John James Audubon

Green Heron, a photo by paynehollow on Flickr.

It's John James Audubon's birthday this week (born April 26, 1785). Audubon (for whom the National Audubon Society is named) was born in France and migrated to America as a young man. He spent a good bit of time in Kentucky, where he honed his skills as a naturalist and artist. He is remembered mainly for his contributions to ornithology - and rightly so - but I am amazed at his story, of being a self-taught naturalist and painter.

He loved birds and nature and just went out and observed them, drew them and painted them - sometimes burning his finished paintings so as to force himself to re-paint and do an even better job - and became an expert just by doing what he loved. It's a great story. Here are some of his quotes...

Almost every day, instead of going to school, I made for the fields, where I spent my day...

I can scarcely manage to scribble a tolerable English letter. I know that I am not a scholar, but meantime I am aware that no man living knows better than I do the habits of our birds...

But hopes are Shy Birds flying at a great distance seldom reached by the best of Guns...

Up the river the view was indeed enchanting.; the undulating meadows sloped gently to the water's edge on either side, and the larks that sprang up before me, welcoming the sun's rise, animated my thoughts so much that I felt tears trickling down my cheeks as I gave thanks to the God who gave life to all these in a day...

Look at that mallard as he floats on the lake; see his elevated head glittering with emerald green, his amber eyes glancing in the light! Even at this distance, he has marked you, and suspects that you bear no goodwill towards him, for he sees that you have a gun, and he has many a time been frightened by its report, or that of some other. The wary bird draws his feet under his body, springs upon then, opens his wings, and with loud quacks bids you farewell...

Happy Audubon's Birthday!