The Little Nuthatch

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. It's a tourist attraction for alligators, with a large bird rookery where the wild birds naturally nest. I have wanted to visit for years and finally made it! My first time out there and definitely not my last. I was particularly excited to see Roseate Spoonbill's and Wood Stork's nesting as I had yet to get a good look at their nesting sites elsewhere. There are a number of other birds nesting there as well, especially Tri-colored Heron's and Snowy Egret's. .

I discovered Washington Oaks Beach back in February and was amazed by it. Especially because I never knew about it before then even though I've driven that part of A1A multiple times. I was anxious to back and explore more. I went a few weeks ago at high tide, the day after Tropical Storm Colin. It was a cloudy morning and the waves were rough. I love beach days like that. With high tide the waves were up to the rocks and crashing against them. Now with high tide there were no tidal pools to explore and I couldn't stop thinking...

I was commissioned to do Field Guide paintings for Kangaroos and Tree Kangaroos. Here are the finished Kangaroos! Prints will be coming. Right now I'm trying to get the Tree Kangaroos completed. They are a lot harder, elusive creatures with little info available for some- but also incredibly cute! I have 8 out of 12 done, so back to work...!

Here are some photos from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's Black Point Drive (birding drive). It's a bit quiet at this time of year, but still things to see. Always a lot of Green Heron's nesting out there, here are some youngins' out and about with cute fuzz on their heads... Lots of Roseate Spoonbill's... Gorgeous Black-necked Stilt's which are also nest out there... Love that pose! And last but not least, there are bugs everywhere. It's a little stressful trying to keep them out of your car when on the drive. But I enjoy seeing them on the plants......

Squirrel lunchtime- I didn't realize they would eat insects like this. Something like a katydid maybe?