Springtime Avocets

Springtime Avocets-Acrylic 5" x7"

Every spring we get several kinds of shorebirds passing through and resting in our area as they head for their breeding grounds. One of my favorites is the American Avocet. They are elegant looking birds in their breeding plumage with cinnamon colored heads and uniquely curved bills. The females bill curves more than the males. They swing their long up-curved bills through shallow water to catch small invertebrates. 

I found these birds feeding in a lagoon near my house. The morning was sunny and bright and made the avocets color glow. I especially liked the reflection of the trees in the water in their early spring greens and how that perfectly complimented the rusty red of the birds heads.

This painting is done in acrylic and is just 5" x 7". It is available through my Daily Paintworks website.