The Little Nuthatch — american oystercatcher

Last month I had a craft show in St. Pete and headed to Sand Key Park for a bit of birding and a peaceful walk at the beach to unwind before the long drive home. I also had a beach picnic of take out from Love Food Central, a delicious vegan restaurant in St. Pete. Lots of birds, and so many fledgelings screaming at their parents and being ignored, ha!     Love those shy Oystercatchers!

I visited Fort De Soto Park last weekend, and saw an American Oystercatcher. What stunning birds! This reminded me that I had painted an Oystercatcher nest and never got around to photographing it, so I finally did it today. This was a piece I worked on while camping near the beach back a couple years ago. I collected the shells and things on the beach and glued them to the painting to make the nest. This is similar to an actual Oystercatcher nest, as they commonly nest in sandy spots with shells. Close up: