Goldfinches love thistle type seeds and you can see them in the flower fields of sunflowers and coreopsis flowers. I wanted to capture a male and female pair enjoying their meal. I wanted the flowers to complement the coloration of the birds and to convey a sense that the viewer is privy to a private moment with these small, colorful birds enjoying a favorite meal. [View]
Leaning Into a Winter Wind
It is cold and blustery out for this smallest of the falcons sitting on a fence post trying to catch the warmth of the sun’s rays. The wind is blowing his feathers which are in somewhat disarray. I actually saw a bird in this exact pose as I took a cold morning walk several years ago. It was not comfortable for me and I wanted the viewer to get the sense that it was not comfortable for the bird either as he sat upon the post and put up with the wind and cold hoping for the sun to warm and the winds to die down. [View]
High Country
This scaled down (1/4 size) of our national bird perches on a granite outcropping. The bird is alert, standing in a pose that gives the viewer a sense that the bird could take flight at any moment. The turn of the head and the stare directed at the viewer lets you know you are seen, you are being evaluated, and some action is about to happen. These are large dramatic and beautiful birds, once endangered but now recovered, and I did not want to lose that drama even though I scaled the carving down. Yes, the rocks are carved wood also! [View]
Vigilence
The Kestrel is our smallest falcon and the male of the species has a wonderful and vibrant coloration. The bird sits at rest with a turned head to catch the viewer’s eye. The viewer is treated to the dramatic coloration of the bird just before it takes flight. The setting complements the coloration of the bird with the dark mesquite base and the lighter brown branch finding elements of the same coloration in the bird itself. [View]
Intruder
One of my most favorite of Sonoran desert birds is the cactus wren whose scratchy raucous calls gives a wonderful voice to the desert. They are active and fearless hopping about among the Cholla cactus. Their calls usually alert other birds to an intruder, even one of their own kind and they go out of their way to let the intruder know that they are unwanted. They have a distinct personality and I wanted the viewer to hear the raucous call and join the bird calling out the intruder. [View]
Sentinel
The Prairie Falcon is a common bird of the west preferring rocky outcrops where a perch high above the land makes a wonderful observation point. I wanted the bird to be a rest, yet vigilant catching the breeze sweeping across the outcrop. He is also calling out marking his territory. The chest feathers are plumped up providing warmth from the breeze as he sits in a relaxed, yet ready pose. I wanted for the viewer to get the impression that this bird is a master of its environment, calm but ready. [View]