking allows a better encounter with the birds, because of the ability to get closer than was possible with my noisy old beach buggy.  I just got news recently that the Park has inherited a broken ATV, which they were able to repair, so it looks like I may get my wish and be able to ride the ATV next Spring.  It is so much easier on the beach environment to ride this kind of vehicle.  Of course the top on the buggy was nice when the weather was bad, especially Nor'easters with the blowing sand.

Here are a couple of the varieties of birds, especially the Black skimmer, which we don't usually have on our Park beach in the summer.  I do see them mid island.  There was one very big fellow in the group.  I believe this is a juvenile Greater Black Backed Gull which is the largest of the gulls.  Not totally sure on this, but the Lesser Black Backed Gulls, one of which it might be, do not winter over here.  He could just be heading South.  When fully mature, its color will be the traditional white underneath but with a very black back.

There were piles and piles of shells and interesting pieces of driftwood.  The light was sinking low, giving the translucent Pen Shells a special glow.  It looks like both kinds of Pen shells laying together.

This pile hosted a variety of species of shell with the prettiest, the Cockle shell, lying here with its hinge still intact.  Lots of pretty pinks, oranges, and even lavenders are in the mix.

Another pile of drift wood and Pen Shells washed with the warm late afternoon sunshine.

Looking back toward the pier, you can see the first line of the piles of shells.  There was another line further up, left over from the really bad Nor'easter in the middle of September.  That is where the coolest driftwood was left.  It was being picked over by other beach driftwood collectors.  Of course what appeals to me are the small intricately shaped ones which other people would overlook.

I had never thought to stop by the overlook in the Park to catch the Lighthouse while it had its light beaming out across the way.  A beacon to warn shippers and mark the pathway for them to enter the channel and the port.  It is still very much a working Lighthouse.

Even in this light, the Rock Tenn Plant looks interesting.  A new thought about the problem with the sea turtles, and these lights this year, is that so many of the other problem lights have been corrected with proper "Turtle" lights, that these are now showing up comparitively brighter than they once did.

Especially after a stormy sea, I like to look for fossils which have washed up.  The long piece I had hoped would be a Saber Tooth Tiger's tooth but Lisa says it is just a deer antler was still a nice find.  Much more fun for me to look for Turtle shells and Sting Ray mouth plates than sharks teeth.  The bottom piece is part of a Pond Turtle's shell.  I'm not sure what the large bone fragment on the top is but I believe it is part of a fair-sized  sea-going animal's vertebra.

Having not read the paper, I was surprised to see a parade outside my front door.  I was puzzled at first trying to think what its significance was, but then I realized it was the Homecoming Parade for Fernandina Beach High School.

The kids had much fun, it looks like, making this float.  Fun to watch the youth of our community.  Such young faces.

One of the prettiest booths at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays, is this booth with it bounty of organically grown vegetables and beautiful bouquets of flowers.  These were so artfully arranged that I couldn't resist getting a shot of it.

Zinnia's are one of my favorite flowers and I am always trying to grow them, usually unsuccessfully.  Those bouquets usually include Sunflowers also, but I didn't notice them this time, maybe it was too late in the season.

Saturday before last was the Veteran's Day Parade (almost a week early) honoring those who served in the military.  Our friends and one of the Park Rangers, Frank, brings his old Army truck to the parade.

There were many veterans in the group with the number of WWII slowly diminishing.  I salute you all.

These guys were a mystery to me.  I could tell they were vets but wasn't sure what the Rats were all about.  So, I did some investigating.  They are part of the National Order of the Trench Rats.  It is a secret organization open only to those who are disabled veterans, so now you know.  They are looking for men and women who qualify to join up.  So there you are.

There were several dogs in the parade who were up for adoption, and this fellow was also up for adoption, but this pretty one was watching, not walking in the parade.  My friend Fran Clark does fostering and rescue for her favorite breed of dog, the Australian Shepherds, one of my favorites also.  If I had not sworn off having pets I would have certainly been up for taking this one home.

They are very smart dogs but need to be kept where their instinct for herding, especially cars, won't get them in trouble.  This beauty is a smaller breed of them, and although he looked like a youngster, he was full grown at a year.  This one is a 'special needs' doggie though, as it is deaf.  You would have to communicate through sign language.  Already she knows several of the signals.  I bet you can't keep from talking to her.

A young mom and her son are watching the parade and waving at them all.  As a mother of boys I am sure she is secretly wondering in her heart, "Will my boy want to be a soldier?".

Leave it to the "Beyond Taboo" Tatoo Parlor to have a very funky vehicle in the parade.  The things that catch a guy's eye...

One of my favorite Pirate wenches stopped by to say Hi and report a new job.  Cindy is mom to Austin and Britney who often show up in my photos and came to live here, indirectly from my taking them under my wing, when they were camped in the park.

I had to make a trip to St. Augustine for the Jacksonville Watercolor Society's Fall Show.  I was told I needed to be there, which means I won something.  The mystery mounted as they called all the names out in reverse order starting with the lesser awards, on up to the top.  I was expecting an Honorable mention but that came and went without my name being called.  Finally there were only two awards left the Silver and the Gold.  I didn't win the Gold but I was proud to accept the Silver and second place.  On the trip back I barely made the ferry.  I hopped out of the car to photograph the pelicans which were gathering nearby.  One of the pelicans looks like a ballplayer with a big chew of tobacco in his jaw.

In a few minutes I found out what it was, as up and out it came.  I think it must have picked up a freshly filleted fish, hopefully without a hook still in; looks like a Flounder, because it doesn't look as if it is intact.  Whatever it was, Mr. Pelican obviously bit off more than he could swallow and had to spit it out to try another approach.  The ferry left before I learned how he resolved the problem.    It is good to think of being back out on the beach and seeing the birds.  Lots to see with birds we don't usually have visiting for the winter.  I am anxious to see the White Pelicans but usually that is done from a boat as they are pretty reclusive.  I am ready to get back out there and if the weather if good, then tomorrow may be the day.  Of course, with my gimped up knee, and Fran, my fishing buddy's gimped up foot, we are having to think of a different course of action.  We have lightened our load dramatically but still you have to have some things and carrying them on the sand is tough. Maybe the bridge or the pier will let us just sit and fish without too much walking or toting.  Lets hope I can. And so, the sun sets on another story of nature and island life. Some sunsets are so photogenic they don't need anything else.