This is the 64th round of LMAC, and the first round for 2021. I want to start the new year with a spirit of fun, so there is nothing practical or real about my collage. This fantasy was inspired by @shaka's winter wonderland template. Here is his spectacular picture:
@shaka's Photo
I don't know why I wanted to put a blue eagle in my collage. It just seemed right, and so it seems fitting that I write about the blue eagle's less fantastical cousins: eagles that live and hunt in wintery environs. Some of these are ferocious hunters. The golden eagle, for example, has been found to hunt reindeer. These powerful eagles have been observed killing a reindeer weighing more than 130 lbs.
Golden Eagle
According to National Geographic, this is North America's largest bird of prey, and is also the national bird of Mexico.
Image credit: Tony Hisgett from Birminghan, Uk. License: CC 2.0. This is an up-close shot of a captive golden eagle in flight.
Here is a picture of a golden eagle in the wild:
Golden Eagle in North Sikkim India
Image credit: Dibyendu Ash. Taken at the Singba Rhododendron Sanctuary. License CC 4.0
Golden Eagle Range:
Image credit: SanoAK: Alexander Kurthy. License: CC 4.0
Habitat:They like open spaces and may be found in a variety of areas, including the arctic, the desert or on tundra.
Lifespan: Potentially, the bird may live as long as 32 years. However, this is highly variable in different areas and there is a very high juvenile mortality in some locales.
Predator: Humans, mostly. It is surmised that some young birds may be victim to predation by other bird species, but this is speculative.
Steller's Sea Eagles
According to the San Diego Zoo, this eagle is considered by many to be the most magnificent bird of prey.
Image credit: Sammy sam at Picasa Web Albums. License: CC 3.0
Range:
Image credit: Ulrich Prokop Scops. CC 2.5 license.
Habitat:"Estuaries and coastal cliffs...can be seen perching on northern sea waters." From *Animalsplanet.net
Adult Steller's Sea Eagle Fishing
Image credit: Julie Edgley. License: CC 4.0
Lifespan: Unknown, but guessed to be 20-25 years.
Predator: No predators of the adult bird, but the young and eggs are preyed upon by "small arboreal mammals" and other birds of prey.
White-Tailed Eagle
According to Whatbird.com, the white-tailed eagle is the fourth largest eagle in the world.
Image credit: LG Nyqvist. Lcense: 4.0
Range:
Image credit: The Engineer. License: CC 3.0
Habitat: "...rocky coastlines, estuaries and lochs near the sea, although they will also range inland, especially juveniles." From Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Image credit: ZorroIII. License: 1.0,2.0, 2.5,3.0
Lifespan: 20-25 years
Predator: These are Apex predators, with no natural enemies. However, humans have hunted them, at times almost to extinction.
My Collage
As soon as I saw @shaka's picture I imagined a pine tree skiing. I needed a ski area so I found this picture by Kinkate on Pixabay:
I extracted a pine tree from @shaka's photo and place the tree on the ski run:
I dressed the tree with goggles and hat found on Paint 3D.
I imagined the snowy tree in the background as an Abominable Snowman, and so I copied that image and shaped it to look like a person.
The ski equipment came from clary2014 on Pixabay
The mischievous blue eagle and extra tree were added because I thought the picture lacked interest. Eagle was derived from Kopi on Pixabay:
In order to make the collage/GIF, I used Paint, Paint 3D, and Gimp.
Snowball GIF was made using a snowball from Paint 3D.
Thank you @shaka, for continuing the contest and giving erstwhile artists a place in which they can freely express their creativity.
To my readers: LMAC is more than an art exercise. It is a vibrant community. Join the fun. Check out the rules and amazing collage designs at @shaka's blog. We even have a Discord channel now: https://discord.gg/6wSVQsZpuN
We also have a school, run by the amazingly patient and talented @quantumg.
