Wednesday 2 January 2013

A tropical break?

Tropical break, no not really, I visited the Blodel Conservatory to walk in the warm tropical environment and  to visit with the many colourful birds; it's a great way to add some colour to a dreary winter day.

Here are a few of the pictures I took during my visit.

First here are Ruby and Kiwi, Eclectus parrots. This is a sexually diamorphic parrot species, meaning that the  male and the female differ dramatically in colour and size. The female, Ruby, is bright red and blue and the male, Kiwi,  is a dramatic green colour with patches of red on its sides.







Here is Casey, a Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot, with Monty, a Princess Parrot, in the background.



Casey



Monty



Nelson, below, a Hahn's Dwarf Macaw or a Red Shouldered Macaw, was a bit shy I only saw him once.






Carmen and Maria are Green Winged Macaws, beautiful birds.







Art is a Blue and Gold Macaw.






Rosie is an African Grey Parrot, and was entertaining the visitors with her whistling. 









Last bird pictures for today are both Budgerigars (Budgies), both are male judging from the blue colouring above their beaks, the females have a tan patch rather than blue.





Cheaper than a movie, and warm and entertaining, what better way to spend part of an afternoon?

I have a painting to show you today and also an annoucement.

First the painting, a watercolour, of a man wearing a mask. The picture was taken by friends visiting Venice at Carnival.


Secondly, I now have another blog! It is called GillianOlsonArt and gives more details about my paintings, including size and price. There is also a tab which features sale items. Click the above link to visit.

Happy New Year, best wishes to one and all!

Happy 1st Whimsy Wednesday of 2013, until next week..............

19 comments:

  1. What a blaze of colour to brighten a winters day.

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  2. like visiting a feathered greenhouse. :)

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  3. Fantastic shots of the tropical birds. They are so flamboyant.

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  4. What a great place to visit! The different parrots are all beautiful - and unfortunately the only ones I have seen in the wild are the budgies.

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  5. Beautiful Parrots, they are excellent. I am not into people who keep Parrots, but these are well kept. Thanks for showing us Gillian.

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  6. Beautiful colors on those birds. I used to visit this spot to escape the coldness of outside. It is a great spot to hang out and take pictures. Good luck on the other blog. I have bookmarked it.

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  7. What gorgeous birds! The colors are brilliant!

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  8. So many gorgeous birds. So many wonderful colors. And that painting is amazing. I love seeing your work. I am on my way to take a peek at your other blog.

    Wishing you a Happy 2013 my friend.

    Hugs~

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  9. I love the macaws great picture. Your painting is really something as well.

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  10. Gillian, the painting is fantastic!! I hope you do more like it.

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  11. Those birds are so beautifully colorful. What a day...I miss the conservatory, funny how when you live there you don't go, and when you move away....you regret not going.

    Congrats on the new blog.

    Jen

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  12. This is such a great time of year to visit with some tropical birds.

    I wish you all the best in 2013, Gillian, and I hope your new blog foes well. You are very talented.

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  13. ooohhhhh what afun way to spend a cold winter day! Beautiful, vibrant colors!

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  14. I have never visited the Bloedel Conservatory, but I'm certainly pleased that you shared your visit with such bright and beautiful photos of the colourful birds! Indeed a colourful splash to a dull wintry day here. Remarkable painting as well1

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  15. Visiting a conservatory in winter is a nice way to amuse your eyes and heart. I like various pastel colored birds, parrots, and the exotic foliage. The new blog will be a nice museum of your paintings. Have a super happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead.

    Yoko

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  16. Oh, I do love visiting tropical indoor places in the middle of winter.

    What vibrant feathered jewels you've captured - fabulous!

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  17. A zoo of like birds. Nice shots. I seldom get to see a parrot. These are nice shots.

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  18. These bird photos are just lovely.. all of them. I used to have budgies when I was a kid so I have a fondness for the little sweeties. And there happens to be an African Grey Parrot asleep beside me as I type.

    Good luck with the new blog, Gillian. I will check it out from time to time. I love your art. This latest one is another beauty.

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  19. Very nice parrots:) They are always so full of color and spirit:) Looks like a great place to get up close and personal. Your paintings are wonderful....I'm glad you started one. I always wondered if you sold them to interested parties who read your blog.

    I'm finally catching up after a long break outdoors:) Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

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