The Celery Farm - Nature Preserve Allendale, NJ

We have had unusually warm weather here in NY this winter so far.  This morning I took a walk with my camera around the Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale, NJ.  It was more of a walk and to check the place out.  The Celery Farm is home to more than 250 varieties of birds and waterfowl.  I will definitely go back several more times and plan to take more serious photos.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Downy Woodpecker

Mallard Duck

Post Thanksgiving Ramble

We were away in upstate NY for Thanksgiving this year.  Spending time with Wendy's family and some of our dearest friends.  I have a little tradition when we are upstate for the holiday to get up early the following day and head to Mendon Ponds Park.  I walk the old orchard trail and then take my camera to birdsong trail.  The titmouse's (or is it titmice?) and the chickadees were fun this year and posed for me a little once I offered up some birdseed.  It was a great trip in many ways.  One of the things I am thankful for is being able to get out and hike with my camera.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

A Day at the Butterfly Conservatory

What do I do when I wake up and the temperature has dropped forty degrees overnight and there are fifty mile an hour winds blowing the snow around.... I head to an oasis in upstate NY, the Joseph L. Popp Butterfly Conservatory in Oneonta. It is a sure cure for the winter blahs. My Niece Jessica travelled with me on the long drive through the Catskills, so we could take photos of the birds, reptiles and butterflies on display. It was a perfect way to spend a chilly morning.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

The cardinal drops in for another visit.

The cardinal stopped in for another visit... and boy was I glad. I had been working on an upgrade for work since Friday afternoon. When I finally knocked off around for the cardinal was back in my front yard posing for me.

So on a weekend when I never expected to get my camera out the photo op came to me...

Keep Makin Art!

Today

Chickadee

Nuthatch

Tufted Titmouse

There is no better way to recover from the Thanksgiving holiday meal than a nice walk in the woods. I headed out this morning to Mendon Ponds Park in Rochester and was able to capture these shots of some of the birds on the nature trails in the park. The key is to bring birdseed to bribe the birds with have patience to wait for the right moment to take the shot. When I photograph birds I wind up only getting about 10 percent of the shots I take to work out. The birds are very quick and when you are using a zoom lens the area the shot covers is small. I probably took a hundred shots and only get 5 or 6 i am really happy with. Still It was great to be out in the woods and walking around today.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Between Washes on the Watercolor

In between washes on the watercolor I was also able to get a few shots of the chickadees stopping by Wenderina's Mom's bird feeder. They really are characters when you watch them for a while. I'll paint these two in my sketchbook when the still life is finished.

So much art so little time!

Keep Makin' Art
Carl