Flying Creatures

Nero

This is my first attempt at a “realistic” coloring. It is ugly, but – hey! – it’s a turkey vulture and the big brown bird is supposed to be ugly. I met Nero, who is a living on disability retirement at the Raptor Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Nero is an impressive (but not pretty) bird of the buzzard family. So this picture is a tribute to all the not pretty, not cute creatures with whom we share this wonderful planet.

Marjorie

This is Marjorie, a bluebird of happiness. She is not THE bluebird of happiness in the popular song from the 1930s and 1940, made famous by Jan Peerce (a tenor few here are old enough to remember). But Marjorie is a bluebird and can make one happy.
That old song spoke of all people being the same – sometimes tears, sometimes smiles. From the lyrics…
And if things don’t look so cheerful, just show a little fight.
For every bit of darkness, there’s a little bit of light.
 For every bit of hatred, there’s a little bit of love.
For every cloudy morning, there’s a midnight moon above.
So don’t you forget, you must search ’til you find the bluebird.
You will find peace and contentment forever, if you will …
Be like I. Hold your head up high, ’til you see a ray of light appear.
And so remember this, life is no abyss, Somewhere there’s a bluebird of happiness.

Red-tailed hawk

This creature has the shape of a red-tailed hawk, but some goof (me) got creative with his feathers, so he looks nothing like the real thing. And raptors are really cool birds. I take responsibility for turning this cool “real” bird into a fantasy.

Pisa Moth

The creature in the sky over the leaning tower of Pisa is not a butterfly. It is the exceedlingly rare (and probably extinct) Arrabbiatta Pastamoth. Its 8-inch body, when soaked overnight in extra-virgin olive oil, expands into ¾ pound of pasta dough.
The upper wings taste like basil and the lower wings taste like pepperocini.