The list keeps growing

Just when I think I'm really getting somewhere, I think of something that I need to add or change, and I'm back to square one! The turkey vultures had to come out because I needed another tree in the foreground, or I would not have a home for all the songbirds, which have to be up front because of their small size. I plan to add the TV back in, but perhaps use one TV instead of two, and put it more forward to show better detail of the head, which is really quite beautiful if you consider what it was designed to do. They do a nasty job but somebody's got to do it!
If we're talking about straight up numbers, I am slightly less than halfway with all the species (plants and animals) that need to be placed. The good news is that the large ones are in, and now it is time to start figuring out where the small ones will go. There is a lot of work to be done before I get to some of them. For example, I will be doing all the life stages of the dragonfly and the monarch butterfly. Those can't be done until I get the water done, and certain plants in place. Some of the smaller species may not get their home until the very last.
The pictures tell the best story, so here's what's new! Remember, these are just sketches.

Copperhead

White-breasted nuthatch

Barred owl

Downy woodpecker

Decaying log with Eastern box turtle, chipmunk, and fungus

Red fox and brook trout

Great blue heron

Another day, another species.

Since my last post I have added seven new species, but didn't have the camera with me on some of the days I was working!

 Just a couple of new photos today. The Turkey Vultures with their carrion are an important addition. Nature isn't always pretty, but it's always efficient, and scavengers are a vital part of the ecosystem. I have always wanted to do a portrait of a TV, but couldn't find a logical spot in the foreground to do it, so I opted to put them on a hill in the background. Still, they are unmistakable. 

Turkey Vultures with carrion

This raccoon made it to portrait status. He's big enough to really stand out, but small enough to be shown near life-size. He'll be sitting pretty on his log in the foreground. I really love watching raccoons. They are so smart and curious about everything, and it's amazing the way they use their dexterous forepaws.

  Things are progressing smoothly. Most of the bigger creatures have been placed. But there are so many more decisions to be made...there are still at least 35 more species of plants and animals to be placed! And I definitely need more trees!

This view of the wall is actually four or five separate images "stitched" together, to show more detail. It doesn't include all the work so far, but it's an experiment to see if we could get a good pic of the whole wall. I think it will work once more color and detail are added.
Up next (when I have the camera): Red fox, barred owl, brook trout, downy woodpecker, and white-breasted nuthatch.

Why is there a domestic house cat in the wildlife mural, and what does it have in its mouth?

House cat with prey, a Carolina chickadee

True, the house cat is not wildlife. But its impact on wildlife is profound, therefore it is included in this mural. Unfortunately, that is not a ball of string in its mouth, it is a chickadee.

 Did you know.....

• Nationwide, hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small animals are killed by cats every year?
• Cats can transmit disease to wildlife?
• Cats compete with natural predators?
• Invasive species, including cats, are the second most serious threat to bird populations worldwide?

 It is a myth that well-fed cats don't hunt and kill birds and other wildlife. Well-fed cats kill birds and other wildlife because the hunting instinct is independent of the urge to eat. In one study, six cats were presented with a live small rat while eating their preferred food. All six cats stopped eating the food, killed the rat, and then resumed eating the food. I'm talking about Fluffy and Snowball here, not feral or native wild cats, such as the bobcat. Even putting a bell on your free-range cat doesn't help, because cats can learn to stalk quietly, and birds do not recognize the sound of the bell as something dangerous.

Things you can do to help:

•   If at all possible, for the sake of your cat and local wildlife, keep your cat indoors. Keeping your cats indoors helps protect the wildlife around your yard and prevents your cat from picking up diseases from strays or getting injured.
• Neuter your cats or prevent them from breeding, and encourage others to do so.
• Locate bird feeders in sites that do not provide cover for cats to wait in ambush for birds. 
• Don't feed stray cats. Feeding strays maintains high densities of cats that kill and compete with native wildlife populations.  

For more information, visit the American Bird Conservancy's website www.abcbirds.org and read about their program called CATS INDOORS-THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAFER BIRDS AND CATS.