winner

Here we have a cicada in Iowa by Ernesto S. He opted to photograph the insect rather than draw it. Thanks for winning Ernie.

Winner.

Drawing by 21st grader Norman B. from Sacramento California. Thank you for being one of many winners.

Winner

Female Black Meadow Dragonfly from Bayard G Berkeley California. Thank you for winning the Cicada Drawing Contest with a photograph.

Not a Drawing

But cicada related. From Luke B. Chicago, Illinois. You won.

California

This lovely cicada comes to us all the way from Napa California courtesy of Sarah S. Thank You! You are a winner!

Cicadas by Jen Beeman

These are kind of like cicada mug shots. Thanks Jen. You are a winner!

More Cicadas

Cicadas at the Brookfield Zoo.

White-throated Sparrow

This poor fella is courtesy of Jen B. Apparently I have developed a (well earned) reputation for an interest in dead animals. For the record my interest is animals in general – the dead ones are just easier to get a good look at.

First Winner

I invited people (via email) to submit their cicada drawings. This is the first one and quite nice I think. It is more accurate than my drawing as it actually has six legs. Artist: Emily Keller. You are a winner!

17 years

They're here.
I saw them in the suburbs yesterday but forgot my camera so I had to draw one.

Practice this dance and we'll do it next time I see you.

Live Birds

I saw and heard Nashville Warblers on 104th street and Kedzie today. The were alive even. And two Canada Warblers in the west loop.

Scrabble

I suppose having all consonants is better than having almost all 'I's. I do not really know the correct way to pluralize the letter I.

Summer is almost over. I just bought a package of cream cheese and the expiration date says August 30. I will have been teaching in Boise for a week before my cream cheese rots.

Something Different

Here's a beautiful, not dead, bird for those of you out there tired of all the dead stuff.

This photo was taken with a 31 mega pixel camera. See the difference?

Tennessee Warbler

I think, correct me if I'm wrong.

Alley Birds

One might expect that if you birded the alleys of Chicago you would see pigeons, house sparrows and rats (pigeons without wings). But in the alley next to this building there are white-throated sparrows and ovenbirds. On my way to Dominicks (the Midwestern spelling of Safeway) I listened to a white-throated sparrow sing in another alley. The acoustics are excellent for bird songs in city allies – just the right amount of reverb.

Found in Chicago

A couple weeks ago, while on a group bike ride (a group of three), I found an owl on the side of the road. The owl was small, beautiful and dead. I may have mentioned the owl before and that I felt too competitive to stop and examine it. Then a week later I saw a Sora in a similar state of beauty and health. This time I was riding alone and I took the time to stop and examine the bird. It was still warm. Both times I wished I had a small digital camera for my records. Today, while riding north on Elston (on a smaller group ride of two), I found the above about 100 feet south of Division Street. Again, I had no camera so I stuck it in my pocket. It was neither warm nor beautiful but it was dead.

Spring

This evening I saw a squirrel carrying a baby squirrel in it's mouth. Once again I was without a camera so I made this sketch instead.

Taffy in the mid to late 1990s. I dreamt that she was in my bed a couple nights ago.

I guess I am a nerd. I just bought, the first season of "Maude" on DVD, I mean, “The Children of Hurin,” by J.R.R Tolkien.
A book I want to buy is Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion. Do you know why? Because it is Essential. Although it also claims to be a field guide companion yet it is large and hardbound. I cannot imagine actually taking it to the field. I don’t suppose this second paragraph has done anything for my nerd status.