Shorebirds & Waterfowl of the Prairie
Ecotones
There is a whole world at the water's edge, at the shoreline. This ecotone, where two biological areas meet and become one, is the essence of our precious wetlands. The terrestrial meet the aquatic, but there's this third ecology that has been getting attention for only the last few decades.
I have spent so much time 'at the lake,' driving by sloughs, marshlands, and flooded fields without much thought about them. I grew up seeing miles and miles of agricultural field, jumping bales, and taking tractor rides with relatives. The term "CRP," or Conservation Reserve Program, floated around, but I knew nothing about it.
This series was my way of turning, stopping to really see and understand these ecological worlds--and their vital importance.
As I said before, there are many ways to get to know the land you live on, live with; once we engage in other-than-human relationship over time, the world truly opens up and we see. Every series is a humbling recognition of the need to restore; reconnect; not just with our own selves, but the Land we call home. This is the ecology of home--we are nature, not separate from the earth. The ecology of the home is the ecology of ourselves, interconnected.
The Songbird series initiated a deepening of my work and relationship with the land with the book "What the Robin Knows" by Jon Young. It's a deep dive into bird language, how they communicate with each other and about their environments via five key vocalization types: songs, companion calls, territorial aggression, adolescent begging, and alarm calls. It's zooming way in and out, altering the way you see and hear--he refers to us relearning how to move outdoors with "deer ears and owl eyes," opening up your sphere of awareness.
When you know the 'baseline' ecology of your immediate habitat through the seasons over time, you notice more. This is everywhere--the local pond, ocean beach, slough, lake, marsh, or open field, in some cases.
And, over time, they become kin you hope to see and welcome back.
"Mates for life
one clacks, one shrills
a benediction for our shared good life."
-Athena Kildegaard
Story Behind the Process
As with all my series work, substantial research was involved. I have a few books that anchor my work with prairie land, but I spend time gathering series-specific information in the initial, quiet stage before canvas work begins. Series works always share a common color palette to ensure harmony.
This is the largest series I've done to date: 21 pieces! This stretched my capacities, and I worked to balance time with family, time to think, and enough time with each individual piece.
I combed through dozens of reference photos, splicing photos together if needed. Special consideration was given to how the birds would relate to each other on the canvas--how they look at each other, who's together. When I view all the works together, what do I see? Love and care for each other, playfulness, sociability, community. Family is important to me, and that shows in the work. Their stories, some of them including a comeback from the brink of extirpation, absolutely inspires me.
I continued with the trails of 'bird feet' marks that resemble the rune Algiz, the 'eagle rune' and connector of the sky and earth. Native tradition tells of the eagle "asking humans to give up on their ego-influenced ways of hearing and perceiving and to listen to Great Spirit."
Bringing It Home
Water is constantly in the process of transformation. It is the 'medium of life,' and wetlands are among the richest, most productive, and diverse habitats on earth. Wetlands very wildly: water depth, temperature, permanence, chemistry, soil type, fertility, life history--and each hosts a unique community of insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and aquatic plant life.
These birds travel thousands of miles during migration, relying on key sites to rest, forage, or find mates. The Prairie Pothole region spans 270,000 miles across Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas into Canada, a sweeping, fragmented aquatic habitat collectively. The northern Midwest has been dubbed 'duck factory USA,' hosting the great majority of dabbling and diving ducks of all kinds.
And this is the magic: wetlands are the 'kidneys of the landscapes,' ecological supermarkets. They are natural water filters, helping prevent flooding, nurturing nutrient-dense soils, host a variety of wildlife, and supply water to many. In short, they're one of the most important ecosystems on earth. Wetland management requires an understanding of the multidisciplinary scientific aspects balance with the legal, institutional, and economic realities.
The good news is that policy and conservation efforts are helping reverse some of the decline, and we are all able to do something for the birds!
Resources for Learning + Taking Action
I will be adding items relevant to wetlands to this list into autumn, with more research. But the most important thing to start with is simply "get to know your neighbors," who you share spaces with. Thanks for reading.
7 Simple Actions to Help the Birds at Home
Learn more here
Why Birds Matter: the Short List
Five basic reasons birds matter
Economic Impact of Birds
Why should we care about birds? Read on!
Become a Citizen Scientist
Naturally curious, observant, and able to document your findings? Get involved with community science/citizen science initiatives! Learn more here
How to Start Birding
New to birding? Here's some info on how to get started! Remember to go slow, be quiet, attentive, and give the birds their space. And: they already saw you coming before you saw them!
Build a Nest Box
More the building type or like small projects? Learn how to build a nest box by species and host a bird pair near your home!
"That raindrop was, until recently, a cloud...from rain to soil, root to leaf, leaf to goose, goose droppings to soil, soil back to air, it has flowed through the food web, moving freely from organism to organism."
-Candace Savage in "Prairie: A Natural History"
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Photography by Britta the Photographer
