Westlands Art Gallery

These cheerful  and bright paintings were sent to Westlands Art Gallery in Cochrane, AB last month and I am happy to say that the Goldfinch is no longer available.

The Savannah Sparrow below is available, it may be purchased through Westlands Art Gallery in Cochrane, AB.
Savannah Sparrow, acrylic on 12x12 canvas.

Nuthatches

Monday, monday, nothing but a fun day. I notice the chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches are once again vying for the same nesting hole in the may tree. For the last three years the chickadees won the lease for the summer, usually raising two or three broods during their tenancy. This year though both the chickadees and nuthatches have also been excavating a new hole a downey woodpecker started while looking for tasty treats in an old birch stump last winter. It seems the Chickadees are favoring the new abode, probably cause its higher altitude, its above my head whereas the may tree hole is only 4 feet up. Sparrows have chased them off a few times so the nuthatches have gone back to cleaning the may tree home. It was fun to watch the nuthatches on the may tree, the male was chipping away at the entrance and the female was vibrating her wings and tail, the male would fly a short distance away then the female would enter the hole and fly out with debris and dispose of it then the male would fly back and chip some more in front of the excited female. Ahh there is nothing like the anticipation of a new nest.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

These two small 9"x9" watercolor paintings are presently shown at Johnson Gallery in Edmonton.

Out of the Reeds

I woke up to a dusting of snow again today, yet as the sun is out we shall go birding for a few hours this afternoon. Ahh the blessings of spring, the ducks, geese and swans are presently migrating to their northern nesting grounds in Canada so I figure this would be a good painting to post for today.

Out of the Reeds; Blue-winged Teal a 8"x10" acrylic on canvas.