From Feeders to Quilts

Birdwatchers observe wild birds in their natural habitat.   The popularity of birding has increased significantly since 1934 when Roger Tory Peterson first published his book “A Field Guide to the Birds”.  The availability of binoculars and the rise of car travel increased the popularity further.

Wild birds can be observed in a multitude of locations ranging from one’s backyard to internationally-recognized, birding hotspots.  Feeding birds in the backyard is tremendously popular.  Research findings, provided by the U.S. Fish and Wild­life Service, report more than 50 million North Americans feed birds.
According to Darryl Jones, a professor at the Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Sciences at Griffith University in Australia, “Feeding wild birds is a deceptively commonplace activity. Yet, it is one of the most intimate, private, and potentially profound forms of human interaction with nature … people who feed birds are alert to a wide range of additional natural phenomena.”  In the below photo, it’s a full house at the silo feeder as a flock of American Goldfinches enjoy niger seed in Margaree, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Backyard feeders can attract various species of birds depending on location and food provided.  Here a Red-Breasted Nuthatch prepares to leave the feeder.

This Downy Woodpecker enjoys a feast at the suet feeder.

In addition to enhancing our connection with nature, watching birds can provide inspiration for arts and crafts.  Take this sweet little Black-Capped Chickadee for instance.

Anne Morrell Robinson is an international award winning fiber artist located in Big Intervale, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  I recently had the pleasure of visiting Anne’s treasure-filled studio at Kingross Quilts and Fibre Arts.  As she showed us around, this gorgeous work-in-progress on her quilt design wall caught my eye.

The below wine/red fabric, called My Little Chickadee and designed by Jackie Robinson, inspired Anne’s design.

But Anne took the chickadee theme to the next level by designing and creating her own chickadee appliques.  Brilliant!

This quilt was not the only piece that featured local birds.  The below quilted wall hanging features appliqued crows.

There’s another crow in the below quilted panel, called In the Woods.
I don’t want to give the impression that Anne’s work is limited to bird themes.  Her studio was filled with beautiful quilts, hooked rugs and other fiber arts with a wide variety of subjects.  Here’s a quilt she had in progress on her quilting machine.

She calls this pattern Plates and Saucers because that’s what she used to draw the circles for the original template.   I love the vibrant colors and bold patterns in this one.

It is said that birds delight people because of their beauty and their power of flight.  Many believe birds also help people connect to the beauty of nature.  I’d like to take it one step further and point out that birds are a major source of inspiration for artists around the world.
Special thanks to Bertha and Dave for the private showing at their bird theater and to Anne for the special tour at Kingross Quilts and Fiber Art.

More Info

To learn more about Anne Morrell Robinson and her beautiful work, check out the Kingross Quilts and Fiber Arts website or Facebook page.
I recently visited another talented Nova Scotian artist.  See Rug Hooking in my Home Province to learn about Deanne Fitzpatrick and her lovely hooked rugs.

Finding inspiration in nature is a recurring theme on this blog.  Check out the following posts for more:
Color Palette by Mother Nature
Patterns by Mother Nature
Texture by Mother Nature

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great source of information for birdwatchers.  Their website states: “We believe in the power of birds to ignite discovery and inspire action.  Join us on a lifelong journey to enjoy, understand, and protect birds and the natural world.”  The All About Birds section of the website is jam-packed with useful and interesting info.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, along with Bird Studies Canada, operate Project FeederWatch which is “a winter-long (November-April) survey of birds that visit feeders … in North America. Participants periodically count the birds they see at their feeders and send their counts to Project FeederWatch.”

Today’s Takeaways

1. Watching birds can be a surprisingly enjoyable pastime.
2. There are numerous resources available to learn about birds and bird feeding.
3. Birds can be a great source of inspiration for art, craft and design.