Last week, I began a series of "point count surveys." Basically I go out just before sunrise and I go to the same 6 points and walk the same route between these points 2-4 times in a year. And at each point, I write down all the birds I see and hear and distances from me to these birds in a 5 minutes period. It is really difficult to learn all of the birdsongs and little noises birds make, but the view is amazing! I got this shot just as I was starting the survey.
I also came across a garter snake in the road at the very end of the survey.
This little bird entertains me year-round. I often see them in my mesic and hydric pine flatwoods as well as flitting around the cypress swamps. I love watching them forage for insects, insect eggs and even insect larvae! Have you ever watched a bird hunting insects? It can be hard to follow them because they can move so rapidly after their prey. They are such adept little flyers they even take insects on the wing. One of my goals this year is to photograph a nest. They make little cup nests out of materials like grass, leaves and spider silk and often cover them with lichens. Both parents help with incubation which takes 13 days, and then both parents help to feed the young over the next 2 weeks. If you look closely, you can see the white eye-ring which can help you tell this little songbird apart form others. Hopefully you'll see one of these guys in your neck of the woods soon! 
