August 31, 2021

I am known as a Mexican Duck

I look a bit like a female Mallard

I can hybridize with ducks in the genus Anas

When you look as good as me, it's a hazard.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Pena Blanca Lake, AZ

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/mexduc/cur/systematics

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 30, 2021

I am a male Eastern Pondhawk

I usually live near water, and on insects I chow.

But today I thought I would try something new

And take a nap in David's eyebrow.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: McCurtain County, OK

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/577

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 29, 2021

I am a Spotted Towhee

I look a lot like my Eastern Towhee counterpart

I have prominent white wing spots

Other than that, we mostly share the same marks.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Winter Haven, AZ

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/species-compare/64991941

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 28, 2021

I am known as a Widow Skimmer dragonfly

The name comes from how I mate

My girlfriend and I get down then I'm gone - 

Leaving her a "widow" to take care of the eggs. 

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Pena Blanca Lake, AZ

Sources: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Widow-Skimmer

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 27, 2021

I am known as a Gray Hawk

You can find me in south Texas and Arizona

I sometimes eat vertebrates like bunnies and birds

But strongly prefer food with a reptilian aroma.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Coronado National Forest, AZ

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

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 26, 2021

I am an Acorn Woodpecker,

Some people say that I look like a clown

I think that's harsh but accurate - 

Because of my white mask and red crown.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Fort Davis NHS, Texas

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Melanerpes_formicivorus/

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 25, 2021

I am a juvenile Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia is a bird you might think I resemble

But I am just molting into my adult colors -

The resemblance is entirely coincidental.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/species-compare/67448261

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 24, 2021

I am known as a Pyrrhuloxia,

I am related to the Northern Cardinal

But I live in Mexico and the American south-west and I have a hooked yellow bill and am a completely different color and have a much smaller range and...

Well, I guess our differences are a bit more than marginal.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Big Bend National Park, Texas

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pyrrhuloxia/species-compare/63667361

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 23, 2021

I am a Curve-billed Thrasher

Some say my call sounds like I'm hailing a taxi

I like to eat insects, fruit, and seeds

Or escargot when I'm feeling classy. 

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC, Texas

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Curve-billed_Thrasher/

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 22, 2021

I am a Florida Garden Spider

I eat insects such as bees and flies,

But I will not eat the Ornate Bella Moth - 

They protect themselves from their own demise.

Both the male and the female Ornate Bella Moth

Obtain pyrrolizidine alkaloids from plants

The male gives the female more of that 

When they are involved in romance. 

The female passes the chemical

On to her eggs which makes them taste bitter

If I catch an Ornate Bella moth in my web

I set it free and wait for a tastier critter.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/2366497 (If you can't access this article, just sign up for a free JSTOR account, which lets you read 100 free research articles every month. This is one of my favorite sources.)

Photos and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 21, 2021

I am a Golden-winged Skimmer

I'm known as a predator, most voracious 

I'm known to eat insects including Horseflies

(Which is fine with Dee - Horseflies are quite vexatious.)

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: http://odonata.tacc.utexas.edu/index.php/FieldGuideAction.get/id/47118

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 20, 2021

I am a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

You can find my friends in Florida all year round

But I happen to be in Texas

Which is one of places we are known to get down!

Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, TX

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-crowned_Night-Heron/maps-range

Photo © 2021 David Simpson, text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 19, 2021

I am a Long-billed Thrasher,

Similar to the Brown Thrasher found in the east

I have curved bill and am more brownish

Brown Thrashers are brighter and have a straight beak.

Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, TX

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-billed_Thrasher/species-compare/67456051

Photo © 2021 David Simpson, text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 18, 2021

I am a Plain Chachalaca

I'm like a chicken that hangs out in trees 

Galliformes usually live on the ground, but -

Me and my babies live in thetreetops with ease. 

(In case you are wondering, no, you won't see these in Florida. The only place you will find them in the US is southernmost part of Texas, which is where my sweetheart and guest photographer, David Simpson, took this picture.)

Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, TX

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Plain_Chachalaca/overview

Photo © 2021 David Simpson, text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 17, 2021

I am a male Common Spotted Whiptail, 

Aspidoscelis gularis is my scientific name

"Gularis" is the Latin word for "throat"

Which in my case, is bright red like a flame. 

(Special thanks to my sweetheart and guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR, TX

Sources: https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Aspidoscelis&species=gularis

Photo © 2021 David Simpson, text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 16, 2021

I am a juvenile Green Heron,

When I grow up I'll have fewer streaks

In addition, my feathers will show iridescent green

If I'm kind enough to give you a peak.

(Thanks again to my special guest photographer and sweetheart, David Simpson.)

Location: Convention Center, South Padre Island, TX

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/id

Photo © 2021 David Simpson, text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 15, 2021

I am a Great-tailed Grackle, 

You might confuse me with a Boat-tailed.

My eyes are yellow, and theirs are dark

My tail is longer and wider amongst other details.

(Special thanks to sweetheart and guest photographer, David Simpson who is on the road for a bit but submitting tons of very cool pictures for me to steal!)

Location: Convention Center, South Padre Island, TX

Sources:https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Quiscalus_mexicanus/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 14, 2021

Mwah mmm wuuuma

Hmmm mhuhhh mnuhhh

Mwah mmm wuuuma

Hmmm mhuhhh mnuhhh

(Note: This is an Anhinga, but he can't introduce himself because his mouth is basically stuck shut. If you click the picture to enlarge it, and check out his beak, you can see that it's serrated. This cloth appeared to be stuck on the serrated edges of his beak. Just a reminder to please don't litter. If you are in  a park and have trash, take it home with you and dispose of it properly - you never know who you might be hurting down the line!)

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Anhinga_anhinga/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 13, 2021

I might be a Four-toothed Nerite, 

Or Lighting Nerite might be my name

From underneath you can see my four "teeth"

But from the top we look pretty close to the same.

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/292317-Nerita-versicolor

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 12, 2021

I am a Boat-tailed Grackle,

Or as David called me, a "no-tailed"

Molting season's the reason

For my feather depletion

I'd like to stay handsome, but nature prevails.

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-basics-feather-molt/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 11, 2021

I am juvenile Least Tern,

My head cap is colored smudgy brown

When I am an adult it will be spotted black

Or solid black when I go out on the town.

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Tern/id

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 10, 2021

This could be one Mangrove Tree Crab molting

Or it could be two Mangrove Tree Crabs getting down

Or it could be that one is a life guard

Who saved the other, who was about to drown.

(Ok, not gonna lie, I have no clue what is going on here. I have sent it to 2 nature nerd friends so far and we haven't reached a definitive conclusion, although we are leaning towards the molting theory. I'm open to suggestions!)

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2014/case_zac2/interactions.htm

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 9, 2021

I am an immature Little Blue Heron,

I'm mostly blue but still have white underneath

I'm at that awkward in between molts phase

And - dang! - I've got something stuck in my teeth.

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Little_Blue_Heron/id

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 8, 2021

I am a female Peters's Rock Agama

My head and tail are not bright orange like my mate's

I usually have a much longer tail

But something saw me and tried to predate. 

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW476

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 7, 2021

I am an adult male Florida Scrub Jay

I have a cyst on my left side by my wing

Although it is large, there is no discharge, 

And I can still eat, fly and sing.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: None. We have sent photos of this guy to many sources, and no one has seen anything like it, and I haven't found any resources about cysts/tumors on wild birds other than Avian Pox, which this is not. I do have additional photos if anyone wants to see them, but I thought they might be too graphic for this blog. But message me if you want to see them.

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 6, 2021

I am known as a Green Jay

And I think that David Simpson might be a jerk - 

He is in Texas getting one of Dee's "bucket-list birds"

While she's stuck in Florida at work!

Begrudging thanks to my guest photographer and sweetheart, David Simpson.

Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR, Los Fresnos, TX

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Jay/overview

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 5, 2021

This is the wing of a Great Egret

I have no idea how it died

Great Egrets have no non-human* predators

Due to their aggressive behavior - not to mention their size.

* In the past, egrets and herons were hunted for their feathers. They are protected from hunting now, but they are still quite  vulnerable to human caused habitat loss, water pollution, and air pollution.

Location: Goodwin Wildlife Management Area, Fellsmere

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ardea_alba/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 4, 2021

I am an immature Brown Pelican

Sometimes I get myself in trouble, and deep - 

I get tangled up in fishing line and tackle, 

And it hurts and I think "Oh *bleep*"

Location: Royal Palm Pointe Park, Vero Beach

Sources: https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/unhook/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 3, 2021

I'm known as a Black Vulture

I've got no feathers on my head

It helps to keep the goop from sticking

When I'm eating something that's dead.

I only take small bites of a large carcass, 

I don't try to swallow it all one time

You should never throw a large carcass to a Pelican -

It might tear open their pouch and they'll die. 

Location: Goodwin Wildlife Management Area, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.wildlifecenter.org/vulture-facts

https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/unhook/protect-seabirds/

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 2, 2021

I am a juvenile Royal Tern

Unlike my parents, I have bars on my wings

In addition, my legs are yellow, 

But sometimes shade can obscure such things. 

This is the answer to yesterday's mystery bird. Kind of a trick question as the Royal Tern was also last month's mystery bird, but I wanted to keep you all on your toes:-)

Location: Royal Palm Pointe Park, Vero Beach

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Royal_Tern/photo-gallery/170459361

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 1, 2021

I am another mystery bird -

My ID is made harder cause I'm mooning you. 

Can you tell who I am by my feathers? 

If you know my age, that will be a clue.

Another mystery bird! If you can guess the bird, either email Dee or private message your guess in Facebook Messenger. Please do not post answers here, let everyone have a chance! Thanks. Winner will get to pick the subject of our next video. Note that there just might be a very special guest star filling in for David this week:-)

Location: Royal Palm Pointe Park, Vero Beach

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson