bird photography

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.

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

I am not a bird photographer. I am mostly a sea and landscape photographer – mostly. But those darn birds! They just keep getting in the way of things and what is a photographer to do? Take for instance this young Great Blue Heron refusing to stop stalking his fish no matter how close I sat beside him.

Then there were those bathtub toy-duck sounding squeakers – the pretty little Harlequin Ducks…

But it was the Red-wing Blackbird singing in the rain that really distracted me from the sound of the surf…

The clouds were waddling their heavy bellies slowly across the sky as the first drops fell. This red-wing blackbird just kept singing as I moved closer to capture his silhouette against the rain-laden clouds.

Those darn birds! 😉

SPROUT: What pleasant distractions have you found in your creative adventures of late?

Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.

Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com