Brushstroke of Nature This American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) fluffs its feathers into a downy shield, insulating itself against the chill. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

Coy Pearson - Official Website

Coy Pearson - Official Website

This is the website of Coy Pearson. Shop for nature art, wildlife art, bird art, and more. Designs are available to purchase as canvas prints, fr...

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finch #goldfinch

Good morning. 🐦🐦🐦 21 December 2025 Well, I poured the final phase of my driveway, and what an unpleasant adventure it turned out to be. The demolition went smoothly enough, thanks to a neighbor who needed the old concrete and had a dump truck. Without him, I’m not sure what the contractor would have done—I asked, but never got a coherent answer. The forms went in fine, and up to that point the job seemed on track. The morning of the pour, though, they still hadn’t installed the reinforcement—no rebar, no wire grid, nothing. I had insisted on rebar and wire supported on proper metal or plastic rebar supports, commonly called chairs. I was hoping for something resembling professional engineering. Instead, the contractor ordered the concrete before the prep work was done, then showed up late, after the first truck had already been waiting more than half an hour. With the clock ticking, he rushed everything. They dragged in the wire and rebar for the parking pad and threw together a haphazard grid. When I asked about the rebar chairs, he said they didn’t have any. So the pour went ahead with improvised, unstable supports, the rebar sliding around as they tried to hold it off the ground. The driveway section went similarly, though I allowed wire only. I anticipated poor engineering and compensated by adding fiber to the concrete mix. I will say the finishing ranged from okay to good—until the end. The contractor wanted to remove the forms the same day. I told him no, that he needed to wait at least a day, which is best practice. I research the things I’m involved in. He ignored me and removed them, anyway, insisting he “does this all the time” and knows better than anything I could find online. I paid him and left a terrible Angi review—primarily because he defied my instructions. #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #driveway #concrete #contractor #silhouette

A Portrait of Wilderness This image of a brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) evokes a quiet sense of peace and solitude—a moment suspended in stillness, where nature whispers and the world holds its breath.

Sunflower Adventure While reviewing some underexposed house finch photos I took one spring, I came across a bird with unusually colored head feathers. It might be a young male who hasn’t yet developed the characteristic reddish plumage around the head and chest—or perhaps it’s one of the rarer yellow variants. I managed to capture a few shots of this curious finch, and this one stands out as the most intriguing. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

Coy Pearson - Official Website

Coy Pearson - Official Website

This is the website of Coy Pearson. Shop for nature art, wildlife art, bird art, and more. Designs are available to purchase as canvas prints, fr...

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finch #HouseFinch

Goon morning. ☕☕☕ 19 December 2025 Sunrise Over Broken Slabs When I awoke this morning, the concrete crew was already at work, hoisting massive slabs of my old driveway into a dump truck. Others were grading the ground for the new pour—all of this before sunrise. I almost wish I had posted one of my sunrise photos to mark the moment; I’m sure I have one or two tucked away. There’s a certain stress in watching your driveway demolished while your car sits trapped in the garage 😱. Still, patience pays: in about a week the concrete will cure enough to drive on, though full strength won’t arrive until 28 days. No worries—we pulled the pickup out earlier and parked it on the section completed a couple of weeks ago. We lucked out when a neighbor with a dump truck wanted the old concrete. I’m not sure whether we benefited more, or the contractor did. When I asked what they would have done otherwise, they mentioned a long trailer—or perhaps renting one of those dump trailers. The excavator they’re using is a huge orange Kubota—likely rented, though maybe borrowed. In the shuffle of moving those heavy blocks, one slipped and shattered a windshield. Thankfully no one was hurt, though the operator seemed rattled, and now the contractor has a windshield to replace. Exciting times indeed. “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.” — John Ruskin “The road to success is always under construction.” — Lily Tomlin “It’s not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.” — David Allan Coe #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #concrete #driveway #demolition #construction #heron #GreatBlueHeron

Over There Looks Better The first time I saw a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), it was in the grass just beyond my backdoor. At first glance, I thought a nestling had tumbled from above—so small, so delicate. But then I watched: the tiny bird moved with purpose, threading through the blades like a whisper, pausing to hunt, then flitting a short distance to resume its search. This one stretches its head upward now, scanning for the next patch of promise—a sovereign scout in miniature, mapping the green with quiet resolve.

Golden Glow These are yellow swamp sunflowers set against a shadowed backdrop, their golden petals glowing like lanterns in the dusk. A few of the blooms host a small, unidentified insect—an uninvited witness or perhaps a quiet celebrant—adding a touch of mystery to the floral gathering.

My Kingdom A few autumns ago, in the morning rain, this hawk appeared in the oak tree just beyond my backyard fence. I first tried photographing it through the storm door, but a veil of leaves obscured its head. So I improvised—a quick waterproof cover for my camera—and stepped out into the rain to bear witness properly. Based on its size, I believe it’s a Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), though it could be a Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). The resemblance between the two is uncanny—this is a sovereign guess, not a definitive ID. Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here:

Coy Pearson - Official Website

Coy Pearson - Official Website

This is the website of Coy Pearson. Shop for nature art, wildlife art, bird art, and more. Designs are available to purchase as canvas prints, fr...

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #birdofprey #raptor #hawk #CoopersHawk

Attitude, Get Some This Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) appears mid-proclamation, its open beak and lifted posture suggesting a spirited objection or urgent dispatch. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

Coy Pearson - Official Website

Coy Pearson - Official Website

This is the website of Coy Pearson. Shop for nature art, wildlife art, bird art, and more. Designs are available to purchase as canvas prints, fr...

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #EasternMeadowlark

Good afternoon. 🌸💮🪷 17 December 2025 I’ve always been fascinated by human history, though I’m far from being deeply educated in the details. Recently, I’ve watched a few clips online about our taxonomic cousins, the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). Modern humans, of course, are Homo sapiens. Back in college, decades ago, I took an introductory course in Anthropology. That was the first time I recall reading about Neanderthals, and I found them fascinating. I would have liked to learn more, but my academic focus was on computing, so I pursued that path instead. Still, I can imagine the appeal of studying ancient cultures and extinct human species. As I mentioned, I’m not especially learned on the subject, but Neanderthals lived alongside modern humans for tens of thousands of years. Isn’t that remarkable—another species of human existing at the same time? They weren’t our direct ancestors in the taxonomic sense; rather, they evolved from a common ancestor, likely Homo heidelbergensis, about 500,000–800,000 years ago. I’d like to read more about that lineage. While not our ancestors in the strict taxonomic sense, Neanderthals are our ancestors in the biological sense. It’s well established that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred, and today most non-African populations carry about 1–2% Neanderthal DNA. In that way, their lineage continues within us. “Neanderthal people were collateral cousins, perhaps already living in Europe while we emerged in Africa… We are an improbable and fragile entity, fortunately successful after precarious beginnings as a small population in Africa, not the predictable end result of a global tendency.” - Stephen Jay Gould (paleontologist) #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #afternoon #flowers #homoneanderthalensis