There are some great opportunities when we have a cold, snowy week, especially if the camera's handy and the bird feeder is full. Seeing a Pileated Woodpecker is a major event, and this week he flew under the upper deck to feed less than three feet from my studio door. Needless to say, I didn't get much painting done that day or the next. In the second photo of him, there's a hungry starling quietly waiting his turn. Normally they are very obnoxious and aggressive birds, but the size of this woodpecker has him beat.
Soon a Flicker joined the troops feeding outside the door. She's been back a lot and is extremly cautious. At first she fed at the seed feeder, but then decided the suet feeder would be a great dessert. She was willing to take on the Red Belly Woodpecker who visits us often. They flitted and danced around the suet feeder, then the flicker wanted it all to herself. She won.
The yellow under her wings was breathtaking, and the red on the Red Belly Woodpecker was more pronounced when he was in flight. Later the Red Belly returned to finish dessert. And I was happy with many, many pictures to download and work into future paintings. Oh, to capture the excitement of it all in a painting.......
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10 comments:
Sandy, these are beautiful birds and beautiful pictures. Thank you for showing them to us. If someone can capture that excitement on paper, it's you!
cool!!!
I saw your work on 20 min challenge and loved the sunglass one ... also these bird's paintings r beautiful
Lucky catch! You have fabulous photos of the birds.
The Pileated woodpecker is wonderful. I don't think we have them here, but we do have the Northern Flicker at the suet feeder every day and I love their colouring, esp. that shot of yellow under the wings.
Love your 20 min challenges - so free.
Birds seem to be quite popular for posts of late but slighly envious of the species of birds that attend your bird table/feeder. Great photos.
WOW! I want to come to your house and see these!!! Have you dug out yet? Are you ready for more snow Sunday/Monday? Should we catch the next plane south - no, wait, they are having snow, too!!! UGH!!! But you're right, there is beauty if one can sit and wait and see it when it comes :) Thanks for sharing.
Omg...what a treat, Sandy! Wonderful photos, as well.:)
Wow! talk about impressive birds. That would keep my interest for an afternoon too. These will make exciting paintings.
great woodpeckers! I had my first Yellow-shafted Flicker at Christmas so cool!
Hi y'll, today was even better for the birds, with a huge hawk landing on the rainling of the deck. I had my camera in hand, but it was gone too fast. It missed the starling it was after.
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