Palmyra Cove Nature Park

Inspiration

Lava from Arden Bendler Browning's trip to Hawaii

Cactus (I think) from Courntey McCubbin's trip to St. John's

Emily Kame Kngwarr

A few of the images that I've been thinking about lately.  I keep a "screen saver" file full of images I come across on the internet.  Every time I find something interesting I drop it in the file and eventually connections between images and ideas develop.  These three images are bouncing around in my mind a lot lately and I think eventually they will lead to something in the studio.

Jade-vine

School Projects

This week Olivia finished up two rather ambitious school projects.  She and Matt designed and built the large wooded presentation board for the Galileo project.  They also concocted the plan for the gummy cell models, one plant and one animal cell.  Olivia, a pretty accomplished cook, made the gummies herself cooking, molding, and freezing them.  Amazingly she was able to draw in a bowl of cornstarch and the pour the hot gelatin into the "mold" to create her shapes.  Not only do they look cool but they taste good too.

Bluebird

The bluebirds have been very active lately.  The other day I followed a pair along the trail at Hildacy.  This female bluebird repeatedly flung her head back as she perched on this branch.  I'm not sure what her intention was but I did notice how much she appeared to be part of the tree when she did it. 

Field Sparrow

The colors I'm seeing outside lately are so subtly beautiful.  I think I'm going to miss them when all that green and bold color moves in.  Sunday morning I joined an Audubon hike around Valley Forge National Historic Park.  We walked along the Schuylkill River and saw a number of birds I'll show you later.  After we turned away from the river we walked through this field.  These three photos were all taken from the same spot.  The Field Sparrow sat some distance behind the aggressively thorn laden branches you see in the bottom photo.  The middle photo was the view behind me.

Skull

Website Update

I spent a good deal of time today updating my website.  As usual updating includes exciting activities like changing 17 little "d's" to capital "D's".  Joy.  I also added a page for each section that allows you to see all the works and choose one instead of having to flip through them all. (Although you can still flip through them all.)  I did that mostly for myself.  I don't know if anyone else has been bogged down by needing to flip through 14 images to get to the first one.  You'd think I'd have their numbers memorized by now.  I don't love the way those pages look-not as clean as I like-but they get the job done.

Water

A little bit of wind today made for lots of variety in the water.  Olivia and I took advantage of her day off and drove up to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.  The snow geese and tundra swans were out in force.  We especially enjoyed watching the Ring-necked Ducks and Gadwall (I think) play in the pond alongside the road.

Colors and Textures of Morning

I went back over to Hildacy Farm Preserve this morning hoping to get a better look at the Red-shouldered Hawks.  I saw the hawks,  red grass and a red fox.  The fox was a bit too far away and the morning a bit too dark for a good photo but the hawk, you can see, was very compliant.  I should also mention the sunrise was intensely red.  I hoped to get a good view at the Preserve but by the time I arrived the sun was smothered by the overcast sky.  The rest of the day has been 40 and drizzly so I'm glad I made use of the "bright" nice part of the day.  And it was nice with frost on the ground and no glaring sun to blot out the subtle colors and textures of winter.  (Which it still is despite the lack of obvious indications...like snow.)

Bills

The Northern Shoveler is serious about bills.  Amazingly enormous bills.  Huge. 

Hildacy Farm Preserve

I took an impromptu walk around Hildacy Farm Preserve today.  Olivia missed the bus so it was the perfect opportunity to sneak in a walk.  (Olivia preferred to sit in the car doing math homework so I was on my own.)  I saw three hawks making a huge racket.  I think all three were Red-shouldered Hawks like this guy (last photo) but they were back lit so I can't be sure.  It's not the best photo but it's the best I got for today and it helped me confirm my id so here it is.  I also saw the shaggiest deer I can ever remember seeing.

More From Barnegat

A few more photos from last weeks Barnegat trip.  This time I explored a new area, a beach across the inlet which I think is still part of Barnegat State Park.  It was a good spot to see those elusive Long-tailed Ducks, more loons (either red-breasted or common I'm not sure), and my first certain siting of Red-breasted Mergansers.

How Does A Tree Grow Like This?

Interaction

I visited the Harlequin Ducks again on Tuesday.  There seemed to be a lot of activity in the preening, posturing, and bickering categories.

Some Birds I've Ecountered Lately

 Huh?  

I personally think Tufted Titmice are a bit shrill.  Not that I don't love them anyway, but whenever I check to see who is out at the feeder making my ears bleed it's always a titmouse.

I did not know that Brown Creepers visited feeders until I saw this guy happily climbing all over it and pecking away.  A tiny little bird with an awesomely long tail.

This White-breasted Nuthatch reminds me of an old cartoon we used to see on Nick Jr. when Olivia was little.  I just spent 20 minutes trying to find it and failed.  But essentially the pig didn't want to share or take turns and was hogging the rocking horse.  All the while singing at the top of her lungs.  

Kind of like this...

And then there's this guy, a Carolina Wren.  Such a loud song for such a little bird but much more enjoyable then the titmouse.

And finally, a Downy Woodpecker and an outrageously blue sky.

See-Saw

An odd type of see-saw up near Easton, PA that was actually a lot of fun.  A warm New Year's Eve in an incredibly mild winter.  Yes weather, I'm taunting you.  I'd really like some snow before it's all over!!

Lakota Wolf Preserve

Before my opening yesterday I went up to the Lakota Wolf Preserve with the Tinicum Photo Group.  The weather was perfect.  I saw a huge flock of Snow Geese on my way up.  I never get tired of watching their in-flight patterns cut across the sky.  The Wolf Preserve was very cool.  We learned lots of interesting things about these gorgeous animals.