" HAIRY WOODPECKER ON BIRCH "
Robert Bateman

4500 s/n Paper
11.875" x 17"
$110

" Is it a Hairy or a Downy?" I couldn't count all of the times I've asked myself that
question. It probably started, in my case, at the age of 12, the year I had my first
bird list. This question is the beginning of seeing the world as a birder sees it. Does
the bird seem to have a sort of heavy bill or a more petite bill. Is it more like
9.5 or 6.5"?These are judgement calls . One could say that many things in life
are judgement calls. After some experience, one just gets the feel of the distinction.
The Hairy woodpecker is bigger both in size and in relative bill size. He is also
"bigger" in the sharp call. To be sure, it is always best to get a glimpse of the
outer tail feathers. The Hairy has clear, white feathers while the Downy has a
few black marks. I tell all of this because my strong belief that being a birder
is good for one's powers of observation. Paying attention to particularity in nature
is a good thing in my opinion. And birds are a good place to start.The white birch
caught my eye because of the flourishing curls of peeling bark. These trees are not
only a part of the natural world of my childhood, they hold the fascinating
connection as a useful resource material for birch bark canoes and other
utensils of our native peoples.
Robert Bateman


  

- Hairy Woodpecker -

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