Bob Ross and Titmice: A Meditation on Conservation

By Jill Henderson

Saturday morning I was curled up in a blanket watching Bob Ross paint a winter landscape on PBS. I was enjoying his rapturous meditation on loving life and the subtle nuances of painting glacial mountains against a blue sky when a slight movement outside the window caught my eye. Like a cat to a bit of bright yarn, my eyes were immediately drawn to a silky grey titmouse flirting in the low branches of the oak tree.

The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is an enchanting little bird. Dull in coloration, its head, back and tail feathers are a simple, soft mousey-gray. It has a creamy white breast and belly with just a touch of rust at the sides. It is the pert crest rising from its crown that gives this less than flashy bird a sleek, yet playful appearance.

Read the entire article at Show Me Oz