Note Type
Artist's DescriptionNote
This artwork was created for Van Dusen's Mass Audubon residency project. He visited the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton March 2/3, 2017. Here is an excerpt from his blog entry:
SUMMITS AND SNOWIES, part 2: Creature Feature
The next day is colder, with temperatures remaining in the 30s all day. It's sunny, however, so I do some more drawing at the Snowy Owl enclosure. The two birds are again huddled on the ground in the rear corner of the pen.
It's early in the day, and I'm the only one in the little zoo behind the visitor center. Suddenly, I hear a great flap of wings and turn to see a wild Turkey Vulture alighting on the nearby turkey vulture enclosure. It hops around atop the cage and peers down at the "prisoner" within. I wonder what has attracted the wild bird: curiosity? food? sex? It's a handsome specimen; much more colorful and sleek than the captive bird, and I turn my attention to it. I take some photos and do some drawing, but before long another (human) visitor arrives and scares off the wild bird.