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Cape Cod Spring Sketchbook

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Wow! It’s been awhile since I wrote a blog post. I’m busy on Facebook and Instagram (just search for Cape Cod Art and Nature) these days but would like to get back to posting here as well.

It’s been an interesting spring so far. Spring, you say? What spring? It’s been a non spring, actually! One of my recent columns talks about this and you can read it here.

I’ve joined a #100dayproject challenge this year and have been updating my sketchbook daily. I’ve always kept a sketchbook journal but it hasn’t really been daily, except in small spurts. I try to draw on location out in the field but to be honest, it’s been too cold to paint out there. I add the color with watercolor in my studio. On rainy days I’ve used things like shells and feathers from my collections.

On one rainy and blustery day I sat in a beach parking lot and drew these flirting laughing gulls.
Lichens are always interesting and challenging to draw. I often add notes, thoughts, questions to my pages. I also list the birds I see or hear. I’ll be offering an online nature journal class that will start in the next few weeks. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to get outside and observe. If you would like to be added to my email list please let me know at capecodartandnature@gmail.com For some reason wordpress doesn’t allow email links in posts so I apologize for the extra step. Just copy and paste in your email bar.

I’m heading off to a writer’s conference this weekend. And yes, I finished my middle grade novel for kids. I’m hoping to find an agent. More on the book soon. Until then, enjoy what could be spring weather this weekend!

King Eider at Cape Cod Canal

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Every winter we get a few birds hanging around our area that are fairly rare but which appear as singletons with some regularity. For example, harlequin ducks, beautiful birds from the far north that usually winter off the rocky Maine coast, can be seen off the Cape in several locations almost every winter. There may be one or two that spend a good part of the winter by the canal jetty each winter and there always seems to be at least one seen at Nauset or Coast Guard Beach. I have seen them in both locations each winter for at least 10 years but just the one or two.

King eiders are another northern duck that seems to make a yearly appearance here on the Cape in the winter. Most often seen with the flocks of eider ducks in or around the Cape Cod Canal one can sometimes be seen off the outer Cape beaches or off Sandy Neck, which may be the same one seen by the canal. That’s a king eider smack in the center, hanging out with his common eider buddies.

Some years I spy one but for the last few years when a king eider has been reported at the canal I have missed it. This year reports have been coming in over the last few weeks that a very accommodating king eider drake was being seen daily by the herring run on the Wareham side of the canal. The weather was rough and I was busy and I enjoyed everyone else’s photos. Until yesterday. Yesterday we were heading to New Bedford so we had a chance to stop and see the bird.

As everyone else had mentioned, it was indeed, right there and easy to spot. I do not have a fancy camera so you can see how close the bird was. If you’re so inclined, go see it. One of these days it will leave but for now it seems quite content to hang out eating shellfish and crustaceans which are abundant in the canal, especially along the rocky jetties.

Saturday musings

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What a strange week it has been! Cold, warm, misty, drizzly, and windy. Very, very windy. But, oh, that light! If you can’t find spring anywhere in our gray and damp Cape Cod landscape, just enjoy the light.


For me, it’s been a week of busy days. Planning for summer and fall programs already, getting settled in my new job at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum and writing, lots of writing.

My April Vacation programs are now listed online and open for registration.

Many of you know I’m finishing up my dummy for a picture book. I am hoping that will go out to a few publishers next week. I am also finishing a draft of a middle grade novel and hope to work on a final draft over the summer so I can send it out early in the fall to agents.


In the meantime I am writing my weekly columns, which I still love all these years later. I am also writing features and reviews for the Barnstable Patriot almost every week. This week I am adding the links to some of those below.

My Nature’s Way column for this week can be found at http://orleans.wickedlocal.com/entertainmentlife/20170324/natures-ways-day-by-day

My Weekly Nature Watch column is here http://www.capenews.net/columns/weekly-nature-watch-it-s-springtime-at-last/article_ab1e1d2c-48d3-5473-9662-7ebb4d8f3199.html

There’s a fabulous new show at the Cahoon Museum of American Art http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/news/20170323/landmark-exhibit-opens-at-cahoon-museum-in-cotuit

Nancy Rubin Stuart will be reading from her latest manuscript at the Hyannis Public Library next Wednesday http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/news/20170323/author-seeks-feedback-from-readers-in-hyannis-library-talk

The Cape Cod Synagogue will be hosting a Kosher Deli Dinner and Dance http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/news/20170323/cape-cod-synagogue-in-hyannis-hosts-annual-kosher-deli-dinner

Happy Spring!

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To be fair, we’ve had far worse winters weather wise but this winter has seemed rougher, darker and sadder than most. As a life long environmentalist, artist and educator I can’t help but feel that everything I believe in is being threatened by bullies who worship the dollar far more than the heart, soul and health.

For me, the long winter kept making that more and more apparent. As spring arrives, however, I find myself rolling up my sleeves and getting down to the hard work of really standing up for the things I treasure. I find comfort in the fact that so many women, and men, too, are doing the same. Bulldozers and steam rollers may often get their way but eventually those confrontations with rocks, boulders and waterfalls can wear them down and stop them dead in their tracks. I intend to be one of the latter.

Anyhoo, as my grandmother would say, it is finally spring! As we all know, spring on the Cape is….well, not like spring in other places. We have to take it when we can get it, and where.

First, there’s that wonderful spring light, getting stronger every day. These black locust trees still only the tiniest of buds but the light somehow makes them seem joyous on a bright March afternoon.

Red maple, also called swamp maple, is one of our earliest native bloomers and its buds are already red and ready to go…. Pussy willows can now be found around most our bogs and freshwater wetlands. Willows like soggy ground, one of the reasons you should never plant them near a sewer line or septic tank. Their roots will eagerly seek all water sources and they aren’t picky about what type of water that might be, if you catch my drift. Skunk cabbage is another early wetland plant. I will be writing more about these interesting plants later in the week as they deserve a whole post of their own. These humble looking plants have quite the story and biology! Here’s a little skunk cabbage flower getting ready to bloom…. Hellebores, also called Lenten roses are very early bloomers and can survive snow, ice and other indignities. And of course, everyone’s spring favorites, snow drops and crocus. These are cultivated, not native or wild but they are so cheery I had to include them here.

Ospreys and piping plovers should be arriving within the week so keep your eyes wide open, ears, too!

What are some of your favorite early spring signs?

Science on the Street and Nature’s Ways

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Happy weekend! I spent yesterday at the Science on the Street event held by the STEM Network at the Cape Cod Community College. What a fun day! Hundreds of families came through and I have to say it was very satisfying and encouraging to see so many young people, boys and girls alike, really enthused about science.Many organizations were there, each with a project that the kids could really get into physically as well as mentally. At our table for the Cape Cod Maritime Museum we had a buoyancy experiment and then we made our own tiny boats to see if they would float. We added different weights to them and some sank, as might be expected. No fear in these kids, though. They just made a better, stronger boat. My assistant had fun teaching the kids how to make an origami boat, an interesting challenge that involves geometry.

In other news, my Nature’s Ways earned a Top Story spot online on Wicked Local this week. Here’s a link to check it out

http://orleans.wickedlocal.com/entertainmentlife/20170318/natures-ways-resilience

My Weekly Nature Watch column can be accessed here–and there’s a portrait of Arlo as a bonus

http://www.capenews.net/columns/weekly-nature-watch-mother-nature-wild-untamed/article_f549e889-b20c-564d-9fd8-9bc988f585f3.html

This happened to be one of my three column weeks as my Neighborhood Nature column appeared in the Barnstable Patriot. People ask me all the time if I write the same column for all three and the answer is….of course not!

http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/news/20170316/neighborhood-nature-survival-on-wing-in-winter

As I write this the wind is blowing and snow is supposed to stop by for what is hopefully its last visit this season.

Tomorrow? SPRING!!!! Woohooooooo!

 

A Little Australian Springtime on a Snowy Cape Cod Day

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The wind is blowing and the snow has just begun here on Cape Cod. We are supposed to get more rain than snow but LOTS of wind and some coastal flooding…

So, I’m warming up with a second cup of coffee and perusing more photos from our trip to Australia from last fall. It was spring there, and beautiful.

One of the most striking things about Australia for me, was the commonality of birds we would never see here. There are cockatoos, lorikeets and parrots everywhere. When I first saw one of the these galahs, also known as pink or rose breasted cockatoos, I nearly swooned. Big, boisterous and beautiful birds, these guys can be seen all over. They feed on seeds and can be found on the ground, in trees, or in one instance, lined up on a fence by the side of a road. They are big and stocky birds, measuring 36 cm or about 14.5 inches.

Australians use the word gallah–with an extra l–to describe a fool or idiot, often in joking terms. “You silly gallah, they might say, or don’t go acting like a crazy gallah… My first sighting of a crimson rosella took my breath away. I was walking along a grassy trail heading up a hill when this one flew down and landed not far from me. They are quite large, about 36 cm or 14.5 inches, but slimmer and longer looking than the galahs. I was so excited to see one of these that I couldn’t wait to tell my traveling companions…who reported seeing a whole flock. Over the time of our visit I ended up seeing quite a few but never got over thinking they were amazingly gorgeous birds. They look like a huge parakeet, right? The sulphur-crested cockatoo is another common park bird. Noisy and communal they are often found in flocks. This guy is 50 cm or almost 20 inches long, a good sized bird. A female king parrot was found hanging out with other females. I longed to get a peek at the red headed males but alas, never did see one.Rainbow Lorikeets were everywhere and I never tired of seeing them. One of the wonderful things about traveling is being exposed to so many new things, both in nature and in culture. It reminds me that the world is large and I am small. There is always something new to discover, something new to wrap my head around. Living with parrots and cockatoos is so different than living with chickadees and blue jays. But then, the opposite would be true for an Australian I suppose.

The world is a large and fascinating place…I’ve been lucky to see what I’ve seen and to have been where I’ve been. Next stop? Who knows?

Read my Weekly Nature Watch Column Online

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Nothing like a little snow to keep us on our toes! That’s not what I wrote about last week, though…find the links to one of my columns below the photo…the other has not been posted online quite yet.

From the Enterprise on the upper Cape, Weekly Nature Watch–you may have to sign in but they don’t bombard you with emails or anything….

http://www.capenews.net/columns/weekly-nature-watch-listening-to-nature-s-wake-up-calls/article_298a63c3-958d-5d89-a95a-be1da7daaea0.html 

I will post Nature’s Ways when it is posted online. In the meantime you may wish to read it in print!

Thanks!

 

 

What’s new

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Big news around here! I have accepted a position with the Cape Cod Maritime Museum as the Education Coordinator. I will also be responsible for marketing. The position is part time for now and full of opportunities for creating classes and workshops for the museum, in the schools and in the community. I am very excited about both the place and its programs. And, I can walk to work! If you haven’t been to the museum, check it out after it opens for the season on March 15.

My new position will not keep me from teaching my usual classes. I will, however, be offering a painting class there so keep watch for that announcement. Dates and times have not been set yet.

As many of you know, I teach a lot for many different organizations. I teach both art and nature classes all over the Cape and I especially love it when I can teach classes that have elements of both, such as my outdoor drawing and painting classes. Last year I taught outdoor classes twice a week from April through most of October. We traveled from Falmouth to Provincetown and painted all sorts of different landscapes as well as some of the Cape’s most beautiful gardens.

Here’s one of my students at Beech Forest in Provincetown.

And another with a prime seat at Fort Hill. We had classes painting the sunset as well. This one was at Sandy Neck. Here we were at an incredible garden in Dennis. Another garden, this time in Sandwich and it was full of sunflowers and nasturtiums. This is my get up. An easy to carry stool with a minimum of supplies that fit in a canvas bag. Right now I am teaching at Green Briar Nature Center in East Sandwich. The class is full and we are having a wonderful time. April is right around the corner so keep an eye out for my class announcements on the website, Facebook, etc.

In the summer I will be teaching several family nature journaling classes for Green Briar. These are not up on their website quite yet.

In September I will be teaching a weekend long intensive at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Drawing and Painting Birds.

My Nature Columns for this Week

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For those that don’t have regular access to my columns, here are the links to this week’s offerings. You might have to sign in but they won’t harass you.

Here’s my Weekly Nature Watch column from the Falmouth Enterprise. It’s also in the Bourne, Mashpee and Sandwich Enterprise.

http://www.capenews.net/columns/weekly-nature-watch-breakfast-on-the-beach/article_b885633c-2610-5480-99fa-7a1d5ad61c1b.html

From the Cape Codder and The Register here is my Nature’s Ways column

http://brewster.wickedlocal.com/entertainmentlife/20170303/natures-ways-spring-in-my-step

Enjoy!

The Blackbirds are Back!

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It’s always one of my favorite and first signs of spring–the return of the blackbirds. I often get common grackles before I get red-winged blackbirds at my own backyard feeders but I know the red-wings are around because I hear them.

Common grackles are big, bold and glossy birds with big yellow eyes. Their fan shaped tails are distinctive as is their raucous behavior. You always know when they are around.

Male grackles are the first to arrive, though it is difficult to tell males and females apart. Their big, solid bills help the crack corn and also eat carrion. They will gobble down seed and suet faster than you can say, hey, leave some for the squirrels and they often bicker while doing so. You have to give them credit in the looks department though. I think they are gorgeous birds, all that color glowing off them as they turn in the light. Their calls are loud and scratchy, often compared to the sound of rusty gate hinges.Red-winged blackbirds arrive in large flocks, often mixed in with grackles. Like grackles, the males arrive first and almost immediately begin to stake out territory.

Check out this guy’s raggedy tail feathers. All migratory birds look a bit haggard when they first arrive. They are often thin, minus a few feathers and in need of a good rest. That doesn’t stop them from declaring their superiority, however. Flocks of blackbirds often quibble in the still bare trees and will sing, if we can call it singing, louder and louder as time goes on and the others don’t move. That’s when you’ll start to see some aggression as one bird will decide to chase the others away. This early in the spring the others often ignore such antics and just move away a foot or so, if that. When they first arrive, the epaulets of the male red-winged blackbirds may appear dingy and lackluster. In a few weeks time the yellow and red will become quite bright, all the better to see and be seen in their world. Those bright red patches can be puffed out to seem much larger than they are. These are used as warning signals while setting up territories and chasing out would be interlopers but are also used to attract mates once the females arrive. Most are familiar with the “conkle-a-REE!” call of the red-winged blackbird. If you haven’t heard it yet, keep listening. By the end of this week they should be singing Cape wide.Have you seen a red-winged blackbird yet? Where?