February DAB-Day features state birds of states where US Presidents were born
The third Monday of every February is Presidents’ Day, and blog follower Marc Shotten suggested that the theme for this February Draw-a-Bird Day be the state birds of US presidents. Thanks, Marc! I decided to narrow the theme to the president’s birth state, not where he lived when he was elected.
Many states are the birthplace of more than one president, so I suggested to contributors that they name which president they are representing. If they designated a president, he is listed in the caption. Otherwise, all presidents from that state are listed. And, as always, birds submitted do not have to be part of the theme. So, we also have a few birds that are not state birds.
This month we also have two new contributors to DAB-Day: Marilyn Tindel and Jana Snyder. Welcome!
Tara Hamilton: Purple Finch. Watercolor. State bird of New Hampshire, birthplace of Franklin Pierce (the only president from New Hampshire).Jim Eichenberger: Black-Capped Chickadee. Pencil, watercolor, tempera, ink, and touch-ups with digital, about which Jim says ,”I know it’s cheating.” Cheater or not, Jim shared this about the chickadee: “It doesn’t migrate. It’s omnivorous in the warm months but gets through the winter by eating seeds that it’s stashed away in the Fall. Here’s the amazing part: While it’s hiding away the seeds in little nooks in trees, in its 10-mile territory, its brain grows up to 30 percent larger to remember where they all are. By Spring, as the seeds are eaten, its brain goes back to normal size.” The black-capped chickadee is the state bird of Massachusetts, birthplace of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George H.W. Bush.Judith Davis: Black-Capped Chickadee. Photography. State bird of Massachusetts, where Judith used to live and where she took this photo. Birthplace of John F. Kennedy.Tom Eichenberger: Black-Capped Chickadee. Acrylic. State bird of Massachusetts, birthplace of John Adams.Carolyn Rondthaler: Black-Capped Chickadee. Watercolor. State bird of Massachusetts, where John F. Kennedy was born.Marilyn Tindel: Cardinal in the Snow. Watercolor. State bird of Ohio, birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, who, Marilyn points out, led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War.Susan Eichenberger Hazelwood: Mourning Dove Half Asleep. Pencil.Eileen Leahy: Mourning Dove in the Snow. Pastel.Anne Shields: Northern Mockingbird. Pastel. State bird of Texas, birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson.Lynne Malonee Schlimm: Northern Mockingbird. Watercolor. State bird of Texas, birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower. But Lynne likes to think of Ike as being from Kansas, her home state.Jana Snyder: Unknown bird. Encaustic.Barb Zimmer: Carolina Wren. Watercolor. State bird of South Carolina, birthplace of Andrew Jackson.Martha Larkin: Brown Thrasher. Colored pencil. State bird of Georgia, birthplace of Jimmy Carter.Pat Stocks: California Valley Quail. Pastel. State bird of California, where Pat is from. California is the birthplace of Richard Nixon (the only president from California).Marian Wiseman: Ruffed Grouse. Watercolor. State bird of Pennsylvania, birthplace of Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
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Thank you, Marian. The February birds are interesting and inspiring.
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