Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

The shoe/figure from the previous post wasn’t the only piece I made that day.  Here’s another in my Styro-bird series I call the “Orange-collared Thickbill”.  It  wouldn’t surprise me to learn that somewhere among the world’s 10,000 plus bird species is an actual bird called this!  All the elements came from this day’s walk.  The blue bill is the nose cone of a bottle rocket.  The eyes come from sycamore seeds.  I wanted to create another image with the willow fluff before the expected rains wash it away.

I’m seeing fewer actual bird species now and feel we are settling into our summer time mode.  Cedar waxwings are still around…taking advantage of a bumper crop of mulberries.  The resident Eastern Kingbirds are back flycatching from their willow posts.  Orioles still flash through the treetops as they pursue their own kind relentlessly.  Closer to the ground, I came across a small flock of American Goldfinches.  Their bright yellow bodies, black wings, and orange bills add a color note to the muted tones of sand and gravel.  I remember seeing once, a small flock of about twenty goldfinches their numbers doubled by their reflections in the shallow water they were bathing in…now that was beautiful! 

Last shot is of one of these amazing willow trees that survive being immersed and battered by the river’s currents.  It’s like walking through this habitat of giant bonsai trees.