Description: Resting bird, head slightly tucked, bill downwards, tail swept up and wing tips cropped; minimal carved detail, incised wings ; glass eyes, metal legs and feet with talons clutching downward on driftwood burl base. Signed "Gilley" on top of base, lower left; no date on piece but approximately 1948.
Description: Gull in adult plumage, head erect and straight ahead, wing tips balanced high over tail, feet braced on a navigational buoy called a red nun. Glass eyes, wire legs and metal feet. Buoy painted with white Arabic numeral "4". Carved oval pine base, gouge-carved and painted to resemble sea water. No date visible.
Description: Herring gull in adult plumage, taking off from a smooth burl driftwood base ; carved with minimum of detail; outside wing edges notched to suggest feathers; painted eyes, bill, legs and feet. W.H.G. marked on underside of base ; no date on piece but probably from the 1940s
Description: Male bufflehead in adult plumage, swimming position ; head withdrawn and turned slightly to the left ; glass eyes, matte black, white, greys with minimal body detail ; blending of red/orange on head behind white wedge. Underside signed in pyrographic scratching "W.H.G." "Gilley" branded in script. Also written in felt-tip pen " '82 Buffle-Head".
Description: Canvasback drake in swimming position, adult plumage, scant carved detail ; completely withdrawn head, turned slightly to the right. Signed "by W. H. Gilley 1971"
Description: Adult in swimming position, head erect on slightly bent neck facing straight forward; glass eyes ; signed "Gilley 72" on underside where felt is cut away
Description: Now known as American Wigeon ; marked "Baldpate '74, #28" on underside of base ; humped "clamshell" base is a driftwood burl ; wire legs and metal feet with tiny talons; signed "Gilley" on left front of base
Description: Adult male and female mounted on pine and twig base, the lower bird (female) in downward crouching position, the male perched on lower fork of twig ; wire legs and metal feet, glass eyes ; signed "Gilley" on carved base.
Description: Adult, standing on mesquite base, tail erect ; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned, and painted detail ; carved circa 1977, painted and completed winter, 1981. Signed "Gilley" with artist's branding iron on flat side of base. Companion piece 81.1.175.