Bird Portraits
Growing up I fished in the Michigan wilderness with my uncles all through the 60's. When I moved back to Michigan in 2017, my wife asked me to paint some fish for our walls.
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Baltimore Oriole & Young
I will never forget the morning in MN that I was awaked before five a.m. and I looked over and saw outside my bedroom window this beautiful oriole holding onto the screen. I built them a birdhouse and they would come join me on the patio and they would eat grape jelly and mealworms off a plate next to me.
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Male and Female Bluebird
Bluebirds are becoming harder and harder to find, but I discovered that if I built a house according to the dimensions of the ornithology, they would come. I was thrilled to see bluebirds raising their young both in MI and MN.
Red Robin & young
I grew up on a farm in Jasper, MI, and the red robin always greeted us as we started on our morning chores. They seemed to know that they were welcome, and sang their songs as we were moving about them.
Chickadee
One of my greatest thrills was having chickadees become comfortable with me in the garden and they would come and eat out of my hands. I would speak softly to them, and they would return time and time again to the take the seeds I offered.
Red Headed Woodpecker
This woodpecker is becoming more rare because of deforestation. While birdwatching in Michigan I discovered this incredible creature, who visited several times while building a home in Suttons Bay.
Goldfinches
Beautiful bright bursts of color in the sky with a thrilling trill to accompany them. Goldfinches’ bright colors herald the arrival of spring.
Female Cardinal
I remember watching a male cardinal picking up a seed and placing it in the mouth of the female. The female has a delicate beauty that goes beyond the vividity of the male. I was fascinated watching her come daily to feed.
Snowy Owl
The snowy owl has one of the largest wingspans among North American birds. I was so fascinated by this incredible creature that I wrote a story, ‘Coming Home For Christmas’ which is about a young boy and his dog, who were lost in a blizzard and guided to safety by a snowy owl.
killdeer
Killdeers feign injury to lure away predators from their young, who are raised on the ground. As they are being attacked, they stop flapping their false injuries (broken wings) and race away, thereby saving their young and remaining victorious for another day.
Sentinel Quail
This male quail is called sentinel for a reason. He positions himself out in the front of the covey, to alert of approaching danger. Many times the male sentinel quails lose their lives protecting their young.
Female and Male Cardinal
This made me think of growing up on the farm in Jasper, MI. where the male and female cardinal would stay through the winter reminding us that perseverance is an important part building character.
Crested Jay Family
While these birds can be obnoxious there is no doubting how beautiful they are. They’re the backyard bully who is smarter than you think, outsmarting most other wild fowl.
Ruby Throated Woodpecker
One of my greatest thrills was setting a camera up on a tripod and watching the hummingbird build her nest, lay her eggs and raise her young. I had feeders and flowers aplenty, to the point where the hummingbirds were comfortable enough to feed from my hand.
This male quail is called sentinel for a reason. He positions himself out in the front of the covey, to alert of approaching danger. Many times the male sentinel quails lose their lives protecting their young.
One of my greatest thrills was having chickadees become comfortable with me in the garden and they would come and eat out of my hands. I would speak softly to them, and they would return time and time again to the take the seeds I offered.
This made me think of growing up on the farm in Jasper, MI. where the male and female cardinal would stay through the winter reminding us that perseverance is an important part building character.
This male quail is called sentinel for a reason. He positions himself out in the front of the covey, to alert of approaching danger. Many times the male sentinel quails lose their lives protecting their young.