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This tiny little bird is a year-round resident of the Triangle area. The black-capped chickadee is very similar, but if you see a chickadee around here, it’s gonna be the Carolina variety. You can easily attract these cheerful birds to your yard because they love bird feeders and happily eat sunflower seeds along with insects,…
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A big sparrow that used to be called the rufous-sided towhee, the Eastern Towhee is a year-round resident of the Triangle area. You’ll find them hopping and scratching on the ground, looking for seeds and insects. Even if you don’t see them, you’ll hear them: they can be quite loud. Original watercolor, 8×10”
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I painted this big woodpecker big on 8×10” paper. My originals are usually a bit smaller, but this guy deserved a big painting. Northern Flickers are woodpeckers that mostly eat ants and other insects, but they will come to backyard feeders for suet or sunflower seeds. I never get them at my own feeders but…
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Mourning doves sing out a “woo-ooh-ooh-ooh” call that some people mistake for owls. Sometimes called “turtle dove” or “Carolina pigeon,” they are abundant in the Triangle area. Very easy to attract to your backyard feeder because they eat seeds almost exclusively and prefer to forage on the ground. So, cleaning up spilled seed under your…
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This small warbler with “Carolina blue” coloring on head and back can be found in and around the Triangle area in the summer only. They may be seen as they migrate through the area or in forested areas, especially in western NC. The cerulean is already pretty hard to find and, unfortunately, their population is…
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My second mini-zine, “SOME Birds Aren’t Real” is an educational publication meant to help the public navigate the popular conspiracy theory. Get the facts. Featuring 8 birds that I’m pretty sure aren’t real, imparting helpful advice and knowledge to my dear readers. Written and illustrated by me. The character likenesses are mostly copyrighted or trademarked…
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I have a new watercolor, The Lovebirds, and I’ve made it into notecards (barely) in time for Valentine’s Day. My original watercolor of two lovebirds is based on a couple of reference images I found online. The heart and the pink background are both from a separate watercolor heart I created for another work. I…
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Who doesn’t love a Carolina Wren? I love to watch these little characters when they visit my feeders. They especially like to climb inside the bluebird feeder to chow down on dried mealworms. They will grab the mealworms off the platform feeder, too, if there are any left! This isn’t my first attempt at a…
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The white-throated sparrow is another of my favorites. These are distinctive because of their bright white bib, outlined in black, and of course the flashes of yellow on either side of the black crown stripe. You can easily attract them to backyard feeders but they’ll often be seen on the ground foraging among the fallen…
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OK I did another bird portrait. I thought I was done with this series for now, but I’ve decided to make a calendar, so I need 12, obviously. Number 10 is the Eastern Bluebird, a year-round resident in all areas of NC. You can attract them to your yard with dried mealworms on a platform…
Craig Laurer 