I dedicated my mural to the 20th century artist Edward Hopper and to the rabbit who lived under the shed, whom I named after him. These portraits were painted (and photographed) in very close quarters. I think the retaining wall was less than two feet from the wall of the house at this point. Edward Hopper, the artist, is my favorite artist of the 20th century. His most famous painting is probably Nighthawks, seen below. Click on it to read a bit more about him.
The rabbit, Edward hopper, was bold. They came very close and did not mind me talking to them. I really don’t know if it was a male or female; or even if it was more than one and I only saw one at a time, and they all had identical markings. But they were nice to have around as I was painting.
If you see a live American Flamingo (phoenicopterus ruber) in Perkasie, call a zoo. In fact, most of the live flamingos in the US are either in zoos or escaped from them. The only pink Flamingos native to the area are the plastic variety. I included this plastic, pink Flamingo because our nextdoor neighbors (who provided the green and gray paints for the wall) requested a pink Flamingo. Painting the lawn ornament variety was the only way I felt I could include it in a “Birds of Perkasie” mural in good conscience. Plastic Flamingos are still regularly spotted in the Perkasie area. It was originally designed by Don Featherstone of Union Products in 1957. He won a Nobel Prize in Art for this in 1996, since it had become such a pop icon. In his acceptance speech for the Nobel, he said that he had been frustrated for years trying to sell fine art, so he decided to give people what they wanted with the plastic Flamingo: junk art. It was the biggest selling lawn ornament for decades. Now, it is being rivaled, but not replaced by the Garden Gnome.
Despite its name the Canada Goose (branta canadensis) is also native to the US. Animals and plants are often named after the location of the person who first takes the effort to scientifically classify them. For example, we have a Virginia Rose in our yard that was present in the wild in Pennsylvania before there was a Pennsylvania. I’m explaining this, because of the current, nativist culture in much of the US. It’s also good to remember that the first European language to be spoken in what was later to be the United States was Spanish. In Delaware “The First State”, the language spoken in the first European settlement was Swedish.
So when Canada Geese become pests in the parks, don’t blame Canada. They did over-populate Lake Lenape at some point and Perkasie imported Swans to cull their population. The problem was, swans are costly and they apparently got poached. There are several sites on the web which sell plastic or styrofoam swan decoys to scare geese away. But it is important to remember that they were here first. Canada Geese reside in the area year round, although it may not be the same Geese. In the winter, many of the Geese which summer in Canada migrate south. Many of the Geese which summer here migrate further south to the Carolinas and Florida.
The American Tree Sparrow (spizelloides arborea) is native to North America, but it is not particularly associated with trees. It is the northernmost bird on the mural, even nesting on the arctic tundra, above the tree line. It winters in the northern half of the lower 48 states, excluding the west coast. In the winter, it eats mostly seeds and berries. In the summer, it eats mostly insects. It travels and nests in flocks.
The Eastern Bluebird (sialia sialis) declined dramatically in the second half of the 20th century due to suburban sprawl destroying habitat and suitable nesting sites. They usually nest in hollows of trees. Many times this is an abandoned Woodpecker’s nest. Eastern Bluebirds have made a significant recovery due to a campaign of making and mounting backyard birdhouses, designed specifically for them. A female Bluebird typically lays and raises two broods a year. Most Bluebirds die in the first year, due to freezing, starvation or being killed by larger birds or mammals.
The Eastern Kingbird (tyrannus tyrannus) prefers to live on the edges of woods, clearings, river groves, roadsides, etc. It needs trees for nesting and open space for hunting. In mating the male will put on quite an aerobatic display, doing somersaults, zigzags, quick ups and downs and flips in the air. During this display, the small patch of bright red feathers on his head is seen. In the summer, nesting pairs will be spread out. These birds can be seen perching on wires or fences, and they eat all manner of insects, bees and wasps. In the winter, they live on the edges of tropical forests in flocks and eat mostly berries.
The Northern Flicker (colaptes auratus) is one of the few woodpeckers that migrates. Even so, it is common throughout Pennsylvania year round. Its range includes most of North America, parts of the Cayman Islands, Cuba and Central America. My painting depicts a female clinging to the left side of a tree and a male in the center. It flashes a bright splash of color on the undersides of its wings when it flies. In the eastern portion of its range, this is yellow. It the west, this is red. On the Great Plains, both are seen.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl (aegolius acadicus) is commonly present in Pennsylvania woods year round. It is one of the smallest owls, being about the size of a Robin. Adults are 6-3/4″-8=3/4″ (17–22 cm) long with a 16-1/2″-22-1/4″ (42–56.3 cm) wingspan. It is native to North America and was named by settlers for the male’s mating call which sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whet stone. It can go on for hours. Its hearing is peculiarly good at precisely locating the source of sounds. This is attributed to its assymetrical placement of its ears. Think Stephen Colbert.
The Saw-whet Owl prefers northern coniferous forests and is very cold tolerant. It swoops down on its prey (almost exclusively small mammals) from a high perch.
The Red-shouldered Hawk (buteo lineatus) is not as common in this area as it used to be. It is a woodland hawk. The clearing of more land for urban and suburban development has led to its decline. Populations are stable now, with some in southeastern PA year round. The shrill call of this hawk means that its presence is more often heard than seen. Many eastern Blue Jays have learned to expertly imitate this call, providing an effective deterrent to other birds entering their territory.
The Barn Swallow (hirundo rustica) has that unmistakable Swallow shape that allows it to swoop and glide through the sky. This painting is as if from slightly above, as the bird flies over an untamed field of grasses and wildflowers. It builds its nest mostly in manmade structures: garages, bridges, wharves and, of course, barns. Its breeding range includes most of the lower 48 states and half of Canada. It is also common in Europe and Asia. It winters in South America and Africa. It feeds on many and various flying insects, including house flies and horse flies. It catches and eats them in mid-air.
The House Wren (troglodytes aedon) makes up for its dull and unassuming colors with its lively songs and constant activity.
It is named “House” Wren for its tendency to live near people on structures and in birdhouses. It competes for suitable nesting spots with the non-native House Sparrow.
The Eastern Phoebe (sayornis phoebe) is so named because of its call: “fee-bee”. That call is one of the first harbingers of spring in their breeding range, as it is one of the earliest birds to migrate. It tends to nest near water, for the abundance of insects. It is a Flycatcher.
The male defends its territory, which may include two nests, by singing, especially early in the morning.
The Black Vulture (coragyps atratus) is in the Perkasie area year round. As global warming has progressed, its range has moved northward. It forages by flying high over the ground looking for carrion or for other carrion eaters. It can be quite aggressive and has been known to drive off Turkey Vultures and take their food.
These two remind me of the pair of old guys wisecracking on the Muppets.
Only adult, male Blue Grosbeaks (passerina caerulea) are actually blue. Juvenile and female Blue Grosbeaks are light brown. It is a good practice to familiarize oneself with the appearance of females of species to be a more effective birder. They are larger than Indigo Buntings. Perkasie is on the northern edge of their summer breeding range. They winter in the tropics. They feed mostly on insects and seeds, sometimes foraging along the ground, sometimes snatching insects out of the air in mid-flight.
Perkasie is on the northern edge of the year-round range of the Red-bellied Woodpecker (melanerpes carolinus). It is omnivorous and has adapted well to town and suburban development. It nests in hollowed out dead wood, in trees or old fence posts or nesting boxes. The male may start hollowing out several potential nests. The female then selects which one to complete and use. Despite its name, any red on the belly is faint and most of the time not visible.
In the early 20th century, the Wood Duck (aix sponsa) was threatened with extinction. This was the result of the loss of too many large trees and over-hunting. The Wood Duck nests in trees near water. The duck was brought back by a concerted effort to restore habitat and a campaign to provide thousands and thousands of wooden nesting boxes scattered throughout its potential range. A hunters’ conservation organization, Ducks Unlimited, is responsible for much of this work. They are a non-profit, chapter organization. Much of the restoration of habitat has been funded through the sale of duck stamps to hunters. Many of these have become collector’s items, along with larger sized prints of them.
I was thinking of painting a duck stamp with a Wood Duck on it, when I was reminded of this 29 cent US postage stamp from 1991. I decided to paint it instead.
Wood Ducks are beautiful birds. They are also tasty, if a bit greasy and small. My folks had a hunter friend, as I was growing up in Minnesota. My mom was a very skilled cook. This hunter traveled the world shooting wild game. He would accumulate it in our freezer, then invite 20 or so friends to our house, where my mom, B.J., prepared and served a wild game buffet.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (sphyrapicus varius) is more likely to be seen in Perkasie in the winter than during the summer, yet it has been sited in the warmer months, as well. It is climate threatened and has disappeared from several areas of its southern range. As its name indicates, it drills holes into tree bark in order to drink sap. It also eats the insects that are drawn to the sap. In the winter, it feeds on fruits and berries.
The Killdeer (charadrius vociferus) gets its common name from its cry as it flies overhead which sounds like “killdeer!” Its scientific name is Latin. The root of the genus is the same as the root for its subfamily, family and order: “charad” seems to point to two characteristics of this bird (and others in the smae order). They have markings which resemble masks and they chatter. Its Latin species name “vociferus” indicates that the Killdeer chatters loudly.
It nests on the ground, many times in open fields or large lawns. When any possible predator or human comes within sight of the nest, the male will feign having a broken wing and scurry away from the nest crying and squawking as if it is injured. This is to draw the predator’s attention away from the nest. As one gets close to the Killdeer, it takes off in flight. It is quite a remarkable charade to witness.
Since I wanted to reserve the last space on the wall where a medallion would fit for a special, dedication painting, I portrayed both Nuthatches in the same medallion. They are small and similar birds of the same genus, albeit different species. Both the Red-breasted Nuthatch and the White-breasted Nuthatch are present in the Perkasie area. They eat insects and spiders in the warmer months along with seeds and nuts which they eat year round by storing them in the bark of trees. These Nuthatches may be present here year round.
The White-breasted Nuthatch (sitta carolinensis) is tolerant of the cold, with a year round presence in the most of the lower 48 US states and parts of central Canada and Mexico. It does not usually migrate. It nests in a natural cavity in a tree or in the nest formerly belonging to a woodpecker, between 15′ and 60′ above ground. Adults can be observed sweeping the area around the nest entrance and the interior with a dead insect in its beak. It is thought that the insect’s bodily fluids may provide a repellent to predators.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch’s (sitta canadensis) range extends further north to include the southern half of Canada. If it gets too cold or food becomes scarce, it will migrate hundreds of miles. It prefers conifers and generally hollows out its own nest. It will coat the edge of the entrance with sticky pitch to discourage the curiosity of predators and competitors. To enter the nest, it will fly straight in. The red Nuthatch has a lower pitched, louder and more melodic song than the white. These songs can be heard on links on their pages on the Audubon site at the links above.
This is the 32nd medallion on the wall. This marks two thirds done. So I am right on schedule for my summer project. The question is, what am I going to do next summer? Anyone have a wall or building I can paint a mural on?
I painted the American Crow (corvus brachyrhynchos) based on a tattoo pattern I saw. Many people confuse Ravens and Crows as they are both solid black and about the same size. The easiest way I have found to distinguish them is by their calls. The Crow makes a “caw caw caw” sound, whereas the Raven has a wide range of vocalizations from a low gurgling to a shrill alarm. The Crow is a very intelligent bird, able to make tools, read stop lights and teach its young how to make and use tools. The Crow will gather in groups numbering to ten thousand at night. It is an omnivore.
I am told both Ravens and Crows are present in the Perkasie area. I have only seen and heard Crows.
The Cedar Waxwing (bombycilla cedrorum) is named for its color and the red tips of its wings, which appear as if they had been dipped in sealing wax. My painting shows a male feeding a female a berry. It is a very sociable bird. A flock will sit on a branch or wire or fence and pass a berry from mouth to mouth until one finally swallows it. Their diet consists mostly of berries and fruit. along with some insects, beetles and ants. It also will drink flowing sap. They are present in our area year round, Their range extends from the southern provinces of Canada through all of Mexico.
The American Robin’s (turdus migratorius) range includes all of North America. Perkasie is on the edge of its year round range. So the old song about “when the red robin comes bobbin’ along” as a first sign of spring is not accurate. It may be a different Robin that is “bobbin’ along”, but Robins are present here all year. The American Robin is not closely related to the European Robin. It is the second most common songbird of North America, just behind the Red-winged Blackbird and just ahead of the non-native House Finch and European Starling.
The American Robin eats invertebrates: grubs, worms, and caterpillars. It is one of the earliest to breed and lay eggs upon returning to its summer range. It is also the earliest bird to start singing in the morning.
Cooper’s Hawk (accipiter cooperii) is a mid-sized, woodland hawk, which nests in either deciduous or coniferous trees, between 25 to 50 feet high. It usually builds its nest on another animal’s or bird’s nest, adding large sticks. It feeds on smaller birds, the size of Robins, and sometimes reptiles and insects. Charles Lucien Bonaparte named it for naturalist William Cooper, one of the founders of what was to become the New York Academy of Sciences, when he first described the hawk in 1828. It is another of the birds that is commonly called a chicken hawk, also striker, Mexican hawk, hen hawk and quail hawk. It has adapted to urban and suburban life and feeds on Mourning Doves and Rock Pigeons.
House Finches (haemorhous mexicanus) are native to Mexico and the southwestern US. They were introduced to New York City in the early 20th century, when vendors illegally imported them to sell as caged pets. They marketed them as “Hollywood Finches”. To avoid prosecution under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 vendors and owners released their birds “into the wild” in 1940. From there, they have multiplied and spread all over the US and parts of southern Canada, nesting mainly in urban and suburban settings. They do not migrate, so are year round residents. They compete with, and in some areas have supplanted Cassin’s Finches, Purple Finches and House Sparrows. House Sparrows are also non-native. They were also introduced to Hawaii about 1870. They are now present on all of its islands.
I painted this pair, male and female, just as I saw them perched on our shed roof. A whole flock of them nests across 5th Street from us, in our granddaughters’ yard.
The Merlin (falco columbarius) feeds mostly on small birds by snatching them in mid-flight. It is one of the smaller falcons. The male uses a very complex flight display to woo a mate.
The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all landbirds, found on six continents and many islands. The male courts the female by performing a display flight, including wing claps, and by presenting her with food.
It can be a boon to farmers as it feeds on rodents, mostly voles, then mice, young rabbits, small rats, shrews and other small mammals. It will occasionally eat small birds, insects, lizards or rarely fish.
“Hundreds of kinds of hummingbirds nest in the American tropics, and more than a dozen in the western U.S., but east of the Great Plains there is only the Ruby-throat,” according to Audubon. What is interesting to me is that of all of the photos I have seen of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (archilochus colubris), no two look alike. We have native bee balm growing in our yard, also called Bergamot. It just started blooming, so we should start to see the Hummingbirds start to come around.
The male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) is bright blue only in the spring and summer. The theory is that this is for him to attract a mate; ‘putting on the Ritz’ as it were. This doesn’t seem likely to me, since all of the males of the species have the same bright blueness, it gives him no special advantage. I think it is more likely the usual explanation for why males of so many species (not just birds) have brighter colors, bigger manes, or more pronounced markings. It is to draw attention away from the females of any potential predators or competitors. Once the seeds are sown, the male is expendable. The female is to be defended at all cost to perpetuate the species. The male has a bright color and distracting songs to draw attention away from the nest. This change of color is a good reason for birders to pay more attention to what the females of species look like and look out for them. Audubon has an article about that.
The Indigo Bunting nests close to the ground, in low bushes or brush. A male may have more than one mate in his territory. It feeds mostly on insects and spiders and some seeds and berries. It does not do well in urbanized or intensely farmed areas. It prefers the brushy edges of roads, railroads and pastures.
The Bald Eagle (haliaeetus leucocephalus) built the largest tree nest of any animal in the world, at 2,200 pounds (1 tonne). It uses the same nest year after year high up in trees (up to 180′) or on cliffs, near lakes, streams or reservoirs. It feeds mainly on fish, swooping down and snatching them out of the water. It also raids other birds nests to steal food, such as Osprey and some smaller birds. It will eat mammals and small birds and quite often carrion.
The word bald in this bird’s name is and archaic use, meaning “white headed” not hairless, or, in this case, featherless. The genus and species names are Greek and translates as: “sea eagle” “white-headed”.
The Bald Eagle was almost eradicated from the United States in the first two thirds of the 20th century by a combination of hunting with guns (mostly for the prized tail feathers) and the cumulative effect of DDT weakening the shells of their eggs making them so soft that they would be crushed in the nest during incubation, just as Rachel Carson had predicted. Populations have since recovered and the species was removed from the U.S. government’s list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States on June 28, 2007.
It’s amazing to see this huge raptor fly overhead. It is sad to see one lying dead on Route 309 after being hit while it was eating roadkill.
The Tufted Titmouse (baeolophus bicolor) is a year-round Perkasie resident. Both parents take care of the young, sometimes with assistance from an offspring from the previous year. More than half of their annual diet is insects. The rest is seeds, nuts, fruit, caterpillars, wasps, bees, slugs and snails. They have increased their range significantly due to bird feeders.
The Red-tailed Hawk (buteo jamaicensis) is one one of three birds known colloquially as a “chicken hawk”. It is found throughout all but the northern extremes of North America, down to Panama and the West Indies. It prefers to nest in a high tree, up to 120′ high. It’s preferred diet is small mammals, such as squirrels, rabbits, mice, and other rodents. It will also eat insects, birds up to the size of a pheasant, bats, frogs, toads, and other reptiles. At times, it will even eat carrion.
Turkey Vultures (cathartes aura) are a fairly common sight in this area. They like their carrion relatively fresh. They can spot it by looking for other scavengers. They also have a highly developed sense of smell, which is unusual in birds. When thy can’t find carrion, they will eat rotting vegetable matter, insects or live fish in drying up ponds. They are part of nature’s clean up crew.
Both parents take turns tending the nest for a lengthy incubation period of 34 to 41 days. The young will take nine to ten weeks before they are ready to fly.
Just to spice things up a bit, I decided to paint the medallion of the Brown-headed Cowbirds (molothrus ater) in the form of a Pennsylvania Dutch Distelfink. The female (on the left) may lay as many as 70 eggs, one a day, in a season. She will lay them in various other species birds’ nests, sometimes removing one of their eggs to make room for hers. The host birds tend the eggs and feed the young, until they leave the nest at about 10 days old. This parasitism has driven some songbirds to the point of endangerment. It has nearly eliminated the Scarlet Tanager from all but deep woods.
They earned the name Cowbirds from their feeding habits. They follow herds of cattle, bison and horses to eat the insects that are disturbed from the grass as they move through it.
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. It’s range includes all of the lower 48 states of the US and most of Alaska, the southern provinces of Canada, most of Mexico, the Caribbean and the northern and southern thirds of South America. It is used in falconry and can take down birds up to twice its size. Though similar in appearance to Eurasian and African kestrels, according to DNA tests, it is not as genetically close to them as it is to the Aplomodo, Peregrine and Prairie Falcons.
When there are gender differences in birds, the male is usually brighter and bigger to attract any predators away from the brood and to do battle with them or any competitors. With the Scarlet Tanager (piranga olivacea) both male and female are quite bright. The female is yellow and black. The male is scarlet and black. They prefer to nest in tall oaks in large woods. They don’t fare so well in small woods, where they tend to be parasitized by Cowbirds. They have a long migration as they winter in South America and summer in the northeastern US.
I painted this Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) sitting on a ledge on a wall, on a wall. In the painting, I painted bricks on bricks. The Great Horned Owl has a wingspan of up to 5 feet. It is very adaptable and has expanded its range to include all but the arctic portions of North America and about two thirds of South America. Its diet is any small to mid-sized animal it can overtake: rabbits, hares, mice, voles, rats, squirrels, birds, reptiles, cats, amphibians, etc.
It has also been known as the “Tiger Owl” because of its coloring and its skill in hunting. It is the “tiger of the air.”
The Northern Cardinal (cardinalis cardinalis) is found year-round in all of the states east of the Rockies, and in parts of the desert southwest. It is also found in all of Mexico except Baja California and seasonally in southeastern Canada. I have seen many variations in shade of red to grayish red, as well as in shape, within the species. I have heard experts claim a gender difference in color and other experts claim no gender difference in color. They explain the color difference as between juvenile birds and adults. Last year in Alabama, an adult male turned up with bright yellow plumage. They were going to wait and try to track it through another molt to see if this was due to a dietary or environmental factor or if it was genetic. Now there is evidence that the species may have split into as many as six different species. At any rate, they are beautiful birds, even if you don’t see them. They have loud and varied songs. You can hear them on links on the Audubon site on the link above.
The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is fairly abundant in this area. It seems to tolerate suburban encroachment reasonably well. Some years ago, when Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church on Upper State Road, near Montgomeryville, was dedicating their church, several mature male Wild Turkeys saw their own reflections in the large windows in the rear of the sanctuary. They began to challenge their reflections and got quite aggressive. Of course, only those officiating could see this. It was quite comical. They ended up making a racket as they charged into their reflections. Turkeys can be quite aggressive. The priests and bishop could not contain themselves from laughing at the spectacle. I think they decided to plant some bushes to obscure those windows to cut down on the reflection somewhat.
Last fall, (I’m not sure if it wasn’t on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner) we were driving down S. 9th St., just entering Perkasie, right by that little creek, we saw a flock of Wild Turkeys. There were four males, all strutting with their tail feathers in full display. So they are definitely local.
The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is the smallest species of woodpecker in North America at total length ranges from 5.5 to 7.1 in (14 to 18 cm) and the wingspan from 9.8 to 12.2 in (25 to 31 cm). Only the male has the bit of red on the head. Its range includes almost all of the 48 states except parts of the southwest, and most of Canada, except the extreme north.
Once again, just after I painted it, one showed up and tap, tap, tapped on the pine tree in front of our house.
It had to be 20 years ago, by now. We lived on 4th Street, East Greenville, PA. It was 2am on a Saturday. I was awakened to the unmistakable sound of a construction vehicle back-up beeper! It continued, intermittently through the night. That day, I was going to go over to the development, three blocks away, where they were doing site work, find a phone number, and give someone a piece of my mind. As I was heading out the front door of our half twin, I heard the back-up beeper at full volume. I looked up toward the source of the sound. Here it was a Mockingbird! That was the last time we heard that bird sound a back-up alarm. At that moment, an ice cream truck came into the neighborhood, and he began to learn a new tune.
I have never read To Kill A Mockingbird and don’t really know what it is about, but I can feel the motive part. I wonder how they handled the opportunity and the means.
The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), as it is formally called, to distinguish it from the less widely distributed Bahama Mockingbird, is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. I painted it in flight, about to alight on the top of a pole. The red, green and orange in the background is an abstract representation of leaves and/or flowers. This is now our granddaughters’ favorite bird painting, so far. Just after I finished painting it. I came inside, settled into my recliner and looked out the front window. What do I see? A real, live Mockingbird, in exactly the same position in flight, about to land on our phone line! Amazing! Do you suppose he was just mocking my poor attempt at portraiture?
There are many species of finches and many varieties and subspecies within those species. Many times one will see a brightly colored bird that doesn’t seem to belong. And one finds out it doesn’t. It is an escaped pet, hybrid finch.
Goldfinches seem to be plentiful in this area. I believe that is largely due to the revival of the popularity of planting native flowers, and the understanding of the need for native plants in the life-cycle of birds, insects and bees. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, North America was losing its bird population at the alarming rate of an average of 5% each year. By around 2011, the trend was reversed and birds started to recover. This happened as people planted more natives, reduced lawn areas and increased planting areas, reduced or eliminated the use of pesticides and herbicides after educating themselves about the benefit of living in the ecosystem not off of it.
Goldfinches are beautiful and are capable of several songs. We are regularly visited by our yellow friends in our yard in Perkasie. This painting is based on an experience I had in June 2016 at our house on Front St., Souderton, shortly after my open heart surgery to replace my damaged aortic valve with a pig valve. I had just exited our house and was passing the front “garden”, a jumble of native plants and weeds. I was moving slowly. A male goldfinch landed on one of the many Echinacea that were in bloom. He was within arm’s length of me. He tilted his head and looked at me; then he began to sing. He went through all of his repertoire, then it seemed as if he turned to me again for a response. I said, “Thank you, Mr. Goldfinch!” He nodded and flew off, It was a magical moment, like something from one of those classic Disney movies.
I grew up in Minnesota. In my day, there was a strong and booming middle class, thanks to an aggressive, progressive income tax structure on both the federal and state levels. On weekends, holidays and vacations (Working people actually took vacations back then), it seemed just about anybody and everybody went “to the lake”. That is what we all said. Our cars’ license plates advertised “10,000 Lakes”. The Almanac counted 12,512 lakes plus a few thousand ponds. One did not have to leave “the Cities”, short for “the Twin Cities”, Minneapolis and St. Paul, to go to a lake. “Minneapolis” is a mash-up of Sioux and Greek meaning “City of Lakes” and has 25 lakes within the city limits, including one man-made one, since they just needed to round up, I guess.
When I was in junior high, my folks bought a lake place just across the river in Wisconsin. I learned the cheeseheads called Minnesotans “swampies”. But this article was supposed to be about my painting of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). I grew up seeing these beautiful, fishing birds on the edges of lakes and swooping down and diving into them all of my young life, growing up in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I have seen them occasionally, if only fleetingly, in PA. I am told they fish Lake Lenape.
The Barred Owl (Strix varia) aka Northern Barred Owl or Hoot Owl is just a little smaller than the Great Horned Owl at 16–25 in (40–63 cm) long with a 38–49 in (96–125 cm) wingspan. It hunts mainly at night, but is known to hunt during the day, at times. Its diet is mostly rodents and other small mammals, small birds, small reptiles, lizards, insects, crayfish, fish and crabs. It is the only eastern American owl with brown eyes. All of the others have yellow. Regarding owls’ eyes, Audubon cautions against using your flash when photographing owls. Their eyes are built for night hunting and night flight. So they are very light sensitive. Camera flashes can damage them.
You may want to visit the Audubon site to hear the various hoots of this owl and to learn more.
A little Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) such as this can make quite a racket. A flock of them can intimidate Crows. They are non-migratory. They can become quite comfortable around humans, even to the point of eating out of one’s hand.
Perkasie is on the edge of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s (Pheucticus ludovicianus) warm season nesting range. Audubon says that they generally stay in the tree tops, out of sight. We see two pair regularly on the low hanging phone and electric wires and our shed roof. The female is on the left in the painting. The male is on the right, with the bright, scarlet triangle on his chest and the black head. He also has more songs which he uses to protect nesting territory and the young. Both parents feed the young. They will have one or two broods each year.
This is as good a time to mention as any. I used our Weber Kettle lid to paint the circles for the medallions on the mural and an old attic window frame to paint the shape of the “sign” on the street end of the wall.
To date, we have not seen a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) land or perch in our yard, but we have seen one or two soar overhead. They definitely do nest in the vicinity of Lake Lenape. They are beautiful in flight and can achieve a speed of over 200 mph (320 km/h) during their peculiar hunting dives. National Geographic TV once recorded one such “hunting stoop” at 242mph (389 kph). They are the fastest animal on the planet.
The Peregrine’s diet is almost exclusively medium sized birds. So, much of its prey is depicted on the wall around it. It will also eat reptiles and even insects, if need be. It earned its name, which means “wanderer” due to its strange migratory patterns. Peregrine Falcons have wandered almost over the entire globe, with nesting areas from the tropics to both arctic tundras. The only non-arctic land mass where they have not yet nested is New Zealand. Perhaps they don’t like sheep. The only other bird that has a wider, world distribution is the Rock Pigeon, and that is because they were introduced by humans. I guess the British had not heard of clay pigeons yet.
There are 33 species in the genus New World Orioles, icterus, which is not the same as the genuses of the Old World Orioles of which there are three extant and two extinct. The species that I have seen in our front yard in Perkasie is a Baltimore Oriole (icterus galbula).
I painted a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) second because Blue Jays inhabited the evergreen above the end of the wall before the Mourning Doves chased them to the tree on the corner of 5th and Spruce. This was so unusual since Blue Jays are normally so aggressive.
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