Warm Temps on Monday Brought All The Dogs And Their Humans Out To Play
The beautiful weather on Monday saw people and their dogs enjoying a brief respite from the frigid temperatures common in the last few weeks. And the evening was capped off by a beautiful orange and gold sunset
A group of girls from Wilton came by with their dogs, and cell phones of course, to enjoy the spectacular Compo sunset and to throw a few morsels to the enthusiastic seagulls.
Dandy Day For Ducks
This beautiful male Rose Breasted Merganser, a diving duck in the sawbill family enjoys a day of fishing on Monday near Sherwood Island They need to eat 15-20 small fish per day which can require 250-300 dives per day. These ducks not only dive for their dinner, but are among the fastest ducks around having been clocked at up to 80 MPH!
This Merganser was joined a little later by the two Atlantic Brants, a species of goose found primarily along the coast. This pair may well have migrated from the Arctic Circle where they breed. Next came a beautiful pair of Long-tailed Ducks name for their very long, slender tail feathers which, if you look carefully on the male (right) which is difficult to see against the waves. Another diving duck, these powerful beauties are amazing divers and are able to swim down as deep as 200 feet to forage. At this depth the pressure can be as much as almost 100 PSI. During foraging excursions, they spend 3 or 4 times as long underwater as on the surface. (Cornell Ornithology)
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 3; State Positivity Rate 3.51%, Hospitalizations Remain the Same
The State Department of Public Health reported 3 new COVID-19 case for Westport over the past 24 hours. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 3.51% while hospitalizations remained the same.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 3,791 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 35 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 3.51% [up from 2.97%]
State Hospitalizations: 261 patients [+/- 0]
Artist John Forgione At Work At His Burying Hill “Studio”
Artist John Forgione worked in his "en Plein Air" studio and gallery at Burying Hill Beach on Monday, taking advantage of the warm, beautiful weather.
John Forgione - Plein Air and Studio Painter
John’s artistic passion and influence started as a young boy when he was introduced to painting and sculpture by his uncle, mentor, and namesake John Forgione senior. John went on to major in fine arts at the University of Connecticut, and was deeply influenced by the French and American Impressionists movements. His desire to paint is driven by a true love of nature and art, and he takes great satisfaction in painting outside, "en plein air". He enjoys the emotional and physical challenges of painting outdoors, working quickly and fervently to capture the effects of light, weather, form, architecture and nature in his work. His paintings have been displayed and sold through a variety of Connecticut art shows, galleries and home studio.
He is a former member of the Fine Line Art Gallery, in Woodbury, CT, and an associate member of the NEST Arts Factory, in Bridgeport, CT. John is also a successful entrepreneur, and is a founding partner at SFA Marketing, a Connecticut-based marketing agency.
A selection of his artwork and techniques can be seen on his website at www.johnforgione.com
Additional Links to Instagram and Facebook”
https://www.instagram.com/forgione.john/. https://www.facebook.com/john.forgione.90/
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.