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Number 9, and probably last for a while, in my Bird Portraits series is the American Goldfinch. The striking yellow and black finch maintains the beauty of his bright yellow plumage by molting in the spring. Other birds molt only in the fall, only the Goldfinch refreshes his feathers twice a year. My original watercolor…
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I haven’t painted a bird with coffee, or any animal with coffee, since I did “Joe Squirrel” a while back – almost two years ago, actually. I just finished this new one last week. I’m calling him “Joe Crow.” though he could be a raven, I think he’s just an American Crow. Like any good…
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Number 8 in my series of bird “portraits” is the brown thrasher. A commenter suggested this would be a good one and they were right! Very happy with how this one came out. The brown thrasher is a fun bird to watch. They move quickly on the ground looking for insects. You’ll see that the…
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The big thrush is my 7th bird portrait. (There may be one more in this series, coming soon). The American Robin is considered by many to be a sign of spring, but the truth is they’re year-round in almost all of the US. (One of the few exceptions being the area where I was born).…
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One of the Triangle area’s cutest birds is number 6 in my portrait series: the Carolina chickadee. These little guys eat insects and spiders but also fruit and seeds, so they are easily attracted to backyard bird feeders. They are fun to watch. You can tell Carolina chickadees from black-capped chickadees easily: if you see…
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The News&Observer published this story today: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article311339780.html A male painted bunting seen in Dix Park has created a furor among local birders. I’m going to try to get there this weekend. Meanwhile you can see my watercolor painting of a painted bunting male and female pair in an earlier post on this site. Happy Friday,…
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Number 5 in my bird “portraits” series is this tufted titmouse. I love these birds in their little gray suits, they look like little business birds. The flash of rust on their flanks just highlights the richness of the grayscale theme. They are common year-round at Triangle area feeders and fun to watch. They are…
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Here’s the 4th bird in my portrait series, the ruby-throated hummingbird. They’re small, yes, but among hummingbirds they’re considered medium-sized. They eat twice their own weight every day, mostly nectar, but they can also eat some bugs and spiders. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummer you’ll see in the Triangle area, where it is…
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Happy 4th of July. The third of my bird “portrait” series is the American crow. This large black Corvid is similar to a raven but smaller. American crows are common in the Triangle area and almost all of the US. The American crow’s call is “caw, caw.” The smaller crows you see around here shouting…
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Here’s the second in my bird portrait series. I chose the blue jay because I think it’s one of the most likely birds to have a mug shot. This guy says he’s innocent until proven guilty, so I won’t talk about his alleged crimes here (you can google). Blue jays are among the coolest, most…
Craig Laurer 