In the studio . . . old papers and a bird nest

Cleaning up the studio, still, and I wonder how this bird nest would look on these old Japanese papers. Well, pretty damned good! So I take some time, take a few shots, and then move on.

Nothing says I HAVE to clean the studio. But something says yes, you HAVE to take this photograph! Always lean toward “yes” seems a good motto . . .

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your kindness.

Latest work

As I'm constantly throwing out photos that are taking up too much room in my computer and external drives, I'm also adding more to the mix!

Today I created the first image, a photomontage of the tall ship "Adventuress." She was way offshore, the island in the distance just a smudge. I photographed this ship last weekend during the Port Townsend, Washington's 41st Wooden Boat Show. We had a good time -- walked aboard the ferry, walked over to the show, walked, walked, walked, sat and listened to a man playing guitar, walked some more, walked back to the ferry, and then drove home. Walked more than four miles, and it felt great.

This morning Chris noticed a junco nest on the ground outside the garage door. Must have blown off in the night. The nest was empty. Luckily, I happen to have four empty junco eggs, in case of emergency. Figured just one would be plenty for this small nest.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Hammond's Flycatcher?

Bird update . . .

So cool, being this close to little lives being born and growing up. I told my friend Bruce K., in South Carolina, that I didn't know what bird this was -- they're always hidden in the hydrangea bush or else zooming by faster than the speed of light. She's an expert, so I took these two shots this afternoon to send to her. They are HUGE crops from the photograph immediately below them, and still remarkably sharp.

I'm waiting for word back from Bruce.

And then the last photo (iPhone) is the "state of the nest" as of this afternoon. Three little chicks all facing the same direction. Too cute.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Morning coffee

Still can't figure out what birds we have nesting out front. They look almost small flycatcher-ish, but they don't fit the descriptions I'm seeing in my bird books. I am befuddled. Which in Japanese is 混乱し, but I don't know how to pronounce that . . .

It's been a very long day.

 ©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Chicks have hatched . . .

I've been watching the eggs in a nest built right outside our front door for some time. Eggs barely larger than jellybeans.

Those tiny eggs hatched two days ago and it's amazing how HUGE the birds have gotten!

What kind of birds are they? I think they are warblers of some sort. The parents are very fast, very skittish, and hide in the shrubbery. I'm the sort who wants to know what they are, but I'm making peace with this little bit of ambiguity for now.

When I saw the adult bird was off the nest yesterday, I quickly moved in, hovered the iPhone above the nest, and took a few shots shooting straight down. I felt guilty doing it, so I shot as fast as I could and then quickly departed the premises. We have resigned ourselves to using the front door as little as possible, entering and exiting from the garage instead.

It's going to be a tough couple of weeks for the adults, feeding three hungry mouths all the time. How lucky we are so close to all this activity!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

What I'm working on: "Oyster Shell Assemblage"

I have some friends here on Whidbey who are grandparents to a delightful 10-year-old girl. I've met/seen this child maybe twice in the past five years or so, but I hear stories about her. How she's interested in nature (especially orcas), reading, and art.

Yesterday I sent her this oyster shell that has a little silver bird's nest attached to its interior. And here's my accompanying letter:

Dear Caroline,

I made this the other day and for some weird reason I thought of you.

We don’t really know each other, do we? We’ve seen each other just a couple of times, right?

So why would I be thinking of you when I was making this? How did it happen?

I was cleaning my art studio and I came upon an oyster shell.

I almost threw it away, but then I saw a tiny, tiny hole in it.

Hmmmmmmm . . . A tiny hole. What can I attach to this oyster shell?

Oyster, oyster, oyster . . . What do oysters make? Pearls! I have some pearls.

Pearls, pearls, pearls . . . They look like little bird eggs, don’t they?

Birds, eggs, birds, eggs . . . Nests!

I have some silver wire. I made a silver nest with pearls inside and attached it to the oyster shell.

Ta da!

And then I thought of you — someone I don’t really know — and decided this should belong to you.

So here it is — the idea of an oyster, pearls, eggs, birds, nests — an idea that all came together as a special gift for you, Caroline. From someone you don’t even know!

Love,
Carol Leigh
Your mom’s friend on Whidbey Island.
Your grandmother’s friend on Whidbey Island.

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©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.