Bachman's Sparrow Carving 112, part 2

In my recent post about my Brown-headed Nuthatch carving I wrote about how I was inspired to plant Longleaf Pines, Pinus palustris, after reading about the habitats of Florida. This pinewood were vast and seemingly endless at the time, but now, they are scattered and remnant patches. Longleaf Pine used to cover 90,000,000 acres, from Virginia to Florida, and over to Texas, now less than 5% of this habitat remains. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman's Sparrow, were three signature birds of this habitat.

A few years ago, while flipping through the pages of my Sibley's Guides to Birds, I was looking for resident birds of Florida, that I have not seen yet. One that caught my eye was the Bachman's Sparrow. I had never seen one, or heard one, and after looking up the sightings on eBird, I learned that this bird was spotted recently down the road from my parents house. This got me thinking that if I made a suitable habitat for this bird maybe I could get them to return. My parents have 5 acres, and about half of it is Slash Pine/Palmetto habitat. There was a section, close to the pond, that I adopted to by my "prairie" and I would work on it to make an open pine forest with native grasses and wildflowers. The first and most important step was to remove all the non-native, invasive plants (Brazilian Pepper, Japanese Climbing Fern, non-native grasses such as Bahia and Cogon). Once these plants were removed native plants started to fill back in naturally, such as Coreopsis, Sundews, Bladderworts, Skullcaps, Polygala, Bog-Buttons to name a few!).  I also planted more native wildflowers and ferns, including the Hooded Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia minor, that was once found at a sight down the road, but the sight was destroyed by mining. Most recently I planted native blueberries, shiny fetter bush, Liatris, and three Longleaf Pines. Even though a few years have gone by, I still have not seen any Bachman's Sparrows here at my parents house. I think there just isn't enough suitable habitat, and my small prairie can not support them, though it does get visited by many other birds. It is an ongoing work in progress...

Bachman's Sparrow carving with a Hooded Pitcher Plant, 

in my restored pine land habitat.

Bachman's Sparrow carving among some wildflowers:

Hypericum, Scutellaria, Sarracenia minor, Polygala. I've recorded 60 species 

of native plants in just this few hundred square feet. 

Bachman's Sparrow carving with a newly planted Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris, and to the left a Slender Gayfeather, aka Blazingstar, Liatris gracilis. Both plants were bought from Sweetbay Nursery, in Parrish, Florida. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carving 122

At my parents house I designed and planted a Hummingbird Garden, which has nectar plants to attract hummingbirds, but also attracts a wide variety of nectar feeding insects and other native wildlife. This garden is planted with different species which I will list below and is very low maintenance except for annual pruning and occasional weeding. It doesn't get any supplemental watering except maybe during the winer dry season.

Hummingbird Garden Plant List for my garden in Manatee County, Florida:
Darlington Oak - Quercus hemisphaerica
Slash Pine - Pinus elliottii
Firebush - Hamelia patens
Walter's Viburnum - Viburnum obovatum
Coral Honeysuckle - Lonicera sempervirens
Rangoon Creeper - Combretum indicum (not native - bought because I saw a hummingbird on it at the nursery. Is beautiful and fragrant)
Corkystem Passion-flower - Passiflora suberosa (supports a colony of Zebra Longwing butterflies)
Firecracker Plant - Russelia equisetiformis
Shrimp Plant - Justicia brandegeena
Scarlet Sage - Salvia coccinea
Sage - Salvia x 'Wendys Wish'
Sage - Salvia x 'Mystic Spires'
Coleus various cultivars
Common Violet - Viola sororia
Wild Boston Fern - Nephrolephis exaltata
Florida Butterfly Orchid - Encyclia tampensis (I've only seen tiny bees on these)
Giant Airplant - Tillandsia utriculata
Northern Needleleaf - Tillandsian balbsiana

So since the winter of 2018 I've been seeing a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, feeding in a large Laurel Oak, I think picking off insects. It spend a lot of time searching all the branches of the trees and making short quick movements and then hovering throughout the tree. Later I saw her in my Moms vegetable garden feeding on some nice healthy Scarlet Sage. Then this spring and summer I saw her in my hummingbird garden and also feeding on the other fire bush I've planted around the yard, and defending the bushes from a juvenile male hummingbird (which Im wondering if its her son).  Here is her carving. I made her with a slightly turned head, and siting on a wood finial.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris

Finished carving made of basswood, acrylic paint, and glass eyes,

sitting on a wood finial base. 

David K. Kramer 2019

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris

Here is carving in my hummingbird garden where I saw her, feeding on

Coral Honeysuckle, a beautiful native vine. 

David K. Kramer 2019

Brown-headed Nuthatch Carving 121

This summer I took a trip to Destin, FL on an invitation from one of my friends from Virginia Beach. We stayed a few days there in a nice Airbnb, and each day went to Henderson Beach State Park (where I photographed some of my shorebirds and Least Tern in a previous post).  It was very beautiful there in Destin and the state park was really nice as well. After the trip and on the way back to Miami, we stopped at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. I really wanted to see pitcher plants, and to look for birds. While hiking I came across a small flock of Brown-headed Nuthatches. They were pretty high up in the pines and actively feeding and chirping a lot. So after getting home I started work on my Nuthatch. The bird I carved is based off of the Florida subspecies: Sitta pusila caniceps, which was once called the Gray-headed Nuthatch.

While doing research on this subspecies I came across a lovely book with a great quote from the book "Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and their Allies" by Arthur Cleveland Bent:

The Gray-headed Nutchatch was recorded by Arthur H. Howell (1932) as "an abundant resident in northwestern Florida; moderately common in the central and southern parts." It has been taken at least as far south as Miami. Its home is in the extensive open pine forests of the State, known as the "flatwoods." The northern tourist, seeking a winter sojourn in Florida, rides in the southbound train for hour after hour with nothing to see from the car window but apparently endless miles of uninteresting flat pine barrens, until he wearies of the monotony. He does not appreciate the intriguing vastness of these almost boundless flatwoods; nor does he admire the stately beauty of the longleaf pines and the picturesque charm of the Caribbean pines. Only the naturalist fully appreciates them, for "there is a nameless charm in the flatwoods, there is enchantment for the real lover of nature in their very sameness. One feels a sense of their infinity as the forest stretches away into space beyond the limits of vision; they convey to the mind a feeling of boundless freedom. The soft, brilliant sunshine filters down through the needle-like leaves and falls in patches on the flower covered floor; there is a low, humming sound, something mimicking the patter of raindrops, as the warm southeast wind drifts through the trees; even the loneliness has an attraction," as so well expressed by Charles Torrey Simpson (1923).

...It's such a charming and magical statement. And now-a-days these vast boundless flat woods are unfortunately a thing of the past. Knowing this and doing more research of the Long-leaf Pine forest that once grew over much of Florida, and the Southeast United State, prompted me to plant a few of these trees at my parents house in Manatee County, FL. The trees I bought from Sweet Bay Nursery, in Parrish, FL, and I highly recommend them for finding a wide variety of Florida native plants, and great customer service.

Brown-headed Nuthatch - Sitta pusilla caniceps

Almost finished carving, just needs legs and feet. 

David K. Kramer 2019

Roseate Spoonbill chick Carving 120

For late spring and early summer I wanted to make a baby bird, and I've been wanting to make a hatchling of a wading bird such as an Ibis or Spoonbill.  More than a year ago I bought a cute antique metal basket that was painted pink, and I thought it would be cute to put a baby Roseate Spoonbill on a soft nest in that basket. Kind of an Easter idea originally or a gift for a child. Im not sure if I have the basket still, and moved to the idea of putting the chick carving in a natural nest and place it in a mangrove tree to replicate how Roseate Spoonbills nest. After I was finished with the carving I made the branch nest from branches of the invasive Brazilian Pepper tree. Here's a few photos of the finished piece. 

Hatchling Roseate Spoonbill, carving 120.

Made of basswood, a glass eye, and acrylic paint. 

David K. Kramer June 2019

Here is the Roseate Spoonbill carving in its Brazilian Peppertree nest. I added 

some dried seagrass and seaweed too, like some of the nest sometimes have.

Another shot of the Roseate Spoonbill hatchling. These birds really do look like dinosaurs in many ways. But while painting it, I really felt like it was a little scary in a dinosaur like way. 

Cape May Warbler Carving 119

Spring is in full swing! And its already HOT here in South Florida...
Last month was the Spring migration for most birds here, whether they spent the winter here or further south, they leave and head back north. One bird which spends its Winters in Carribean, and the very south tip of Florida, is the Cape May Warbler.  In late May a large wave of them along with other warblers, vireos, etc, pass through Florida; and the best part about it is they're in their bright spring plumage!! I was really happy to see a very bright male with dark rufous cheeks, much darker than I've seen before ...though it might have been the lighting. He was with a flock of 12 American Redstarts, and a few Northern Parula, at the Morikami Museam and Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, FL.  It's a great place for warblers because of the variety of trees, native plants, and water features. If you find a fruiting fig (Ficus sp.) around this time of year, you're sure to see a variety of birds eating the fruits or insects on the fruits. So after I saw this warbler I was really inspired to carve him.  I had been wanting to carve on for a while now too!

Me, at work, with the almost finished Cape May Warbler. I have always tried to make each of my birds true to size. I research measurements taken from banding birds and use them as a guide when carving. 

The Cape May Warbler is the first bird I've made with an accessory. This is the fruit of a Shortleaf Fig, Ficus citrifolia, made out of wire, wood, and painted with acrylic paint. 

The finished spring male Cape May Warbler, sitting on my faux bois table from Martha Stewart. 

The faux bois planters behind it are all planted with Florida native plants, that area native to the South Florida counties. 

Another view of the finished Cape May Warbler and ficus fruit. 

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your spring and a very safe and happy summer. 

Thanks for visiting!

Snowy Plover Carving 118, Part 2

Welcome! Last time we went on a field trip to Lovers Key State Park to look for Snowy Plovers.  I was so happy to find one, and decided it would be my next carving.


The Snowy Plover is resident here in Florida, but is usually just found along the Gulf Coast side. There are a few subspecies of Snowy Plover. Ours is sometimes referred to as the Cuban Snowy Plover, Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris. It is found along the Gulf Coast of Florida, some Caribbean Islands, Northern Yucatan Peninsula, and Northern Venezuela. It is paler above than the other subspecies, the Western Snowy Plover, in North America.

I always start by creating a template based on scientific measurements from specimens as close to the birds Im carving. So I had to find measurement from Florida birds. Usually these are in old books that record the measurements of the bill, wing, tail, tarsus, and toe, in millimeters (which is so helpful!)

Carving out the shape from a block of wood, and using the template as a guide. 

So its almost entirely shaped. this is where I will do more detail work and lots of sanding!

Fast forward, to after the bird was finished being painted. The construction of legs was a new thing for me. Usually I just use a dowel, and shape it a bit, but this time I made legs out of wire and wood. Its a very delicate process but it looks so much better! I painted the little mound of sand (made out of wood) to look like the sand at Lovers Key State Park. Also notice how it only has 3 toes; some shorebirds don't have a hind toe, such as the Sanderling!

 

A day at the beach! This is in Destin, Florida on the Florida Panhandle. The finished Snowy Plover with my hatchling Black Skimmer, and a Least Tern in the background. I did see quite a few Least Terns, and a nice amount of shorebirds, but no Snowy Plovers here. This was mid-May so some of the shorebirds were in breeding plumage, which was neat to see!

Snowy Plover Carving 118, part 1

Its almost summer and its already HOT! A good time to go to the beach and enjoy a day in the sand and water, but of course always be respectful of the wildlife around you, and ones that share the ocean with you. In Florida and many other beaches this means sharing the sand with nesting birds! Like my next carving, the Snowy Plover.

In Florida we have Snowy Plovers year round on our Gulf Coast beaches.  They enjoy the calm waters and white sand found along the gulf. Because of this desirable habitat, to both humans and birds, it also attracts millions of people!! Many of which do not know that the birds here depend on these precise beaches for their lives.  Crowded beaches, pollution, pets, off-road vehicles, have all greatly reduced population of nesting shorebirds and seabirds. This is from nest being destroyed, trampled on, or stressing of the adult birds causing them to abandon their nest. The Snowy Plover is no exception and has become rare and endangered, even locally extinct on some beaches.

On my last birthday I went to Lovers Key State Park in Fort Myers beach to look for some. I had seen on at a nearby beach 2 years before, and wanted to find and photograph more.

It was a windy and rainy day, and I walked the entire length of the beach that faces the gulf and did not see a single Snowy Plover. While walking a Wilsons Plover did land just about 10 feet away from me though; it was quite random but I was happy!

I then went to walk a wooded path and came out to an inlet where the water was much calmer and there was a flock of shorebirds in the distance. I walked toward them along the upper part of the beach, but the flock kept having to go further away as they were being followed by clueless tourist... Eventually the flock flew and came closer to me. The flock was mostly Sanderlings, a few Ruddy Turnstones, and thankfully(!!!) one Snowy Plover.  I was able to get a few okay pictures of it while sitting still on the upper part of the shore, and it even came quite close to me on its own. Eventually, more people came and the plover flew across the inlet and out of sight... Im just thankful I got to see one, and for a moment!

The northern end of Lovers Key State Park. The Snowy Plover is in the picture, but its plumage blends it perfectly into its environment. It just goes to show how it is completely evolved for this area. 

The Snowy Plover, it spotted something tasty!

Another photo of the bird seen today. Its quite camouflage and if it wasn't with the flock of white Sanderling I probably wouldn't have found it!

Im so glad to have found it, but really it's all thanks to the conservationist and volunteers that make a lot of effort to protect these birds.  Without them Im sure I wouldn't have found this one. 

Thanks for stopping by, Part 2 is coming next with carving this charming little bird!