BLOG about PAINTING

Well, the wind dropped out, the sun shone, and it was gorgeous.

The house overlooks a valley (the one that I keep painting). Apparently, it's reclaimed land. There's a small creeklet that flows out to the ocean through a culvert in the dike. The birds just LOVE to hang around, especially when there is lots of standing water. With all the recent rain, they're in bird heaven.

The main suspects are the Pukeko (the geeky, gawky, chicken-like character in the Aug. 12 blog), Lapwings, and gulls. These all have one thing in common: They are definitely not songbirds. They SCREECH. Loudly. Whenever they are disturbed, such as when a Harrier comes along. It ain't pretty, but it sure works as a warning system to everyone in the neighbourhood!