I posted this on Facebook a few days ago, but thought I'd share it with my other non-FB friends. *smile* This raptor was perched next to my car in my neighbor's tree, and since I always carry a small camera in my purse, I was able to snap this great shot. Its mate was on the ground eating its prey. I tried to get closer but they snatched up the prey and flew off together. I am told this is a Cooper's Hawk. Isn't he a beauty?
I likewise enjoy identifying Color in nature. It’s surprising how prevalent gray is and how it supports and defines other colors.
That Cooper’s Hawk is a wondrous thing of beauty, a Rocky Mountain High for sure. In my neighborhood in SE Tennessee we are blessed with flocks of wild turkeys, which amassed across the fields are some of the most beautiful creatures ever.
Stunning bird! You are so right about color and learning how to see it. Even in the dead of winter when everything seems grey, if you look closely, you can see shades of grey dappled with bits of brown and green. On those rare cloudless days the striking contrast between the rich blue morning sky and the bare branches, sometimes still holding on to a white ribbon of snow, is just amazing. Thank you Luana for sharing the bird and the colors!
love the Coopers Hawk picture….received it on your equilter.com mailing. Didn’t realize that you have this blog!
Judy, another bird lover who always has her camera at the ready!
Enjoyed your thoughts. Thought I was crazy for taking pictures of fungi growing on trees,trunks of trees of all types, mushroom caps. Nature is a great teacher. Gail Buff
I absolutely loved this post and especially the color swatches on the side. I would love it if you did more of these, for those of us just ‘learning’ to see the color all around us. I spent at least 10 minutes looking at your photo.
Also, I am a non-FB friend, so I appreciate being on the email list! Thank you!
Thanks for the exquisite photo and the word picture that goes with it from your email. I will look more scrupulously for color even though winter snow covers most of the color that I see at other times of the year. Luana, thank you too for your very personal approach to your customers.
Hi Luana,
I think we are on a parallel course these days (VBG), as your article on studio purges and now the hawk sighting have been part of my life this last week.
We avidly feed birds over the winter and were amazed by the regular visits of a Cooper’s Hawk.I think that the hawk believes that we are ‘feeding’ him. See my photo here – http://www.pbase.com/daverilstone/coopers_hawk
As for the studio purge, I have been engrossed with a serious one documented on my blog. Creativity had stopped as the piles of stuff continually distracted me. Here’s to a creative environment.
The picture is wonderful, colors blissful. And your observations about observing are great. My mother always encouraged this sort of ‘seeing’ in my brother and in me. It is an incredible gift that goes on giving throughout ones life. Happy to hear that your kids will have this source of joy also!
I love hawks and to be able to see this one so close is wonderful. We are visiting in Houston right now, and driving through areas of new subdivisions where rice fields used to be. I am NOW seeing hawks about every mile on the lines where we saw none for years. For once, housing and development has done some good. There is no crop dusting going on any longer. We are also seeing other small raptors, hearing woodpeckers in the woods around the house. and hearing other birds where it was silent before.
Donna
I see the blue in the tail feathers too.
I got a new app Adobe Ideas for my ipad and it will take a photo and give you a color theme by pick colors from the photo. I never thought it using the color theme in a quilt. Thanks to you blog I might try that.