March 16, 2026

I am a Red-banded Hairstreak

I eat nectar from milkweed and dogbane

As a caterpillar 

I ate leaf litter

I'm an adult now, my taste sure has changed!

Location: DeLuca Preserve, Okeechobee

Sources: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wildflowers/butterfly/red-banded-hairstreak/

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 15, 2026

I am a Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bee

Look on the flower, I'm the metallic green spot

I'm abundant, but need sandy soil for nesting

If you don't see me, that could be why not.

Location: DeLuca Preserve, Okeechobee,

Sources: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.882084/Agapostemon_splendens

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 14, 2026

I am a female Halloween Pennant

I'm more yellow than my mate

We only get down in the morning - 

We really enjoy breakfast dates.

Location: DeLuca Preserve, Okeechobee,

Sources: https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/wildaboutpages/wildaboutinvertebrates/wildaboutdragonflies/family-libellulidae/wadfhalloweenpennant.html

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 13, 2026

I am a juvenile Bar-winged Skimmer dragonfly

You might confuse me with a Great Blue Skimmer

But have a dark head and dark abdomen stripe

And I live in shallow water - I'm not much of a swimmer.

Location: DeLuca Preserve, Okeechobee,

Sources: http://dragonfliesnva.com/My%20Documents/KevinPDF/pdf/identify/species/BarwingedSkimmer-FINAL.pdf

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 12, 2026

I am a Western Cattle Egret

I like to find a nice grassy patch

I follow plows

And hang out with cows

And sometimes work as a cattle hat.

Location: DeLuca Preserve, Okeechobee,

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Cattle-Egret/overview

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 11, 2026

I am a Domestic Cattle

Specifically, I'm composite known as A-Beef

I'm specifically bred to deal with Florida weather,

And, unfortunately, to be good to eat.

Location: Adams Ranch, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.adamsranch.com/cattle-breeds/composite-cattle/

Photo and text © 2026 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.

March 10, 2026

This is known as a Strangler Fig

It started out as an epiphyte that put down roots
On the one hand, it strangles the tree underneath

But birds and butterflies sure love its fruits.

Location: Adams Ranch, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.fnps.org/plant/ficus-aurea#gsc.tab=0

Photo and text © 2026 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.