This and That!

Lovely day today! The morning was beautiful with bright sun rising, making me conscious of all the crisp colours and shadows which snaked before me on my walk. Had breakfast out with Scott and lunch out with Angela, my daughter-in-law! Simply lovely! I got lots of walking in too, so that was good! Angela dropped me off at home after lunch as a friend was waiting for me. My friend and I had a chat and cleared up some issues and I felt a great love for her.
I did some painting this afternoon in between laundry and ironing. I felt drawn to painting some Piping Plovers on a 6" x 10" paper. They are the sweetest little birds ever and I have rarely seen them, since they are so protected now. Thank goodness too, because it would be the saddest thing to lose them. Essentially their beach environment is protected so that the young can be raised without human interference. : ) 
Yesterday Roger and I walked on the Salt Marsh trail for the first time this year. We watched a bald eagle trying to steal a fish from an Osprey . The Osprey was being chased and they were swooping and diving and finally the Bald Eagle left and another one came and started chasing the Osprey. We felt it was tag teaming!! : )  I've never painted a Bald Eagle or an Osprey for that matter!

Eagles first started visiting Kings County during the winter months to feed on
shellfish found along the Bay of Fundy mud flats. Eastern Kings County is home
to approximately 90% of the Poultry Producers in Nova Scotia and local farmers
started to compliment the eagle’s diet by throwing chicken scraps in their fields.
Although a bird of prey, the eagles were not about to pass up a free meal. The
birds would soon learn just when to gather for feeding times and would start
 showing up in big numbers. 
 As the number of eagles gathering for feeding time grew, many people would
come to the area to see them. More and more came until the idea of a special
Eagle Watch was set up in Sheffield Mills. Today the area holds the record for
the largest wintering population of Bald Eagles in North America with over 500
birds recorded. Thousands of people from all over North America come each winter
to view, photograph and capture the beautiful sight of these birds in their
artwork. (taken from Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch)