Daily Bird: 74: Blackbird fly...

Next week on the Hedge, it's Monoculture week - a celebration of one of our own and and her big ideas in book form. We like big ideas at the Hedge in many forms and book form is one of our favorites. In the meantime, you can catch FS Michaels on one of her writing breaks dealing with some bird adventures of her very own:

I forgot that around this time last year, the blackbirds were a real nuisance, and this year they’re at it again. They’ve built nests in the mugo pines, and now that the babies are hatching, the birds have become very aggressive – they’ll divebomb me when I’m out in the garden, even if I’m on the other side of the yard, and I’ve even seen them divebomb Red when he’s doing nothing more sinister than lying on the grass.

What to do? The babies have hatched and become fledgings, because I’ve seen them sitting on the walkway like big lumps, trying out their wings and not really going anywhere (the babies are somehow bigger than the parents at this stage). I’m hoping that they’re on their way soon, but in any case, we’re going to have to find the nests and take them down, which should be an adventure.

I’ve read that when you go after the nest, the swooping gets worse – so much so that you’re supposed to wear a hard hat, safety glasses, and long sleeves to protect yourself from beaks and claws.

Ugh. In the end, it wasn’t that bad. The Other One bravely crawled into the mugo pine and found the nest without any hat, safety glasses or long sleeves, while I sort of held the birds off with the water hose. (That didn’t work too well. I was asked to stop spraying since someone was getting all wet.)

All that commotion, and one little empty nest!

Now, with any luck, the birds will move on. Move on, birds.

Our Daily Bird 73: Let's play sandwich

I've been doing some research on arts and the "free" market and it reminds me of this Tweety Bird bit. "I don't like that game."

Our Daily Bird 72: Daisy Blue Groff - Sparrow In A Cyclone

No gesture or no sound

Mired in hollow ground

Like a sparrow in a cyclone

You have me spiralling around

From the 90's into the 00's, there was no harder working band in Alberta than Painting Daisies. Helmed by co-frontwomen Rachelle Van Zanten and Daisy Blue Groff, P.D. evolved from an acoustic folk duo to a four-woman juggernaut that toured seemingly non-stop, purveying passionate prairie rock across Canada, the US, and Europe before disbanding in 2005. While Van Zanten went on to release two critically acclaimed solo albums in 2006 and 2009, Blue Groff has kept a lower profile, taking time to settle into the Vancouver music scene before entering the studio to record her debut solo release, Sparrow In A Cyclone.

Ably supported by producer/engineer Joby Baker's (Alex Cuba, Cowboy Junkies) slick production, elastic bass and chunky drums, Blue Groff's voice and guitar swing effortlessly from sultry to edgy with the confidence of a seasoned performer. From the swirling electro-tinged opener Forever, Slowly and the sinuous seduction of Electric Love Song(for LA), to full-on rockers like Give Up The Ghost and Gunslinger, Sparrow possesses an engaging swagger neatly balanced by the intimate warmth of songs like Full Heart, Shrug It Off and the stripped-down voice/guitar/strings of Queen of Chain. Clocking in at less than 30 minutes, Sparrow is a compact and charming calling card that will hopefully bring some attention to Blue Groff's skill with pen, voice, and guitar.

Daisy Blue Groff can be found at CBC Radio 3 (where you can also listen to four songs from the album), in the book of faces, and on Twitter.

Daily Bird: 71: Birds on a wire

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.:

"Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating."

Daily Bird: 70: The littlest birds

Tiny Niece was humming along to this the other day. It's good for an early morning humming or a little tapping on the desk while you face your Monday morning.

Daily Bird: 69: Heart like a singing bird

Christina Rossetti said her heart was like a singing bird. My heart has a little of this guy...

via pinterest

Daily Bird: 68: Steve Martin and Jubilation Day

A little banjo for your first day of summer?

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, "Jubilation Day" from Moving Colour on Vimeo.

Our Daily Bird 67: Shawn Smith sculptures

"Everett " (2008)
Bass wood, ink, acrylic paint, gauche, found branch
18 x 24 x 11 inches
Shawn Smith Art 

"Anvil" (2011)
Wood, ink, acrylic paint
28 x 36 x 13 inches 
Shawn Smith Art  

"Peafile" (2006)
Plywood, Ink, Acrylic Paint
47 x 74 x 25 inches
Shawn Smith Art 

(via sweetjuniper)

Our Daily Bird 66: What the Duck?

See, I don't hate all birds.  I am rather fond of ducks.  Especially ducks who are struggling professional photograhers.

Our Daily Bird 65: Stained Glass Sparrow

Image via Daily Mail

If you are looking for bird images in stained glass church windows, you will usually find a white dove bearing the weight of religious imagery from ancient stories. I like the bird in this stained glass - a white-crowned sparrow that finds itself memorialized in the window of a 13th century church in Norfolk, England. It drew a crowd when it landed in the vicar's garden having completed a 3,000 mile journey across the Atlantic to become only one of four white-crowned sparrows to ever be spotted in Great Britain.

The crowds took up a collection to have this memorial made and it inspires me more than many a dove. I like the idea of remembering something that pleasantly surprised you simply because it was out of place, hung around a while, and then flew away again. Here's to all those who get lost and decide to keep flying.

Our Daily Bird 64: Opus 23 by Dustin O'Halloran

Opus 23 by Dustin O'Halloran, animated by Marco Morandi. Thank you to Jett for sharing this on Twitter.

Our Daily Bird 63: Kiwi

Our Daily Bird 62: Julia Hepburn

Toronto artist Julia Hepburn:

In my work, I attempt to reclaim the innocence and curiosity of childhood.

Each compartmentalized piece displays a single scene with virtually no context. Viewers are encouraged to use their imaginations in order to develop a narrative explaining the scene.

I Wish I Was a Stallion

Death of Red Hen

He Was a Good Friend

More Julia Heburn here.

Our Daily Bird 61: David Wierzbicki

David and Goliath, by David Wierzbicki.

It's no secret that we have a soft spot for calendars here at the Hedge Society. One of my all-time favourites was illustrated by David Wierzbicki for Wycliffe Canada several years ago; it was quirky and thoughtful and exactly the kind of calendar you don't mind hanging out with for an entire year. David and I bumped into each other on Twitter and I knew I'd have to share his work with you.

 I asked David to write a little something about himself:

As for us; me and my family (wife Amy and daughter Sophia) just moved to Entwistle, Alberta to help pastor at a church and I am hoping to see my experience as an artist and co-curator define my role as a pastor. I want to create space for expression and artistry in our worship and our community life.

You can see more of his work here, and follow him on Twitter here.

Our Daily Bird 60: The Great Grey Shrike

Hallõgija / The Great Grey Shrike from Chintis Lundgren on Vimeo.

From Estonia: spend 6 minutes or so with the great grey shrike, some sparrows, the common cuckoo and a few other weird little birds.

Our Daily Bird 59: A place to call my own

It seems that many minds are turning to thoughts of home, place and space during these long winter months. Birds may need to to find shelter and not every one may want what are arguably some of the brightest and happiest houses known to birdkind. A few birds  may enjoy a more modern design and that's where ChrisJob at the Curbly blog helps out with a mid-century influenced birdhouse complete with design plans and how-to videos so your fine feathered friends can practice their unhappy hipster poses in fine minimalist style.

Our Daily Bird 58: Put a Bird on It!

One of my favourite art blogs, My Love For You, recently shared this little morsel from the new television show Portlandia. (If you've spent any time at all browsing Etsy, you will understand.)

Income tax season is coming right up, so make sure to visit the Hedge Society next week when I post my tutorial on chickadee appliqués to brighten up your return! You'll make a Revenue Canada employee smile.

Our Daily Bird 58: The Bird Dance

If you ever attended a wedding in the 1980's, I guarantee you know this song. Though originally written by a Swiss accordionist in the 1950's, "The Bird Dance" (aka "The Chicken Dance") was resurrected by dance-hall band, The Emeralds (who just happen to be from my hometown) in the late 1970's and became a ubiquitous staple of weddings, parties, and elementary school music classes (at least in my neck of the woods). It's been enduring enough to spawn a Chicken Dance Elmo, so maybe the kids are even still doing it today.

For your enjoyment, here's an incredibly awkward performance of it on The Lawrence Welk Show. Of particular note is the increasingly off-time clapping as the song progresses. Is it bad dubbing or a spectacularly poor collective sense of rhythm? You be the judge.

Our Daily Bird 57: Harper's Red Cardinal

You'll have to pardon the little Hedge break. I was in Tofino, BC watching waves crash into rocks and couldn't bear to interrupt all that with blogging. The sound of waves are firmly tucked into my memory for those long winter's nights and we are back with all the good things that Hedgies have to offer.

We started Our Daily Bird with some Charlie Harper and there is so much to pick from his work, it is inevitable that Harper's birds will land here from time to time. I have also been listening to Mile's Davis' Blue in Green and this hip red guy seemed to fit that mood.

Poster Cabaret has these available as small canvas murals. If you are looking for some more affordable art work, Poster Cabaret also has a nice selection of posters from artists like Bianca Gomez, Amy Ruppel, and Frank Chimero.

Our Daily Bird 56: TV on the Radio

Tv on the Radio "Me-I" from Bent Image Lab on Vimeo.

You can find TV on the Radio's website here.