Dawn Wood Designs

Meet Bill The Baltimore Oriole! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Paint: watered down acrylic
Tools: helvie, flexcut

Facts: “The Baltimore Oriole hybridizes extensively with the Bullock's Oriole where their ranges overlap in the Great Plains. The two species were considered the same for a while and called the Northern Oriole, but in the 1990s, after genetic studies, they were separated again. Young male Baltimore Orioles do not molt into bright-orange adult plumage until the fall of their second year. Still, a few first-year males in drab, female-like plumage succeed in attracting a mate and raising young. Females become deeper orange with every molt; some older females are almost as bright orange as males.”

Meet Matt The Mourning Dove! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “Mourning Doves tend to feed busily on the ground, swallowing seeds and storing them in an enlargement of the esophagus called the crop. Once they’ve filled it (the record is 17,200 bluegrass seeds in a single crop!), they can fly to a safe perch to digest the meal. Mourning Doves eat roughly 12 to 20 percent of their body weight per day, or 71 calories on average. The oldest known Mourning Dove was a male, and at least 30 years, 4 months old when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had been banded in Georgia in 1968.”

Meet Nathan the White Breasted Nuthatch!🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “In winter, White-breasted Nuthatches join foraging flocks led by chickadees or titmice, perhaps partly because it makes food easier to find and partly because more birds can keep an eye out for predators. One study found that when titmice were removed from a flock, nuthatches were more wary and less willing to visit exposed bird feeders. The oldest known White-breasted Nuthatch was at least 9 years, 9 months old when it was found in Colorado in 1971.”

Meet Nathan The Northern Wheatear! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “Some Northern Wheatears are champion migrants that cross much of the Northern Hemisphere each year on their way to nonbreeding grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, North American wheatears get to Africa by two very different and very grueling routes. Breeders in Alaska and Yukon migrate some 14,500 km (9,000 miles) across Asia, while breeders in eastern Canada and Greenland fly nonstop for 3–4 days across the North Atlantic.”

Hey guys! It’s been awhile sorry for falling off! I’m not quite back to my Monday schedule yet but hopefully soon :) hope you all are doing good!

Meet Cam The Northern Cardinal!! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

“A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male. The oldest recorded Northern Cardinal was a female, and was 15 years, 9 months old when she was found in Pennsylvania.”

Meet Orlando The Oven Bird! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts: “The Ovenbird gets its name from its covered nest. The dome and side entrance make it resemble a Dutch oven. The Ovenbird gets its name from its covered nest. The dome and side entrance make it resemble a Dutch oven. The oldest known Ovenbird was at least 11 years old when it was recaught and rereleased in Connecticut in 1999, the same state where it was banded as a young bird in 1988.”

Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays everyone !! 🎉🎉 hope you are all having a great day! 😎

Meet Sandy The Snow Bunting! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “Male Snow Buntings head to their high arctic breeding grounds when the ground is still covered in snow and temperatures can dip to -22° F. That doesn't seem like a good time to arrive, but males need to arrive early to make sure they get one of the limited nesting spots in a rock crevice. Females join them 3 to 4 weeks later when things start to warm up. The oldest recorded Snow Bunting was a male, and at least 8 years, 9 months old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alaska, the same state where he had been banded.”

Meet Sid The Siberian Rubythroat! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “The Siberian rubythroat (Calliope calliope ) is a small passerine bird first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1776. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of the family Muscicapidae. The Siberian rubythroat and similar small European species are often called chats.”

Meet Bentley The Black Capped Vireo! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “The Black-capped Vireo was federally listed as Endangered in 1987. Thanks to intensive efforts to preserve habitat and reduce nest parasitism by cowbirds, populations of this vireo recovered sufficiently for it to be removed from the list in 2018. When Black-capped Vireos sing, they draw from a repertoire of syllables about 10 times larger than those of other vireos. The oldest known Black-capped Vireo was a male, at least 12 years old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Texas, the same state where it had been banded.”

Meet Walter The Wilson’s Warbler! 🐦🐦

Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Wood: basswood

Facts: “The majority of Wilson’s Warblers nest on the ground, except for populations in coastal California and Oregon where they nest up to 5 feet off the ground. These birds also tend to lay fewer eggs per nest compared to their ground-nesting relatives. The majority of Wilson’s Warblers nest on the ground, except for populations in coastal California and Oregon where they nest up to 5 feet off the ground. These birds also tend to lay fewer eggs per nest compared to their ground-nesting relatives. The oldest recorded Wilson's Warbler was a male, and at least 8 years, 11 months, when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in California in 2008. He was originally banded in the same state in 2000.”

Meet Larry The Lazuli Bunting! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “We recognize people by their voice and Lazuli Buntings may do the same thing. When young males copy older, nearby males, they create a kind of “song neighborhood” where songs from a particular area all sound similar. Males from the same neighborhood learn to recognize and tolerate each other. They respond more aggressively to unfamiliar songs that come from outside their neighborhood. The oldest recorded Lazuli Bunting was a male, and at least 9 years, 1 month old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Idaho in 1990. He had been banded in the same state in 1981.”

Meet Garry The Gray Catbird! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts: “The Gray Catbird’s long song may last for up to 10 minutes. The male Gray Catbird uses his loud song to proclaim his territory. He uses a softer version of the song when near the nest or when a bird intrudes on his territory. The female may sing the quiet song back to the male. The oldest known Gray Catbird was at least 17 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in New Jersey in 2001. It had been banded in Maryland in 1984.”

Meet Albert The Alder Flycatcher! 🐦🐦

Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts:”For decades, Willow and Alder Flycatchers were more or less hiding in plain sight, considered to be a single species called Traill’s Flycatcher despite their very different songs. It wasn’t until 1973 that the two were formally “split” into two species. Alder Flycatchers were part of an experiment in song learning in which young Alder Flycatchers were “tutored” with Willow Flycatcher songs during their first two months of life. The next spring, however, they sang normal Alder Flycatcher songs instead of the songs they had heard as chicks. The oldest known Alder Flycatcher was over 9 years old when it was recaptured and rereleased at a banding station in British Columbia.”

Meet Sam Scott’s Oriole! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “The Scott's Oriole is closely associated with yuccas in much of its range. It forages for insects on yucca plants, eats nectar from yucca flowers, weaves its nest from fibers taken from dead yucca leaves, and hangs the nest from live yucca leaves. Scott’s Oriole, Black-backed Oriole, and Black-headed Grosbeak are predators of monarch butterflies on the wintering grounds in Mexico. Many monarchs concentrate toxins from milkweed plants in their bodies, and most bird species avoid eating them. However, a few species have learned to taste individual butterflies and eat only the abdomens of the less noxious ones. The oldest recorded Scott's Oriole was a male, and at least 6 years, 5 months old when he was recaught and rereleased during banding operations in Arizona.

Meet Steve The Swainsons Thrush! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “Swainson’s Thrushes have been called “mosquito thrushes” for their flycatching habit of going after flying insects while feeding on their breeding grounds. In New England spruce-fir forests, the nests of Swainson’s Thrushes are often lined with root-like cords of horsehair fungus. The fungal filaments can have antibiotic effects and may help deter nest pathogens. The longest-lived Swainson’s Thrush on record was at least 12 years, 1 month old when it was recaught and rereleased during banding operations in Montana in 2006.”

Meet Corey The Carolina Chickadee! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts: “Where the two species ranges come in contact, the Carolina and Black-capped chickadees occasionally hybridize. Hybrids can sing the songs of either species, or might sing something intermediate. Most members of a winter flock stay in the same flock all season, but some birds are “flock switchers.” Some of these belong to one flock and then switch, joining another flock permanently and exclusively for the rest of the season. Other flock switchers regularly move between flocks. These flock-switchers may have different rankings in the hierarchy of each flock. The oldest known Carolina Chickadee was at least 10 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in West Virginia in 1974. It was banded in the same state in 1963.”

Meet Vippy The Veery! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “Long thought to winter across the northern third of South America, but a recent study indicated that, in fact, the wintering grounds of the Veery are restricted to central and southern Brazil. A study of migration using radio telemetry showed that the Veery can fly up to 285 km (160 mi) in one night, and that it can fly at altitudes above 2,000 m (1.2 mi). The oldest known Veery—a banded male—was at least 13 years old when researchers recaptured and rereleased him during banding operations in Delaware in 2010.”

Meet Bobo The Bobolink! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “The Bobolink is one of the world’s most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 12,500 miles (20,000 kilometers) to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth. P The species name of the Bobolink, oryzivorus means “rice eating” and refers to this bird’s appetite for rice and other grains, especially during migration and in winter. The oldest Bobolink on record was a female known to be at least 9 years old.”

Meet Shorty The Short Eared Owl! 🦉🦉

Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts:” The Short-eared Owl is one of the few species that seems to have benefited from strip-mining. It nests on reclaimed and replanted mines south of its normal breeding range. As suggested by their wide global distribution, Short-eared Owls can travel long distances over vast expanses of ocean. Witnesses have reported seeing these owls descending on ships hundreds of miles from land. The oldest Short-eared Owl on record was at least 4 years, 4 months old when it was shot in California in 1970. It was banded in British Columbia in 1966.”

Hey guy!

Unfortunately no bird carving today! I just wanted to let you all know I won’t be posting as much (in case I fall off the face of the earth lol) as I would like! I’ll still be on here liking everyone else’s posts though ;)

Meet Lany The Long Eared Owl! 🦉🦉

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “The hoot of the male Long-eared Owl can sometimes be heard up to 1 kilometer (0.7 mi) away. Like other owls, the Long-eared has a body adapted for silent flight and precision hunting. Flight feathers with fringed edges and downy surfaces mute the sound of the owl’s passage through air. The owls gain incredible hearing from their asymmetrically placed ear openings and large, sound-catching facial disks. The oldest Long-eared Owl on record was at least 12 years, 1 month old. It was originally banded in New York and was later found in Ontario, Canada, in 1999.”

Meet Marty The Mountain Bluebird!! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts: “Historically, the Mountain Bluebird depended for nest sites on forest tree cavities excavated by woodpeckers. Today, many Mountain Bluebirds breed in artificial nest boxes, which tend to be situated in more open areas and have smaller openings to keep out marauders and bad weather. Most of what we know about Mountain Bluebirds comes from studies of these human-made nesting sites. A female Mountain Bluebird pays more attention to good nest sites than to attractive males. She chooses her mate solely on the basis of the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers her—disregarding his attributes as a singer, a flier, or a looker. The oldest recorded Mountain Bluebird was a female, and at least 9 years old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alberta in 2005. She was banded in the same province in 1997.”

Meet Westy The Western Meadowlark!! 🐦🐦

Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “Although the Western Meadowlark looks nearly identical to the Eastern Meadowlark, the two species hybridize only very rarely. Mixed pairs usually occur only at the edge of the range where few mates are available. Captive breeding experiments found that hybrid meadowlarks were fertile, but produced few eggs that hatched. The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. Only the Northern Cardinal is a more popular civic symbol, edging out the meadowlark by one state. The oldest recorded Western Meadowlark was at least 6 years, 6 months old when it was found in Colorado in 1965.”

Meet Yate The Yellow Headed Blackbird!! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Wood: basswood
Paint: water down acrylic

Facts: “The Yellow-headed Blackbird often nests in the same marsh as the Red-winged Blackbird. The larger Yellow-headed Blackbird is dominant to the Red-winged Blackbird, and displaces the smaller blackbird from the prime nesting spots. The Yellow-headed Blackbird is strongly aggressive toward Marsh Wrens too, probably because of the egg-destroying habits of the wrens. When the Yellow-headed Blackbird finishes breeding and leaves the marsh, Marsh Wrens expand into former blackbird territories. The oldest Yellow-headed Blackbird on record was at least 11 years, 8 months old. It was banded in Saskatchewan in 1983 and was found in Nebraska in 1995.”

Meet Brandy The Bullock’s Oriole!! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “Bullock's Orioles often take nectar from flowers, and they will sometimes raid hummingbird feeders for their sugar water. Both male and female Bullock's Orioles sing—the male more sweetly, the female often more prolifically. The oldest recorded Bullock's Oriole was a male, and at least 8 years, 11 months old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Colorado in May 2007.”

Meet Blake The Black Throated Sparrow! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “The Black-throated Sparrow establishes and holds a large territory during nest construction and egg laying. Once incubation starts, the territory boundary shrinks, and the male becomes less responsive to intruders. The oldest recorded Black-throated Sparrow was a female, and at least 6 years old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Arizona.”

Meet Ronald The Red Breasted Nuthatch! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “The Red-breasted Nuthatch collects resin globules from coniferous trees and plasters them around the entrance of its nest hole. It may carry the resin in its bill or on pieces of bark that it uses as an applicator. The male puts the resin primarily around the outside of the hole while the female puts it around the inside. The resin may help to keep out predators or competitors. The nuthatch avoids the resin by diving directly through the hole. The oldest known Red-breasted Nuthatch was 7 years, 6 months old.”

Meet Yan The Yellow Throated Vireo! 🐦🐦

Tools: Helvie, Flexcut
Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood

Facts: “While the Yellow-throated Vireo is associated with forest edge habitat, it actually requires large blocks of forest to breed successfully. Numbers decrease sharply in forests smaller than 250 acres (100 hectares) in the northeastern United States. In many North American songbirds, only females incubate and brood, but not vireos. Male Yellow-throated Vireos also incubate eggs and brood young, taking turns with the female throughout the day.”

Meet Walter The White Crowned Sparrow! 🐦🐦

Paint: water down acrylic
Wood: basswood
Tools: Helvie, Flexcut

Facts: “A young male White-crowned Sparrow learns the basics of the song it will sing as an adult during the first two or three months of its life. It does not learn directly from its father, but rather from the generalized song environment of its natal neighborhood. A migrating White-crowned Sparrow was once tracked moving 300 miles in a single night. Alaskan White-crowned Sparrows migrate about 2,600 miles to winter in Southern California. The oldest recorded White-crowned Sparrow lived in California and was at least 13 years, 4 months old when it was found in 1942.”