Each fall, the Woodson Art Museum presents its Birds in Art exhibition. The Museum’s galleries are filled with over 120 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper – the country’s best indoor bird watching.
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| Cat Bird |
Over the years, I’ve developed quite an appreciation for our fine-feathered friends and have decided to compile a life list to document the avian species I encounter. My life list is different from those of other birders. I’ve chosen to only include birds that I can identify in photographs I’ve taken. Thanks to the precision and convenience of digital photography, this goal is much easier than it would’ve been with film photography.
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| Cape May Warbler |
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| Black-and-White Warbler |
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| Yellow Warbler |
Although I’ve always enjoyed watching and photographing birds, a couple of events this year sparked a greater interest. In the fall of 2012, I led a group of Museum travelers on a ten-day trip to Cuba that combined cultural interaction and bird-watching outings. On the trip, I took photographs of some of the most beautiful birds I’d seen in the wild. It was fun maintaining the list of birds that we identified.
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| Magnolia Warbler |
This spring, I photographed a number of warblers in the Wausau area when a snowstorm slowed their migration and they waited for the weather to break. I had no idea how beautiful and diverse the spring migrants were.
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| Common Yellowthroat |
Even with a digital camera, photographing many bird species can be a challenge. Warblers, for example, instinctually hide behind branches and leaves and may make an appearance for only a second or two before moving back into hiding. It takes great patience and an understanding of the various species to know how and when to get their picture.
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| Wilson’s Warbler |
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| Palm Warbler |
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
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| Cormorants on Lake Wausau |
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| Horned Grebe on Lake Wausau |
If you’d like to see more photographs from my visual life list, I’ll be leading Art History 101: The Birding Connection, Wednesday, October 16, 12:15 – 1 pm. I may even throw in a few surprises; join me on this virtual birding excursion!
