Female Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice). Year round resident of peninsula Florida. This one seen in a grassy area, near a fresh water pond and marsh and also near a mangrove forest. Small and easily missed at 1.3 inches. Here’s a nice piece about their behavior from the “Northeast Naturalist,” and my friends at Eagle Hill […]
Tag: florida
Spiney Orb Weaver Spider
Spiney Orb Weaver Spider (Gasteracantha canciformis). Found here in Florida most often around citrus trees….both in groves and suburban yards. Known locally as the “crab spider”due to their crablike carapace, they belong to the family of orb weavers, Arneidae, and are quite harmless. The Spiney Orb Weaver spins a large and strong web (like the […]
Mangrove Skipper, Phocides pigmalion.
The Mangrove Skipper (Phocides pigmalion) is a member of the Spread Wing Skippers of the Hesperidae family of butterflies. Found in the Mangrove forests of Florida, this large (48-70mm wingspan) skipper is a strong flyer and is often seen perching upside down with spread wings. The iridescent blue markings are beautiful and, along with it’s […]
Limpkin, a Tropical Wading Bird in the U.S..
The Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a tropical wading bird with Florida being the northern limit of it’s traditional range. Hunted to near extinction in the early 20th century, the Limpkin has made a remarkable comeback. These photos were taken in a fresh water canal in my “very suburban” neighborhood. I believe these birds are a […]
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea microptera)
Grasshoppers are common insects. Often seen and heard during thewarmer months here in the U.S., they are symbolic of summer and outdoor activities. In Florida the Eastern Lubber (Romalea microptera) is our most observed species. They are large (3 inches), brightly colored, flightless and slow moving. Lubber’s distribution is in the “U.S Subtropics,” as you […]
Barred Owl
Barred Owls are one of our more common owls. There are several near my home, so I get to see them pretty frequently. They are one of the first birds I photographed here after moving to Florida.
Palmedes Swallowtail
Spring butterflies are starting to appear in SW Florida. This Palmedes Swallowtail (Paplilo palmedes) was seen patroling the woodline on the Seaboard Grade in the Babcock-Webb WMA in Punta Gorda on March 5, 2013. The Swamp Bay and Red Bay are it’s host plant, but this one was seen basking on Saw Palmetto.
La Chua Trail, Paines Prairie, 3/1/2013
I was traveling up to Alabama this morning, and so I left early to see what I could find at Payne’s Prairie. I walked the La Chua Trail; it was somewhat breezy out, so I suspect some sparrows were hiding, but I did get to find a Field Sparrow (my first in Florida), several White-crowned […]