February 22, 2025

I am known as a Lesson's Motmot, 

You know I'm me from my neon-turquoise head

I have a long tail that ends in two racquets

I don't play tennis, I'm just trying to get bred.

Location: Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia Province, Cantón de Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/bucmot2/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 21, 2025

I am a male Hoffmann's Woodpecker

I have a yellow nape and a small red toupee

My nest predators include Pygmy Owls

Which we mob so they don't make our kids prey.

Location: Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia Province, Cantón de Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/hofwoo1/cur/behavior

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 20, 2025

I am known as a Red-billed Pigeon

I sit in trees and sing whoo, whoop-a-whoo

My bill is bi-colored,

Part pink, part like butter,

The rest of me is mauve and gray-blue.

Location: Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia Province, Cantón de Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-billed_Pigeon/id

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 19, 2025

I am known as a Social Flycatcher

I'm common in the neotropics

I'm brown and yellow with a white stripe on my head

I sit out in the open, you won't need your optics!

I just got back from trip to Costa Rica. Stay tuned for the next few days to see a little of what I saw.

Location: Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia Province, Cantón de Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/socfly1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 18, 2025

I am a Purple Gallinule

My scientific name is similar to yesterday's bird

Swamphens and I are both rails

We both eat plants and snails

But I'm native, they are non-native curs.

Location: Green Cay, Boynton Beach

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Gallinule/lifehistory

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 17, 2025

I am a Gray-headed Swamphen

I have pinkish legs and brownish knees

Well, actually, those are my ankles

 My knees are under my feathers near my body.

Special thanks to my guest photographer, David Simpson.

Location: Green Cay, Boynton Beach

Sources: Make sure you check out this link, it has a great comparison drawing that explains bird feet and legs. https://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/2011/09/um-hey-scientific-american-bird-knees.html

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 16, 2025

I am a Pseudemys nelsoni

Commonly known as Florida Red-bellied Turtle

You know that I'm male

Cause I've long front toenails

But both me and my mate wear red girdles.

Special thanks to my guest photographer, David Simpson.

Location: Green Cay, Boynton Beach

Sources: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/2020/06/18/2020-year-of-the-turtle-florida-red-bellied-turtle/

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.