I am often asked, "Isn't it difficult,
counting all those birds"?
"No," I say, "It's simple, count the eyes and divide by 2!"
(to quote my fathers words.)
(This picture was taken on the Cocoa Christmas bird count. It shows a mixture of Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, and there were even a few Bald Eagles around, although not shown in this photo.)
I am a Northern Cardinal
I dress in red, don't confuse me with St. Nick
His beard is white, my beard is black,
I sing my "cheer, cheer, cheer" song to you as my gift.
I'm known as a Wood Stork
I have a droopy beak and a black, bald head.
You might confuse me with with a White Ibis,
But their droopy beak is orangey-red.
I'm an adult female Eastern Bluebird
I've got a grey head and bright blue wings.
My mate has a blue head and is a lazy guy,
He dances while I do our nest building.
Location: Marianna, Florida Caverns State Park
Text.
I am a female Golden Orb Weaver.
I might bite, but it hurts less than a bee sting.
My boyfriend is much different than me
He's much smaller, dark brown, and boring.
I am a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
You cannot see my ruby-red crown.
That might be because I'm a female,
Or I'm a male and it's covered by brown.
The crown only shows when I'm excited
So look for other clues to my ID.
Such as the white eye ring and wing bars,
And I'm almost always flicking my wings.
I am problably a Mesodon thyroidus,
White-lip Globe, more commonly.
Dee should have photographed my underside,
To obtain a more positive ID.
I learn so much writing this blog, and have had so many people contribute their knowledge. Very special thanks to Bill Frank from the Jacksonville Shells web site and Dr. Harry Lee for their help in identifying this snail.
To quote Bill Frank, "When anticipating that help with identification may be required, make sure that you photograph the ventral side (bottom) of the snail.”
I am known as a Swamp Sparrow.
I'm a small songbird with red on my wings.
When I'm breeding I wear a jaunty red cap,
And a simple, slow trill's how I sing.
I am a Swamp Sparrow, mooning you.
My legs are longer than other sparrow species.
This allows me to forage in water,
So I can eat aquatic invertebrate beasties.
This is Leavenworth's Tickseed,
Coreopsis leavenworthii, in your wildflower guide.
It is used to save both lives and energy,
When it's planted along the road side.
We are known as Leaffooted bugs,
Shown here crawling on a Salt Bush.
We can infest many crops, such as veggies and fruits,
And can be a real pain in the tush.
This is a Cirsium horridulum,
In some places it's endangered, in others it's a noxious weed.
In Florida, butterflies like it's flower's nectar,
And some birds like to snack on it's seeds.
I'm a female Cloudless Sulphur butterfly.
My wings are edged with black, but I'm yellow over all.
My boyfriend's wings are edged in light brown,
And we both migrate south in the fall.
My color when I'm a caterpillar
Is based on my favorite cuisine:
If I snack on flowers my larvae is yellow,
If I eat leaves, the larvae is green.
I'm a bird known as a Black Swan
People used to think only white swans exist.
Until 1697 when Willem de Vlamingh,
Went to Australia and added me to his life list.
I’m a swan known as a Whooper.
I’m native to places like Saskatchewan.
I’m mostly known for my whoop-whoop call.
And I’m related to the Trumpeter Swan.
I'm known as a Mallard Duck,
The blue wing patch is a defining mark.
I like to eat seeds and aquatic vegetation.
You can find me in wetlands, ponds, and parks.
I am a Greylag and Swan Goose hybrid
I have gray feathers like a greylag Goose
Like a swan Goose, I have an orange knob on my forehead.
I’m not native I’m a feral that someone let loose.
Location: Fellsmere, Goodwin Wildlife Management Area
I'm known as a Loggerhead Shrike.
I'm the only songbird of prey.
When you see what I do with my hooked beak and talons,
You'll know why Butcher Bird's my sobriquet.
I am an Eastern Lubber grasshopper.
If you are tempted to pick me up, use self-control.
I excrete a toxic, foul smelling froth,
From my spiracle breathing hole.
I'm known as a Gopher Tortoise.
I usually live in dry, sandy scrub.
But I can also be found on golf courses and roads,
So watch where you're driving, bub!
(Tip to those living in Florida: If you see a Gopher Tortoise trying to cross the street, if you help him across, make sure that you help it to the side to which it was heading, otherwise they will just try to cross again as soon as you leave.)
I'm known as Mimus polyglottosis.
Polyglottos means "multiple languages" in Greek.
I can sing the words to other birds songs,
With my urbane, cosmopolitain beak.