Dove Love

I am so in love with the doves...

  

and clearly they are so in love with each other.

The Double Crested Cormorant

We were walking down at our beautiful waterfront a few weeks back,

it was a perfect summers evening when I was looking out at the boats in the marina

and I saw a big black bird.

This big black bird had a pretty extensive wing span so I was immediately wondering what it was.

Than I realized it was holding it's wings out to dry in the sun,

I've never really seen any ducks doing that

and even from a distance you could tell this bird was quite black and substantial.

I recognized the profile almost right away, I said to my honey 'Oh My Gawd, is that a Cormorant".

I've never ever seen one of these birds around here, only out on the East Coast and West Coast.

We watched it for a few minutes

than decided it was worth the chance to run home for the our Nikon zoom lens.

He was still there, sunning his wings, when we got back.

He/she was absolutely magnificent.

Look at his incredible turquoise eyes, holy smokes!

I later learned that he/she was a double-crested Cormorant

and that they were in fact plentiful around here about 30 or 40 years ago

but they were killed off by people using a certain kind of pesticide in their yards etc.

Now they are making a comeback but much to my dismay I read that the Ford government

has or is about to pass a law that says anyone can kill these amazing birds for no reason!

Oh stupid people think they have good reasons though!

They complain that the birds poo smells too much!

They complain that they destroy their property!!

and the worse most idiotic one is that the fisherman say these birds eat too many of the

young sports fish, not leaving them with enough when it comes to their fishing derby times etc,

how gross and pathetic is that!

I mean, I am pretty sure any human can go into a grocery store full of food

and find something to fill their bellies but the Cormorants rely on the fish in the lake alone.

The fish is theirs to eat, not ours, come on people, at least learn to share!

If you think the Cormorants are as beautiful and incredible as I do, send a message to your government and express your dismay that these amazing creatures are once again at risk.

And if you live anywhere near these birds and you see they are in danger, try to educate people

about sharing this world with these animals...like all animals, these birds need our help!

A Favourite Black Bird

This is one of my favorite photographs of a black bird yet...

I am feeling really stoked to get some of these done as art pieces.

Enchanted

We get doves in our front yard every year.  They just lay on the ground and nap, eat, coo...
some of beautiful soft greys and others are delicate peachy shades.

They amaze and enchant me and fill me with peace...
I hope I never stop taking time to bask in their beauty!

Baby Robins

I am kinda wild about this photo I took of a baby robin in the backyard...

I think it would be a pretty spectacular pastel....do you think so possibly?

Bird Happy

Some days all I want to do is sit in my front window and watch the birds!
I am learning to embrace instead of fight whatever little thing brings me calmness & peace...

I've taken to photographing them through the picture window and can't wait to sit out in the garden
in stealthy silence with our camera, so in other words, prepare for lots of bird pics to come!

Canadian Beauty

We kayaked a lot this season, it's a happy place for me, it's one place I breath deeply & feel at peace...

How can I not be when there is this kind of beauty surrounding me (I see these in pastels do you?).

Fielding Bird Sanctuary

A few weeks back we spent some time at a bird sanctuary up North from us.

We saw just geese, ducks and loads of dragonflies but it was lovely all the same.

A Majestic and Marveling Paddle (Part Two)

I have more photos of the herons from my favorite ever paddle that I just must show you.

They are stunningly beautiful solitary creatures not super often seen...

This is why I've been drawing herons so much!  How amazing are the animals of this world!

These are favorite shots by far and will I think be the catalyst for me to get my photos into a shop!

A Majestic and Marveling Paddle (Part One of Two)

I never got around to showing you these photos from last Fall

It was one of my all time favorite paddles ever...

I have to show you now before anymore times goes on.

It was just one of those days that just felt so magical and perfect.

One for the photo albums for sure that I'll never ever forget.

 We amazingly not only had our usual heron guiding us up and down the river but her new baby too!

The day was golden and colorful and warm and just bathed in perfection

and it just made me insanely super happy to be alive

and just so steeped in gratitude for all the natural beauty surrounding me that day.