Mary-Louise

I chose the belted kingfisher.  There is one along the brook near our backyard.  I first encountered it during the spring shut down 2020.  I even observed one kingfisher chase another one.  I've learned that that is a courtship behavior.  I learned that they need clear water to find prey.  I knew they perch on overhangs.  There are power lines that run across the brook and that is one of its favorite perches.  I learned that they nest in exposed vertical banks along water and roots of upturned trees (there are plenty of them around here.)  They are one and done with nests.  There aren't many tall banks along my brook and the ones we do have are close to trails.  I have consistently seen or heard a male kingfisher year around.  Now that breeding season is upon us I will keep an eye out to see if I spot two of them

@Genevieve Thank you Genevieve for the recommendations.  I'll check them out!!  I do live in New England, not far from the coast.

I went to a near by stream along a road.  It was very breezy.  There was a Nor'easter off the coast.  The trees are turning color and I want to start exploring color with the water colors.  I don't have any resources for identifying the wild plants in my area.  Anyone have any recommendations?

I felt anxious.  I tend to judge my drawings rather harshly.  I wasn't concerned about the branches and leaves and enjoyed drawing them quickly, the warbler I fussed over a lot more and worried about how accurate it looked.