iPod desktop icon appears and disappears

[The Pontificator]

I've got a 2nd generation iPod Shuffle and am running the most current version of iTunes.

I've noticed that the iPod desktop icon only appears on the desktop when the iPod is snynching:

Initial synch when I first connect iPod to the Mac

Synching when auto-filling

Synching when playing iPod's content via iTunes ("copy to play order")

Is this normal?

BTW I'm not using the iPod as a USB storage drive.