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| The Oystercatcher Dreams |
Hello everyone. Today it has been forty-six days since I was last at my work site. I've been out on mandatory leave due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and have been spending my time practicing the art of collage.
What I love about today's piece, The Oystercatcher Dreams, is that there are just three elements - the two large birds in the foreground and the one tiny Oystercatcher flying away in the background. Which Oystercatcher is the one dreaming, I don't know. I'm leaving that ambiguous. That way, the viewer can decide what the story is.
It all started with the floral headdress, which I found in a bridal magazine. I had it in my mind to use it to give some bird within my collection of vintage bird books a dignified status. So I cut it out and went through the bird books holding the cut image over many different bird heads until I found the right one. I never would have thought to buy a magazine about weddings, but it said 'the flower issue' and it was fifty cents at my favorite charity shop. That's what I call a lot of fun for fifty cents! All three of the American Oystercatchers used here are from those same vintage bird books.
American Oystercatchers are, not surprisingly, a recovering species. In the 19th century they were hunted for their eggs and feathers and nearly became extinct. Recovery only came about after the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 and yet they are still considered a 'species of concern' because of low and declining populations. They remain on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List due to loss of habitat, sea level rise, pollution, disease, and invasive species competing for food.
So I would say that American Oystercatchers are worthy of our respect and attention.
Thanks for reading and I hope you are having a peaceful Sunday.
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