Dee At 8 A.M.: January 2025

Saturday, January 18, 2025

January 18, 2025

This is Earleaf Greenbrier

It's common in dry, deep sandy soil

Its leaves can vary in size and in shapes such as

Suborbicular or like a stretched out trefoil.

Location: Kissimmee Prairie State Park Preserve

Photo originally taken: October 20, 2018

Explanation: With plants especially, I don't post unless I can find a grown up to confirm my ID. In this case, I did not receive ID confirmation till 4 years after original posting.

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR375

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, January 17, 2025

January 17, 2025

I am an adult female Pileated Woodpecker

But you might be confused

You might say I'm "partially leucistic"

I say I'm highly improved!

I know I said I wasn't going to be posting any new photos, but David sent this magnificent photo he took today, and I couldn't wait to share it. Thanks as always to my favorite guest photographer, David Simpson.

Location: Brian Picolo Park

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism

Thursday, January 16, 2025

January 16, 2025

This grass used to be called Bushy Bluestem

But scientists have broken it down into many species

The issue is that they retained the same name

Which makes it harder to learn and teach these.

Location: Kissimmee Prairie State Park Preserve

Photo originally taken: October 20, 2018

Explanation: I originally ID'd this as a Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) but it was renamed to Bushy Bluestem Species Complex (Complex Andropogon glomeratus) after a taxon change on July 27, 2022 that split the genus into multiple levels. On researching this, the confusing part is that the Complex retained the same name of Andropogon glomeratus.

Sources: https://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/G104/lectures/104taxon.html

https://storyneedle.com/lumping-and-splitting-in-taxonomy

https://www.iaptglobal.org/icn

https://ab.pensoft.net/article/38075/

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

January 15, 2025

As some of you know, despite retiring from high tech, I have been approximately 10,000,000 times busier now. My latest pet project is being field trip coordinator for the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into when I first signed up. Right now, we are exactly a week before the festival starts, then, a week after the festival, I will be headed to Costa Rica. I was thinking about pausing the blog for a month, but after 9 years of uninterrupted daily posts, I just couldn't do it.

But then I remembered a project I've had on the back burner for a while. You see, despite my self-delusions, it turns out, I am not infallible (I can hear your gasps of shock from here). Occasionally I have made some errors or accidental omissions on the blog. So, instead of getting out and taking photos, I have gone back through my iNaturalist submissions, and for the next few weeks will be posting some old photos that I either completely misidentified the first time around, or I did not have an ID for and forgot about. Enjoy this walk down memory lane. I will be back with new stuff from Costa Rica in February.

I am known as Mottled Shore Crab

Not Mangrove Tree, one difference is how we eat -

They like to eat Leaves fallen from trees

But I prefer algae or meat.

Photo originally published: October 4, 2019
https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/2019/10/october-4-2019.html

Explanation: This little guy was hanging out with Mangrove Tree Crabs, and I didn't realize that it was a completely different species until a few people on iNaturalist called me out on it.

Location: Jetty Park, Fort Pierce

Sources: https://research.nhm.org/pdfs/31132/31132.pdf

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

January 14, 2025

I am a sub-adult male Common Yellowthroat

You can see my black mask but it's patchy

If I was female I'd have no black at all

If was adult, I'd look flashy, not shabby.

Special thanks to guest photographer David Simpson.

Location: Pinewoods Park, Miami

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

Monday, January 13, 2025

January 13, 2025

I am a Scaly-breasted Munia

I'm reddish brown on my head and back

My tummy feathers appear to be scalloped

Because they are white edged in black

Special thanks to my very special guest photographer, David Simpson.

Location: Pinewoods Park, Miami

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/nutman

Sunday, January 12, 2025

January 12, 2025

I am known as a Spot-breasted Oriole

I was introduced in Florida in the 40's

I'm actually a bright and beautiful bird

But you can't see the Oriole for the trees.

Thanks to my very special guest photographer, David Simpson.

Location: Pinewoods Park, Miami

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spot-breasted_Oriole/lifehistory

Saturday, January 11, 2025

January 11, 2025

I am known as a Sedge Wretn

I blend in quite well with my souroundings

My population is said to be in deline

Due to habitat loss - which is sad but not astounding.

Location: Rock Springs Run

Sources: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1216384/Cistothorus_stellaris

Friday, January 10, 2025

January 10, 2025

I am known as a Snow Bunting

Florida is not where I belong

I breed in the arctic in temps below zero

But I found food here, so I can stay strong.

Very special thanks to today's guest photographer, David Simpson. I was not lucky enough to see this bird.

Location: Shiloh Marsh, MINWR

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

Thursday, January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

I might be a Yellow Ghost Spider

My location and shape are correct

My palps are dark red

I've got some lines on my head

But so do many other spiders, with all due respect!

Location: Dee's car, Fellsmere Trailhead Preserve

Sources: https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Spiders

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

January 8, 2025

I am known as a Snow Goose

I stand out among all the green

I am blue, but I could also be white

Or a plumage somewhere in between.

Location: T.M. Goodwin WFA, Broadmoor Unit

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/snogoo/cur/appearance

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

January 7, 2025

I am known as a Gallinago delicata

Commonly known as Wilson's Snipe

I'm kind of chubby, with a long, awkward beak

I'm a shorebird, but not the beach-body type.

Location: T.M. Goodwin WFA, Broadmoor Unit

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

Monday, January 6, 2025

January 6, 2025

I am a bird known as a Ruff

But from this distance it's hard to tell

The jerks on iNaturalist are picking on Dee

But her husband knows his shorebirds quite well.

The size of my beak, my shape and where I am white

Are all things you can look at to tell.

IF you want to learn more about Shorebirds, join Dee and David at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife festival coming up on Jan 22-26! We, along with my bud Jessica, will be teaching a Shorebird ID class. Here's a tip: They are all Seagulls.

Location: T.M. Goodwin WFA, Broadmoor Unit

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

https://scbwa.net/

Sunday, January 5, 2025

January 5, 2025

I am a Peninsular Cooter

Notice the yellow stripes on my face and neck

My front claws

Aren't very long

So I'm either female or very well kempt.

Location: Lake Woodruff WMA

Sources: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/freshwater-turtles/cooters

Saturday, January 4, 2025

January 4, 2025

I am known as an Anhinga

My sharply pointed beak is great for fish-spearing

I use my long, stiff tail for many things
Including flight lift, balancing, braking and steering.

Location: Lake Woodruff WMA

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

Friday, January 3, 2025

January 3, 2025

I am American Alligator

I've been a protected species for quite a while

There are lots of alligators

We're not really endangered -

But people confuse us with endangered crocodiles.

Location: Lake Woodruff WMA

Sources: https://www.evergladesfoundation.org/post/9-amazing-things-you-didn-t-know-about-alligators

Thursday, January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

I am known as an Osprey

I'm having fish for dinner tonight

I'm common today

It wasn't always this way -

We bounced back from DDT pesticide.

Location: Lake Woodruff WMA

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

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025 (NINE YEARS!)

I am a female Wood Duck

I'm not as glossy and fancy as my mate

I've never appeared on Dee's blog, not once!

If you count years, it's been over EIGHT!

That's right, dear readers, today marks the start of year 9 of Dee at 8 am. That is 2,922 straight days. It is so hard to put into words how much it means to me to have readers that check in and comment, it keeps me going through my darkest days knowing that people are reading and getting something out of this goofy little nature blog.

I have a few big things coming this year. I plan to finally finish up the Rhyming Guide to Ecuador, most of which is all new content that has not appeared on this blog. We will be visiting Costa Rica in February, so I am hoping to be doing another international Rhyming Guide. And, of course, being "retired" (aka, working harder than I ever did when I got paid to) I am free to travel and go looking for birds and critters whenever my little heart desires. Which is daily at 8 a.m.

Thanks so much for being here. Hope you all stick around for another 9 years. And, if you are in Florida, please stop by to see me at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival from Jan 22-26. I am a sponsor of the festival this year, but I don't have a booth as I am the field trip coordinator and will be a tad busy. But do stop by and say hello, especially if you are new to the blog, I love meeting my readers!

Location: Lake Woodruff WMA

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

https://scbwa.net/