Winner of 2010 Bird of the Year Watercolor

So, on January 1st, 2010, I grabbed my binoculars and set off on a winter hike to spot my first bird of 2010. I will admit, I tried to focus my gaze towards the ground until entering the woods. Secretly, I think I was hoping to spot a White-breasted Nuthatch, and my chances were greater in the woods rather than near the cottage. As I approached the path that leads in to the forest, I glanced up to see a bright red Northern Cardinal fly across the trail up ahead. At first, I thought "No, not the cardinal! Why not a Plieated Woodpecker or a Cooper's Hawk, or even a Dark-eyed Junco, and not a bird that is so ubiquitous in it's overuse as a symbol for the holidays?" And then I thought, what is my problem? What's not to like? Why get all elitist about this? There is a reason why they grace thousands of greeting cards: cardinals are beautiful! They are a splash of color and life in the dead of winter. They are feisty. They herald the coming of spring with their beautiful song. They are my theme bird for 2010, and I accept!

I tallied all of the names from the comments section of the contest post, and the names of those that emailed. I wrote each name or blogger i.d. on a slip of paper, which was then placed in to a bowl. There were roughly 100 names. Thanks to everybody that stepped forward to participate and say hi. It was a lovely response, and I wish I could give a painting to everybody. Alas, I only have one, and it is going to the winner: Michael Graham.



Many thanks to all for checking in to Tiny Aviary and supporting my work over the last year. Warm wishes for a great 2010!