Three New Birds

I had a pretty good haul over the weekend at the decoy show.  Shown above are the three new additions to the shelves here. On the left is a Red Knot carved by Jim Slack of Pekin, IL. In the center is a Bufflehead hen decoy made by Jim Williams of Normal, IL. A couple years back I purchased one of Jim's male Buffleheads so now they are a pair.   

On the far right of the trio is a cool little homage to a woodpecker effigy created by Hopewell or Mississipian cultures along the Illinois River.  It was made by Dean Hurliman of Burlington, IA.  

It was great fun talking to the various makers there. I'm not a hunter, so my interests come from the worlds of nature and art. My modest little collection now seems to have found it's center in the Illinois River valley. I enjoy looking at the older stuff but I prefer supporting the people working here in the 21st century.  

   

I think I appreciate decoys because so many things intersect at one point: history, birds and nature, folk art, and hunting.