Wednesday, July 31, 2024

July 31, 2024


I'm known as a Orchard Oriole
I'm part black and my tummy is rusty
I eat insects, but also nectar and fruit
And flower pollen, which can leave my head dusty.

Location: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Swanton, OH

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

July 30, 2024

This plant is a Flowering Dogwood
It's known for red fall foliage and showy spring blooms
It also has hard wood used for many things
Such as jeweler's blocks, mallets,  and spools.

Location: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Swanton, OH

Sources: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cofl2

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Monday, July 29, 2024

July 29, 2024


I am a White-breasted Nuthatch
I got my name from the way that I eat
I stick an acorn in a tree,
Whack the acorn with my beak
Until the nut inside is "hatched" free.

Location: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Swanton, OH

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/overview#

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

July 28, 2024


I am a Ruby-throated Hummingbird
My short legs make it hard to walk
But I can fly super fast with precision
And I migrate alone, not ever in flocks.

Location: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Swanton, OH 

Sources: https://journeynorth.org/tm/humm/migration_route.html

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/overview

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Saturday, July 27, 2024

July 27, 2024

I am a fly in the suborder Nematocera
Notice my antennae that are feathery
My larvae are usually aquatic
The number of species in this suborder are many.

(I apologize for the vagueness of the identification - I couldn't nail this down to a species, but thought it was such a cool looking critter that I really wanted to share it.)

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/14927

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/154259-Nematocera

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Friday, July 26, 2024

July 26, 2024

I am a spider in the genus Tetragnath
I'm often found near rivers and streams
I build a horizontal,
Circular web above water
To intercept emerging insect cuisine.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1997

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Thursday, July 25, 2024

July 25, 2024


I am a Black-throated Green Warbler
My extra large head is of note
My beak's thick and black
And to be exact
I have both a black chin and black throat.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-throated_Green_Warbler/id

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

July 24, 2024

I am a Bay-breasted Warbler
I live in Canada where I eat Spruce Budworms
My population goes down
When budworms aren't around
But when they come back I will also return.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bay-breasted_Warbler/overview

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

July 23, 2024

I am known as a Tufted Titmouse
I'm white and grey with a pointy crest
I hoard seeds from feeders in the winter and fall
And raise my young in a fur-lined nest.

Location: Pearson Park Dr, Oregon, OH

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.




Monday, July 22, 2024

July 22, 2024

I am a male White-crowned Sparrow
I learned to sing from the birds in my neighborhood
I like to eat seeds
Of grasses and weeds
And keep my white crown looking good!

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/lifehistory

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Sunday, July 21, 2024

July 21, 2024

I am known as a Canada Goose
Shown here leading about 30 goslings
I seem to have accrued
A quite large "gang brood"
None named Ryan, but they're still little darlings.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Saturday, July 20, 2024

July 20, 2024

We are known as Indigo Buntings
I (the male) am a bright brilliant blue
My wife is kind of a dull brown bird
But she builds a great nest for our brood!

Location: (M) Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH
(F) Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Swanton, OH 

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.



Friday, July 19, 2024

July 19, 2024

I am known as a Yellow Warbler
I have a chestnut streaked breast and bright yellow head
I have big eyes
So it's a surprise
I sometimes get caught in spider webs!

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Thursday, July 18, 2024

July 18, 2024

I'm an American Goldfinch
I'm attracted to native Thistles and Milkweed
I'm a frequent visitor to most styles of feeders
And I love Nyjer and Sunflower seed.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

July 17, 2024

This is knows as a Princess Tree
It's pretty, but that's the extent of it's charm
It is messy, fast growing, and has very week wood
And is invasive - do not plant in your yard!

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/paulownia-tomentosa/

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

July 16, 2024

This plant is Hesperis matronalis
Commonly known as Dame's Rocket
It is pretty but should never be planted or bought -
In America, it's an invasive exotic.

Location: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area,  Sandusky, OH

Sources: https://www.invasive.org/alien/pubs/midatlantic/hema.htm

Photo and text © 2024 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.




Monday, July 15, 2024

July 15, 2024

We are known as Tree Swallows
You can tell we're male by our sparkly blue heads
We nest in both trees and nest boxes
Which help scientists study our trends.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Sunday, July 14, 2024

July 14, 2024

We are both Red-winged Blackbirds
But only my mate lives up to our name
I can be mistaken for 1000 other birds
By no-talent birders like Dee who are lame.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township (female), Ohio;  Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, Sandusky, OH (male)

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id

Photo and text © 2024 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.




Saturday, July 13, 2024

July 13, 2024

I am known as a Fox Squirrel
I'm an omnivore but prefer nuts and seeds
When I run afoul
Of hawks and owls
I'm agile and can escape in the trees.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Friday, July 12, 2024

July 12, 2024


I am known as a Great Egret
I'm doing some sky art
I like to call it post modern
That started as a small fart.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

July 11, 2024

I am known as a Trumpeter Swan
In North America, I'm the heaviest known bird
I need a 100 meter runway in order to take flight
And it can sound like a galloping horse herd.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

July 10, 2024


I am a Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I have a large, triangle shaped bill
My chest's mostly white
And I wear a red tie
My beautiful song is my finest skill.

Location: Oak Openings Preserve, Swanton, Ohio; Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak/id

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak/sounds

Photo and text © 2024 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.



Tuesday, July 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

I am a Baltimore Oriole
I prefer to eat dark, ripened fruit
I eat it by "gaping"
Which is my way of breaking
Open berries to release the sweet juice.

(To quote the linked article, Baltimore Orioles "...use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping”: they stab the closed bill into soft fruits, then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with their brushy-tipped tongues.")

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Monday, July 8, 2024

July 8, 2024

I am a harmless Northern Watersnake
In Florida, you will see my Southern counterpart
You can find me in ponds,
And streams, lakes and bogs
Sometimes away from water, but not very far.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Sunday, July 7, 2024

July 7, 2024

I am known as a Muskrat
I have dense fur that keeps me warm and buoyant
I don't see, hear, or even smell very well
So I use my musk for intruder avoidance.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Saturday, July 6, 2024

July 6, 2024

I am a Prothonotary Warbler
I might look innocent enough
But I shaped modern American politics
And helped fear of Communism run amok.

(Read the link below for details.)

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

Sources: https://www.famous-trials.com/algerhiss/657-warbler

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prothonotary_Warbler/overview#

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Friday, July 5, 2024

Butterfly Resources

The following are sources used in our Butterflies of Indian River County Presentation:

July 5, 2024

I am a Red Admiral butterfly
My main colors are brown, orange and white
I like to eat fermented tree sap
With a little fresh dung on the side.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.


Thursday, July 4, 2024

July 4, 2024

I am an American Bullfrog
My ears are bigger than my eyes
My eyes are bigger than belly - 
I've a voracious appetite!

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

Sources: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Bullfrog

https://nypost.com/2018/12/28/science-explains-why-our-eyes-are-bigger-than-our-stomachs/

Photo and text © 2024 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.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

July 3, 2024

We are known as Painted Turtles
We have yellow and red markings on a green-brown background
We have a good sense smell and of color perception
But we're lacking in the ability to hear sounds.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.



Tuesday, July 2, 2024

July 2, 2024

We are a male and female House Sparrow
We cohabitate with people
We eat insects and seeds
And livestock feed
And nest in traffic lights, roofs and steeples.

Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Township, Ohio

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.



Monday, July 1, 2024

July 1, 2024

I am a male Phainopepla
I mostly eat berries of mistletoe
They pass through my intestines in 12 minutes flat
I can eat 1,000 per day, so I go-go-go.

Location: Box Canyon, AZ

Special thanks to today's guest photographer, David Simpson.

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

Photo and text © 2024 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.