Friday, September 30, 2022

September 30, 2022

I am an adult male Prairie Warbler
I like to pick insects from branches and leaves
If I am a migrant, I breed throughout the eastern US
If I'm resident, I breed in Florida Mangrove trees.

Location: Riverside Park, Vero

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prairie_Warbler/maps-range

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Thursday, September 29, 2022

September 29, 2022

I am a Cape May Warbler
My population goes up and down
It's down when insects in northern forests are scarce
When there's more food my population rebounds,

Location: Riverside Park, Vero

Sources: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/cape-may-warbler

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

September 28, 2022

We are known as a Blue Jays
We look like we've both been through a wringer
We might look revolting, but we are just molting
In a few months, we will both be humdingers!

Location: Riverside Park, Vero

Sources: https://www.audubon.org/news/understanding-basics-bird-molts

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson



Tuesday, September 27, 2022

September 27. 2022

I am a Southern Yellow-winged Grasshopper
I've bright yellow hind wings, but you can't see them here
I look like a rock, and you might be in shock
When I jump and bright yellow appears!

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/ghopper/band.pdf

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Monday, September 26, 2022

September 26, 2022

I am a Longhorn Band-wing Grasshopper
I like sandy places like river banks and dunes
In the south my wings are orange to red
My friends in New Englands wings have a yelllowish hue.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/9542

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Sunday, September 25, 2022

September 25, 2022

This is Asclepias pedicellata,
Also known as Savannah Milkweed
Butterflies and caterpillars like the plant
But there's not much to eat now that it's gone to seed.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-asclepias-pedicellata/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Saturday, September 24, 2022

September 24, 2022

I am a Four-spotted Velvet Ant
My butt kind of looks like it has windows
My colors and reputation both say "Stay away!
And don't walk barefoot unless you want sore toes."

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Four-Spotted-Velvet-Ant

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Friday, September 23, 2022

September 23, 2022

I am a Zebra Swallowtail,
You can find me in woodlands, scrub, and waterways
My flight is low, fast and erratic
I'm not drunk, but sometimes it looks that way.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wildflowers/butterfly/zebra-swallowtail/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Thursday, September 22, 2022

September 22, 2022

I am a Little Yellow butterfly,
That's not just a description, it's also my name
Although technically my wings are outlined in black
I'm mostly yellow so my name will remain.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pyrisitia-lisa

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

September 21, 2022

This plant is known as Hexasepalum teres, 
Also called Poor Joe or Rough Buttonweed
Gopher Tortoises and butterflies like to eat it
Though the flower isn't much bigger than a seed!

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/research/weedsbyflowercolor/pinkorblue/hexasepalumteres/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

September 20, 2022

I am a Red Saddlebags dragonfly
Me and the Carolina Saddlebag look alike
Except my saddlebag is a bit smaller
You can tell when we sit side-by-side*.

* Check out the linked article for a very clear view of this. I never understood the difference before I found this blog. 

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://waltersanford.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/carolina-saddlebags-dragonflies-males/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Monday, September 19, 2022

September 19, 2022

I am an Argiope florida
I look similar to the Yellow Garden Spider
But I don't have much bright yellow on me
And my abdomen is bumpier and wider.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/127353-Argiope-florida
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/67707-Argiope-aurantia

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Sunday, September 18, 2022

September 18, 2022

I am either a Chinese or Narrow-winged Mantis
You can't tell exactly from this point of view
I'm Chinese if there's a yellow spot between my  raptorial legs
Narrow-winged if that spot has an orangish hue.

Special thanks to guest photographer, Tammie Nelson.

Location: Private residence, Cheverly, MD

Sources: https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/5087
https://thedragonflywoman.com/2010/12/10/insect-legs/

Photo © 2022 Tammie Nelson and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Saturday, September 17, 2022

September 17, 2022

This is Solanum seaforthianum
Commonly known as Brazilian Nightshade
Botanists are not entirely sure where it came from
But it's a popular ornamental in the tropics today.

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287171

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Friday, September 16, 2022

September 16, 2022

This plant is known as Moonflower,
It is fragrant with big, showy flowers
It blooms from late summer into early fall
But only opens in late day and evening hours.

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://www.fnps.org/plant/ipomoea-alba

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Thursday, September 15, 2022

September 15, 2022

This is a Carica papaya
Its sweet fruit is like a melon or mango
Papaya plants can be male, female or bi
It's hard to tell which is which, even though they go commando. 

(Read the articles below to find out how to determine if you have a male, female, or bisexual Papaya plant. Only the females and bisexual plants produce good fruit. The bisexual plants can self pollinate, but the female plants need a male plant close by to pollinate it.) 

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG054

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

September 14, 2022

I am known as a Red-shouldered Hawk
I live in deciduous forests and swamps
Habitat loss, pollution, and logging are
Causing the number of my species to drop.

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

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

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

I am a Gulf Fritillary butterfly
I lay my eggs on Passionflower
Once my eggs hatch, my larvae
Have just one thought: DEVOUR!

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/gulf_fritillary.htm

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Monday, September 12, 2022

September 12, 2022

I am a female Orange-barred Sulphur
You can find me in gardens, parks, and roadsides
I consume nectar from a variety of flowers
And my mate is smaller and darker orange than I

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phoebis-philea

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Sunday, September 11, 2022

September 11, 2022




This is Momordica charantia
Also called Bitter Melon or Balsam Pear
It can serve as a reservoir for plant viruses
That some insects are known to bear.

Location: Paleo Hammock Conservation Area, St. Lucie County

Sources: http://charlottecountyextension.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-is-it.html

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson









Saturday, September 10, 2022

September 10, 2022

I am a Tringa solitaria
But my common name is Solitary Sandpiper
And look like I'm trying to shake off a full diaper!

Location: C 23/24 Reservoir, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Solitary_Sandpiper/overview
https://youtu.be/hAzUl568Nvk

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Friday, September 9, 2022

September 9, 2022

I am an Aramus guarauna
But most people call me a Limpkin
That name comes from my awkward, limping like gait
But I'm not offended, I'm kind of thick-skinned.

Location: C 23/24 Reservoir, St. Lucie County

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

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Thursday, September 8, 2022

September 8, 2022

I am a Tricolored Heron
In the US I'm found in the south and the east
From Florida to Maine, and west to Texas
I'm an s-shaped necked, tricolored, sexy beast.

Location: C 23/24 Reservoir, St. Lucie County

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

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

September 7, 2022

I am known as a Mottled Duck
I have a shorter life span than you would think
I live for an average of about 2 years cause
I'm predated by everything from Falcons to Mink.

Location: C 23/24 Reservoir, St. Lucie County

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

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

September 6, 2022



I am a Gray-headed Swamphen
I like to eat stalks, roots and leaves
I'll also eat frogs, snails and insects
And even aquatic plant seeds.

Location: C 23/24 Reservoir, St. Lucie County

Sources: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-headed-swamphen

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Monday, September 5, 2022

September 5, 2022

I am  a Metallic Sweat Bee
I  was born in a nest underground
If you want to attract me to your yard,
Leave some rotting wood out and I might come around.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/home-habitat/backyard-flora-and-fauna/bees-of-north-florida-and-south-georgia/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Sunday, September 4, 2022

September 4, 2022

We are known as Common Lovebugs
Sometimes you see us on the highway in a huge cloud
And sometimes you see just two of us entwined
We tried telling this other guy "three's a crowd".

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG068

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Saturday, September 3, 2022

September 3, 2022

This is Chapman's Goldenrod
You can grow it from cuttings or from seeds
Birds use it for food, I don't mean to be rude,
But it can grow in disturbed areas like many common weeds

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.fnps.org/plant/solidago-odora-chapmanii

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Friday, September 2, 2022

September 2, 2022

We are juvenile Purple Martins
You can tell by our streaky grey breasts
The males amongst us will grow up to have iridescent feathers
And they will be less brightly colored if they live in the American southwest.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

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

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Thursday, September 1, 2022

September 1, 2022

This plant is known as Buttonbush
Insects like its nectar and birds like its fruit.
It has flowers that resemble pincushions
And with button-like fruit, it's incredibly cute. 

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ceoc2

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson