Kingfisher’s Cove

Kingfisher’s Cove

In a favorite sunny cove where I enjoy spending lazy summer afternoons watching the birds, fish, and insects, there’s a female belted kingfisher that guards the entrance from a dead tree, scolding kayakers and fisherman as they enter the cove. The bluegills swim eagerly to the surface looking for tasty insects and other treats to eat.

In watching my husband fish, I learned that bluegills change color when you catch them, turning pale at first, maybe from the shock, and then coloring up more after a minute or so. So I imagined them changing color to express their moods and reactions to the story in my design. The top bluegill is greener in color to show his satisfaction in catching the juicy horsefly to eat. The bluegill watching him is more yellow in color and has it’s mouth open to show surprise, excitement, and hopefulness that she might catch a fly too. The bluegill farthest down is bluer in color and has a downcast pose with his mouth shut tight in a pout to show his disappointment in not catching a fly. The cooler blue tone also was intended to make him appear to be at a deeper depth in the water.