Red Winged Black Bird

This illustration is from the book Quinn and her River, written for my granddaughter. In the book, Quinn reads about the river until she is old enough to go exploring. She learns about the other birds, including ospreys, eagles, American bitterns, that live near the river. The river provides homes and food for muskrats and deer. Smaller creatures like colorful Monarch, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Buckeye butterflies live among wildflowers that grow close to nearby ponds. Trees along the river provide shade and habitat for bluefish, shad and largemouth bass. Even people like the river, as Quinn finds out when she sees her dad kayaking out on the Quinnipiac.

Quinn and her River shows that taking care of the river is good for everyone.

Project information: Red-winged blackbird in his wetland home on the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut. Watercolor on 140lb coldpress paper.