The Little Nuthatch

New watercolor painting, an Acorns chart- I used a North American wildlife book in reference to painting this chart. I am assuming these are the most common acorns found in North America, even though it leaves out some of the ones I am used to in Florida. I also learned that the sizes of acorns from the same type of Oak can vary a lot (especially depending on what part of the country it's in) so I didn't worry about accuracy in size. But I love it! Acorns are so cool.

  I first saw this Red-headed Woodpecker 5 weeks ago. I'm not exactly sure what's up... I've never seen a pair, just the one lone bird,  although there appears to be a nesting hole that I often see it hanging out near, it doesn't seem like it goes there often enough to be feeding little ones. Curious... In any case it has taken a liking to this tree in the last 5 weeks and can be seen there regularly. It is an old dead pine that the American Kestrel was hanging out on through Winter, and now they you can...

There are a lot of Sandhill Cranes hanging about Viera Wetlands right now. Last year I was happy to observe one couple with it's young throughout the Spring and Summer, starting with this absolute cuteness: That was the only pair around then, but last weekend I saw two pairs with little babes, a pair on a nest, and two other pairs wandering around... it's pretty cool to go and see all the pairs doing their thing.

There are Anhinga nesting at Viera Wetlands. Some have already had babies for a while, others are on the nest. This fine gentleman brought his lady a stick for the nest. Ok, see ya later! Ok, thanks! She placed it and then covered it with another, securing it's placement. And here is a baby Anhinga from another nest.

Continuing my series of bird classification charts for Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, here are the flycatchers, swifts, swallows, etc... Acadian Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Chimney Swift Cliff Swallow Eastern Kingbird Eastern Phoebe Gray Kingbird Great Crested Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Loggerhead Shrike Northern Rough-Winged Swallow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Western Kingbird