July 31, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

I am a female Gulf Fritillary,
With my man, doing it right out in the open!
Soon I'll lay eggs and there will be caterpillars,
At least that is what we are hoping.

Sources: UF | IFAS Featured Creatures - Gulf fritillary butterfly

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 30, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

I am known as a Limpkin,
I feed almost exclusively on Apple Snails.
My uniquely tipped bill acts like tweezers,
Which is handy when eating the snails entrails.

Sources: Cornell Lab - Limpkin

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 29, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

I am a Carolina (Green) Anole,
I like invertebrates, including bugs.
I'm not a big fan of birds, cats or snakes,
They chase me, and it's not for hugs!

Sources: Green Anole Facts

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 28, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

I am Variegated Fritillary Butterfly
Brazillian Verbena is what I'm pollinating
It is a rapid growing perennial plant,
And for butterflies, quite accommodating.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden - Verbena bonariensis

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 27, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

We are Variegated Fritillary Butterflies,
Below to the left of us is a chrysalis.
While we are above, totally in love,
A butterfly is forming below, how felicitous!

(Special thanks again to Heather Stapleton for pointing out the chrysalis to me, I totally missed it when I first downloaded the picture.)

Sources: A Welcomed Vagabond - Variegated Fritillary

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 26, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

We are Variegated Fritillary Butterflies
Getting down in public, totally nude!
Our egg will be laid on our favorite host plant,
And by December, we'll have four broods.

(Special thanks to Heather Stapleton for the ID.)

Sources: Butterflies and Moths of North America - Variegated Fritillary

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 25, 2018

Location: Lakeland, Circle B Bar Reserve

I'm the Florida subspecies of the Red shouldered Hawk.
Occasionally mislabeled the Florida "race".
"Race" refers to genetically similar humans,
"Subspecies" have differences but can mate.

Sources: Cornell Labs-All About Birds: Red Shouldered Hawk

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson