There are creatures in this swampy soup. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the species and count the number of individuals. Trust me, it isn’t as easy as you think. Post your guess in the comments and I’ll reveal the answer in a few days.
*Thanks to Karen who reminded me of this game that I used to offer regularly on a previous website, fautrever.com.
The large, lavender bloom (1.5 inches) was the first thing that drew my attention to this Spurred Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum). On closer inspection, I found the growth at the top of the flower to be most curious.
After a bit of research I learned the “spur” is a uniquely formed sepal that is actually the lower lobe (but the flower opens upside down). Presumably, this distinctive twist assists with pollination, as the white line in the middle is a nectar guide (a sort of directional arrow for pollinators, “Good food here”).
This was tucked up in the sea oats near my favorite spot on the beach yesterday. It was a bit waterlogged, so I presume it blew away from someone during the storm the previous afternoon. As I was packing up to leave, I discovered another folded $20 bill nearby.
Believe you me, I spent a few extra minutes scanning the greenery looking for more cash. Thank you, Treasure Island for living up to your name! 🙂
To say that this year has been incredibly challenging thus far, is an understatement. And the hits just keep on rolling.
My friends in Oregon had to evacuate yesterday, chased out of their homes on the (normally damp) Central Oregon Coast by the Echo Mountain Fire Complex. Other friends are on alert and ready to go if necessary. Here’s hoping they all stay safe and that the damage is minimal.
Though Willie and Merle recorded this song five years ago, it seems even more appropriate now. With only a few months left, I shudder to contemplate what 2020 has left in store for us.
“Well, it’s all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world’s gone to hell
And we’re sure gonna miss it a lot”
Hope your week has been as satisfying thus far as a good ear scratching! If not, hang in there, it’s halfway over…
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg, Florida July 2020
Measuring over three inches long, I couldn’t help but notice this attractive, female Golden Silk Orb-weaver (Trichonephila clavipes). The genus name describes this spider quite well; in Ancient Greek nephila means “fond of spinning”.
She builds and maintains a web that stretches for about a yard, anchored between trees up to ten feet away. Not only is that impressive but as the common name mentions, some of the threads are yellow in color (hard to photograph but you can see a few in the photo below).
I included the photo below even though it is relatively poor quality for a few reasons. One, it shows the diminutive male hanging out behind her (far away from her mouth). Two, she was in the process of wrapping up a meal. And third, part of her food cache is visible behind her back legs. There was really a lot going on in that shot, I do wish it had come out better!
Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg, Florida August 2020
While walking the back loop at Sawgrass Lake Park a couple weeks ago something bright and shiny caught my eye. I’m not sure why these toys were placed along the path but it was fun finding them. Kind of like an Easter egg hunt.
If those toys remained overnight, I imagine the resident raccoons would have had a field day with them! Now that I think about it, that’s a video I’d love to see…
Hope your weekend is as relaxing as this view…
Eastern Cottontail, Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg, Florida August 2020
This adorable young bunny reminded me of this joke (best if said aloud):
How do you catch an unusual rabbit?
Unique up on it!
Cracks me up every time! Admit it, after you groaned, it made you smile.
*In my former career as a bartender I acquired a slew of PG-rated jokes to use as ice breakers. The cornier, the better, trust me.*
I viewed this colorful insect with a wary eye since red and black tend to be warning signs in nature. Turns out that Common Thread-waisted Wasps (Ammophila procera) are relatively harmless as the adults mainly feed on nectar. Vocab word of the day: petiole is the narrow waist in between the abdomen and thorax.
Unlike the male, the female has an ovipositor, which is used for egg-laying (and stinging, when necessary). She does all her parenting upfront: paralyzing a caterpillar, dragging it into a sandy burrow, inserting a single egg, and sealing the burrow, before flying away.
When the larva hatches, it consumes the (immobile but still alive) caterpillar from the inside out. Makes me glad I’m not a caterpillar!
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