This morning #NatureIsCalling me earlier than usual. I packed my plein air painting gear, made coffee and headed out. I stopped at the bakery and grabbed an egg sandwich and sweet. But as I walk to the beach I glanced at my basket of painting supplies and sighed. I had everything but a surface to paint on. Rather dejectedly I turned around and took the basket back to the car and returned with only my camera, coffee and breakfast. So here I sit in the warm morning sun. The blackbirds made themselves known in the willows. A west coast reddish mink scurried across the sandstone bank towards the water. Clams spouted near the rocks revealed in the low tide. While a north-westerly wind rippled through the leaves of a rare patch of poplar trees behind me – I sat. I listened. I took in the scent of salt and seaweed. I watched the crows feeding on small morsels and the gulls circle on the farthest outcrop from shore.
“I guess I am not going to paint this morning” I mumble with noticeable deflated slouch.
“I guess I take photographs of that Blue Heron fishing and finish my own breakfast.”
An Elegant Blue Heron fishing Reef Bay Mayne Island
Blue Heron seriously looking for breakfast…
rushing it out off sea floor in the shallows.
An hour later, I am ready to head for home having visited with an elegant Blue Heron and soaked up the morning sun and no longer feeling grumpy about forgetting my gessobord for painting.
Who in nature has graced your morning this fine day?
Note: #NatureIsCalling is the hashtag for the David Suzuki Foundation 30 minutes x 30 days in May Nature Challenge. I am outside more than 30 minutes in nature each day as a matter of work and life style but I committed to being particularly observant for the Month of May. As time allows, I will share these experiences with you here on Creative Potager.
© 2015 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.
Creative Potager – Visit with painter and photographer Terrill Welch
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
For gallery and purchase information about Terrill’s photographs and paintings go to http://terrillwelchartist.com
Creative Potager 
Terrill — Your photographs of the Blue Heron are exquisite!
Two mourning doves graces my morning this fine day. And while I didn’t actually see them, I heard their lovely conversation, back-and-forth, between themselves 🙂
Now that is a conversation worthy of evesdropping Laurie! And thank you regarding the Blue Heron photographs. Seems to be a most beautiful day here. I even got some garden work done.
Not half shabby photos!
I’m doing that #NatureIsCalling challenge too! but the same as you I’m always outdoors for way more than 30 minutes a day. I’m just going to spend an extra half hour out over what I would normally do.
Today I saw lots of white crowned sparrows and a close by hummingbird was eyeing me for breathtakingly long. I even did some gardening too. Ahhh, spring!
Looks like we are on the same page in life yet again Annerose 🙂 Yesterday I did my time in nature in the city which is always a bit different but pleasant just the same. Some of the trees are still blooming and there are flowers everywhere along with birds and even a few bees.
Oh !! I love Herons. We have them right here on our farm. I love to catch sight of them fishing in our creek or flying overhead.
While your day may not have unfolded as you had planned, it was blessed exactly as it was in experience.
Yes Deb as usual everything seems to turn out as it should. If I had been painting I would not have taken the time to photograph the heron nor would I have noticed the mink. My focus would have been on light, shapes and colour. But here we are up past our necks in translucent seaweed watching a Heron fish instead. A good morning it was!