July 17, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am known as a Greater Cormorant

Of the Cormorants, I am the widest spread

I am breed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia

Double-cresteds are smaller and have smaller crests on their heads.

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

Sources: http://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grecor/cur/identification

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 16, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am known as a White Wagtail

My subspecies is either lugens or ocularis

Our breeding habitats, nesting and songs differ

But from a photo, subspecies ID can be a birding abyss.

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

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

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 15, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am a Common Bluebottle butterfly

My wings are aqua surrounded by black

You can find me in moist rain forests

Or if I'm male, in a puddle seeking snacks.

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphium_sarpedon

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 14, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am a Japanese Common Grass Yellow butterfly

I am yellow with black spots on my wings

I fly around grasslands and forests

And can be seen starting in early spring.

Location: Tokyo, Japan  

Sources: https://www.takao599museum.jp/treasures/insects/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AD%E3%83%81%E3%83%A7%E3%82%A6%E7%A7%91/3283/?lang=en

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 13, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am known as a Little Egret

I look similar to a Snowy

As in the US my population was decimated

By people with dull hats that they wanted  to be showy.

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

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

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 12, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

We are known as Black-headed Gulls

Though at the moment we are non-breeding

Right now our heads are just smudged here and there

There's just a few months when our name's not misleading.

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

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

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.

July 11, 2026

Welcome to Japan Week on Dee at 8 a.m. Today we continue to feature the photography of my favorite expat, Joy Handley. 

I am a Brown-eared Bulbul

I'm considered boisterous and loud

I am mostly grey, with darker wings, 

And my ear coverts are chestnut brown.

(Hence, the name.)

Location: Tokyo, Japan 

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/brebul1/cur/introduction

Photo © 2026 Joy Handley 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.