Cormorants – the fisherman’s companion
September 28, 2009 by admin

Cormorant-10 Mondays here at Hoffman Art Design are for the birds! And today, keeping with that theme, we are going to take a look at cormorants. As it happens, there are over 40 species of cormorants worldwide, and about a half dozen in the US, with the most common and widespread being the Double-crested Cormorant. Since that is the one that can be sound in my part of the US, that’s the one we’ll be seeing in today’s pictures!

Cormorants are somewhat related to the anhinga, whom we met a few weeks ago. Both are strong swimmers and dive for fish, and both tend to perch with their wings spread after prolonged periods in the water. Cormorants are easily distinguished from anhinga, once you know the key features. The most telling is the heavy yellow hooked bill of the cormorant. This bill is quite different from the needle-like bill we saw on the anhinga.

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Black Skimmer: bemusing bird with a big bill
September 21, 2009 by admin

Skimmer-6 I just love Black Skimmers.

Rarely does a bird fit its name as well as they do, and equally rarely to you find a bird at once silly and graceful, gaudy yet plain, striking yet subdued. They can be one of the more entertaining shore birds, and have a knack for being one of the most frustrating as well.

Black skimmers are primarily a seabird, resembling in appearance and habits a sort of odd tern. They are found throughout the US Gulf coast (which is great for me, since I live in the Tampa bay area) and along the Atlantic coast up as far as Cape Cod, and south through the Caribbean and into South America. They are also found along the Pacific coast in southern California, down through Central and into South America.

The adults are black above and white below, which makes for a striking, if plain contrast. However, they are adorned with bright orange webbed feet, and a monstrous black and orange bill, which they employ to great advantage in the activity for which they are named: skimming.

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A is for Anhinga – an amazing bird
September 14, 2009 by admin

Anhinga-2 As I’ve mentioned in the past, I love Avian Photography, and for many reasons.
It allows me to combine my passion for photography and art with my interest in ornithology. It affords me the opportunity to spend a lot of time out of doors, communing with nature, which is always a wonderful thing. And, of course, birds don’t require model releases when I display their images!

Today I’d like to give the spotlight to a bird that, in my experience, is underappreciated and seldom fully understood: The Anhinga. These birds are cousins of the cormorant, booby, gannet and pelican, and are known by a variety of names, including "darter," "snake bird," and even "water turkey."

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Avian Photography – It’s For The Birds!
August 15, 2009 by admin

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I’ve been an amateur bird-watcher – or “ornithologist,” as we like to call ourselves when we feel a bit snooty – since I was in my teens. My original copy of Birds of North America (Golden Field Guide) is still with me after 35 years of birding, and although it is dog-eared and faded, and is now accompanied by numerous other guides, it is still my favorite go-to when I’m trying to identify birds quickly.

As I developed into a photographer, it seemed only natural to translate my enthusiasm for birding into an enthusiasm for bird photography. Alas, until the digital age, I never had the resources (read: money for film and developing) to hone my art. While my early attempts with film were (in my memory) quite good, digging the photos out of the old albums shows that I was still in the early stages of my education…

Once digital photography became widely available in the late 90s, I again turned to bird photography, and have embraced it with a renewed enthusiasm. I enjoy the process as much as the results, being outdoors and in touch with nature is a beautiful way to spend your time. Turn off the cell phone, unplug the computer, grab your camera and go! But, before you head out, I’d like to share some tips that I’ve learned over the years. I hope you benefit from some of these ideas, and if you do, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment for me, or write to me at “artist (at) hoffmanartdesign (dot) com.”

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