It's the birthday of wildlife artist John James Audubon. (1785 - 1851). Raised in France he traveled to America at the age of 18 and became a pioneer in the documentation of wildlife, inspiring Darwin and other ornithological works by his artistry and high standards.
I was fortunate to have a birdwatching mother. Bird books were thumbed through and worn out at our house as she persevered to know every bird that landed on her feeder or in the trees around our yard. She wanted to know it all; the bird, the nest, the diet, the habitat they preferred. When I moved away from the Great Lakes states and west, I had to start over, learning the west coast birds. I'm still learning.
I was fortunate to have a birdwatching mother. Bird books were thumbed through and worn out at our house as she persevered to know every bird that landed on her feeder or in the trees around our yard. She wanted to know it all; the bird, the nest, the diet, the habitat they preferred. When I moved away from the Great Lakes states and west, I had to start over, learning the west coast birds. I'm still learning.
While pulling weeds on Saturday, a scrub jay joined me to eat up the grubs and bugs I exposed. An easy meal for him and a thrill for me. There he was, 2 feet away, a beautiful, slender, single minded scavenger, helping me. He had an aristocratic air about him. I don't care about his bad habits, all that noise about eating the eggs of other birds is just part of the circle of life. He's welcome in my yard anytime.
Wildlife finds a native plant garden and the curious might wish to find the Ventura Chapter of the Audubon Society.
Wildlife finds a native plant garden and the curious might wish to find the Ventura Chapter of the Audubon Society.
