Cecil was a well known and celebrated lion, living peacefully in Hwange National Park in Simbabwe. He was a tourist draw to the park and was part of a study conducted by Oxford University. He was also the father and leader of a pride consisting of several females and numerous cubs. In July Cecil was killed by a big game hunter. His carcass was found beheaded and skinned. I did this crude drawing to celebrate and remember Cecil in the only way a beginning artist like me can. Cecil, you did not live in vain. The world is a much different place because of you.
I've been needing to get back to drawing again. This time I thought I'd try something other than my usual mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians, although I love them all. How about sharks? When we were boys, my brother and I lived on the San Francisco bay and we came in contact with these wonderful creatures many times...usually small ones, but at least one really big one. They are beautiful with the most interestingly textured skin. I tried, but this picture doesn't do justice. Oh, if you'd like to see this exact shark live and in action, you can view it 24/7 at http://explore.org/live-cams/player/shark-lagoon-cam
During all the time I was camping in the Everglades I kept my eyes peeled for a glimpse of a Florida Panther. The Florida Panther is a large cat that lives only in the vicinity of the Everglades. It is an endangered species with only about 100 left in existence. With that few in existence there was a slim chance of spotting one in such a vast space. Luckily there is a wonderful animal rescue center just outside the Everglades Park that cares for injured and otherwise troubled wildlife. It is not a zoo. It is a rescue and release facility run by a man named Bob. If an animal cannot be released after being cared for it is kept as a representative of it's species for educational purposes, The public is only allowed in on certain days. During one of my last days before leaving the Everglades I stopped in and was amazed to see a cage marked "Florida Panther". Bob, himself came over and started talking to me. I asked if there was really a Florida Panther in there, as I couldn't see anything. Bob called out, "Willow, Willow!" and sure enough a large cat came out of a large igloo like structure. My heart leapt. Bob explained that Willow's mother was confiscated during a drug raid and the stress caused her to stop making milk for her two cubs. Bob took them in and cared for them. The brother died since then, and Willow herself is getting up in years, but even now you can see the beauty and the dignity of this large cat. Bob said that Willow is actually quite tame, and that sometimes in the evenings he brings her into the house and they watch television together. OK. Here are the pictures that I was able to take. You'll have to excuse the blur, as it's hard to focus when chain link comes between you and your subject.
I know the Winter is important. It really has to happen for things to continue properly, and it has it's own beauty. But, towards the end of it I rejoiced when I herd the sound of geese flying over head. It told me it was getting warm enough for them to come home. Last week I was driving near Cabrini College and this one was sitting on the grass just waiting for me to pull out my camera and snap a picture. It was there again the next day, and the next. It won't be long now until we see the fluffy little ones. Life is beautiful!
I want to post something that would be in keeping with the Easter Holiday, and I think this would be appropriate. During my second visit to the Everglades the wood storks were successfully nesting. This was a crucial event because during my first visit the process got interrupted and many of the storks had to abort their nests and move elsewhere in search of food. The way these storks fish is by standing still with their long beaks hanging into the water until fish bump into them. This only works during a dry season when the water is shallow enough for them to stand in and the lakes and ponds shrink enough that the fish become concentrated into a small area. During my first visit it was raining too much and the ponds were too deep and too large. During my second visit, things were back on track and, as you can see, the storks were back in full force. They were building their nests on the opposite side of the pond from me, but would fly over to my side to gather nesting the material. So, life returns! Happy Easter!
I know I still haven't finished posting all my pictures from the Everglades, but I've been feeling the need to get back to drawing and I've been wanting to do a drawing of a lynx. It's funny, I had a particular lynx in mind and I had a good photograph of it, but I couldn't seem to get it's features and attitude right. Then, out of the blue, my brother sent me some pictures of lynxes that he liked and, of all things, there was another photo of the same lynx, but in a different position. This enabled me to make the adjustments and capture something of the personality of this wonderful creature. So special thanks to my brother Tomas.
This vid is from my second visit to the Everglades. It shows a variety of things. First of all, you can see clearly how pelicans eat. They fill up the sack under their bill with water and fish. Then they press the sack against their neck and breast to force the water out, and then they swallow the fish. In the background is a calm alligator with a bird perched on it's back, and if you look way in the background about midway through you can get a glimpse of a roseate spoonbill. I hope you can see the vid alright. In the version of weebly that I'm using I can only upload vids in the flash format. As I begin to post pictures from my second visit to the Everglades, I want to first show how, down there, you'll find the wildlife wherever you go. Yes, the further into the wilderness you go the more you'll find, but it also has a way of making itself at home right alongside of us, at the parking area, at the picnic table you were going to sit at, alongside the boat motor that you were about to start. Be friendly and be careful.
I'm going to try to post short vids on the first Monday of each month. Here are two vids that will help transition from my first trip to the Everglades to my second. On my first trip I almost walked right into this large alligator. Luckily it walked away into the pond. On my second trip I came across this very young alligator in almost the exact spot. Who knows? Maybe it's one of the first alligator's children. I show my foot first so you can get a size comparison. |
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