He did 'share' a leg of the poor creature with his tag-a-long friend. I'm vegan so the idea of anything eating a crab doesn't appeal to me. I choose not to intervene in nature 99% of the time but I have to admit this was hard to watch . . .
Seeing these photographs of dead albatross full of plastic on Beth Terry's website, Fake Plastic Fish now called, My Plastic Free Life, changed my life forever.
Chris Jordon, Photographer
Chris Jordon, Photographer
I would never again stroll on the beach without picking up trash. I would never again look at the tide break and mistake tiny pieces of plastic for sea life. I would never again buy something in plastic and feel OK about my purchase.
I have lessened my use of plastic drastically but I have a long way to go to be plastic-free. As a matter of fact, it may never happen. Plastic is everywhere in my life. My printers, my telephone, my contact solution, the tags on my cats . . . even my camera. The list is endless. It may not be realistic for us to become truly 'plastic free' in our culture today but I do believe we can have a drastic impact just by being aware of the mess we've created thus far in the name of cheap and convenient.
If everyone of us picked up some trash every time we stepped outside it would make a difference. If everyone of us was intolerant of littering and it became an immense social stigma, it would make a difference. If everyone of us purchased an item in glass, or cardboard or something that is truly being recycled, instead of plastic, it would make a huge difference. If everyone of us was aware of the overwhelming destruction plastic has on our environment, we could make a difference.
Disconnect left lying on the beach . . .
Picturing Excess . . .
I added another video that Chris Jordon created for TED Talks. In this powerful 11 minute talk, Chris shows his photographs that represent 'excess' in our culture.
Chris gets his message of cultural excess and disconnect across beautifully using a universal language ~ pictures. I don't see the need to expand too much here on his message as he has done such a beautiful job.
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Rainy days don't stop me from hiking, because thanks to my generous husband, I have top notch rain gear that keeps me dry and toasty on my winter beach walks. Today was sort of balmy with light rain for a good part of the day so we headed out for the beach at noon. My husband brought his 'trash picking gear' and picked up garbage as we walked along the beach. The bag he uses for trash is actually a very nice old LL Bean saddle bag I used in a prior life to haul around business papers and text books. The beach always looks better after my husband has finished our walk.
Pulling out my camera in even a light rain is risky but I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of shorebirds. Identifying birds isn't my strong suit so I either ask a photographer friend and avid birder, Tom, aka CarMan, or for a quick ID I head over to Cornell's site,The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
When my son was an infant I began participating in Cornell's yearly bird count beginning in December. We had a dozen bird feeders set up right outside our floor to ceiling kitchen window. One feeder was even attached to our window with suction cups. As a toddler, my son was able to identify most of the woodland birds that visited our garden feeders. Now that we live at the coast I'm slowing learning to identify shorebirds.
Marbled Godwit
The Marbled Godwit is a large shorebird with a long, upturned bill, the Marbled Godwit breeds in the center of the continent and winters along the coasts. It breeds in the northern prairies, amongst grasslands and scattered wetlands.
The Sanderling is most commonly seen in flocks chasing receding waves on ocean beaches, and running away from them when they return. It breeds in the high Arctic and winters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from Canada to Argentina.
Heading back to the parking lot after our walk, I spotted this beautiful Cooper's Hawk resting on a sign ten feet from our car.
Cooper's Hawk
Among the bird world’s most skillful flyers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wing beats followed by a glide. With their smaller lookalike, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawks make for famously tricky identifications. Both species are sometimes unwanted guests at bird feeders, looking for an easy meal (but not one of sunflower seeds).
