I was thrilled to see this Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in my yard this week. He looks a bit worn but is still a handsome creature.
How can I tell it’s a boy? Male Monarchs have a pheromone patch on their hindwing, a black smudge along the vein nearest their abdomen.
Hopefully, a female will flit on by someday. Maybe even one day I’ll find some eggs…
Unlike the Baby on Board car stickers which advise other drivers to use caution for the safety of the occupants, this sticker works the opposite way letting us know to give this vehicle a wide berth for our safety.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock I’m certain you’ve heard the term Florida Man. Maybe it’s the heat and humidity but for some reason, men down here regularly make headlines by doing the most insanely stupid things.
There’s even the Birthday Challenge where you Google “Florida Man” and your birthday (sans the year) to see what nonsense happened on your special day. Caution, it is not for the faint of heart. My favorite headline from my day: “Florida man known for Easter bunny fight arrested.” So many questions…
There’s even a new song about this phenomenon:
Buckle up, my friends, we’re going on an emotional ride. A few weeks ago, while filling the bird feeder, I spotted a new plant in my front yard. It was small, slender, and rather unassuming so it was no wonder that I had overlooked it previously.
Curious, I snapped a few quick photos before heading off to work. During my break I uploaded one of the photos to Google lens and harnessed the power of the internet for identification.
Imagine my excitement when the first match was to a rare, native, endangered plant! I was positively giddy while researching the Crested Coralroot Orchid (Hexalectris spicata). How cool would that be? To have something that special pop up in my pollinator garden!
The Crested Coralroot Orchid is an odd little plant that doesn’t use chlorophyll, instead it survives by pulling nutrients from decaying plant matter. And it is typically found in oak litter. I don’t have any oak trees but I did just recently spread 10 cubic yards of oak mulch around my yard (decaying plant matter + oak = good fit). To say I was cautiously optimistic is an understatement!
But, I knew I needed better pictures in order to potentially verify my epic find. So, the next morning I spent 20 minutes photographing the inconspicuous flower. Then, with bated breath, I uploaded a clearer photo into the search bar.
Talk about a loop-de-loop! My elation crashed into major disappointment as I realized my plant was not, in fact, special after all. Instead, it was exactly the opposite! The Chinese Crown Orchid (Eulophia graminea) isn’t endemic, it is exotic (not native). Even worse, it’s considered invasive! Ugh!
I’m still happy that a plant chose to volunteer in my yard, I just hope that the next species to do so is one of the good ones!
Y’all, I’m so excited! When I went to clean out my bird baths a few days ago, I found a bright, shiny penny. I just know it was a gift from my neighborhood crows. This cool coin now has a special in my curio cabinet.
The best part is that they left it in the newest bird bath. One that I specifically acquired with them in mind because it is larger (more room for them to splash around) and shallower (easier for them to retrieve their food that they insist on washing). I like to think of it as their way of thanking me.
I have a special feeder in the works for them, a place for larger food items since they canāt fit on my bird feeder. Itāll be interesting to see what they decide to give me in returnā¦
This past Saturday, Al and I caught a Clearwater Threshers game. The tickets I won were a good incentive to get us to the ballpark, home of the Philadelphia Philliesā minor league affiliate.
Oddly enough, the Threshers, played the Daytona Tortugas (the same team that beat the Mauraders at the game we attended last month). The Threshers won handily, as was expected since they are the best team in the Florida State League (FSL).
Apparently, weāre Tortugas fans! Our new plan is to go to games at all 10 of the FSL minor league stadiums, but only when the Tortugas are playing. Which might take a bit of planningā¦
The winners celebrated with a fantastic fireworks show set to music, definitely a fun night at the ballpark.
Before the game we checked out Jack Willieās Bar, Grill and Tiki. Itās off the beaten path but itās been around since the late 1960s, so they must be doing something right. The food wasnāt fancy but it was tasty, the portions were large, and the prices were small so all in all a great place to relax on a hot summer afternoon.
I fell in love with the detailed interior woodwork. The front of the bar depicted the sun rising over the water, with carefully cut wood planks. Simple, yet eye catching. Itās definitely a charming Old Florida gem that weāll be visiting again!
Spotted this sign at a local brewery a couple weekends ago. There were four other rules, which I don’t remember (thanks beer), but this last one caught my attention.
Silly me, I thought that was fairly standard behavior when out in public. Apparently, there have been issues in the past. Just what the heck is in their beer?!
We all know corvids are incredibly intelligent birds. Their resourcefulness, impressive memories, and problem-solving abilities have been well-researched (and are legendary). If you want a fun read about these marvelous avians, I highly recommend David Quammen’s short story, “Has Success Spoiled The Crow?“
My corvids appear to have a new skill, cooking. I came home the other afternoon to a fairly common scene, a crow perched on the side one of my bird baths. It seemed awfully preoccupied with something in the water, which warranted closer inspection on my part.
Floating on top of the water were two pigeon wings (courtesy of our neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk) while in the bottom of the sun-warmed water was a partially unwrapped pat of butter. Stir in a few spices and my crows were well on their way to a delicious pigeon soup!
It makes me happy to see crows (and all the other wildlife) spending time in my yard. I certainly enjoy watching them. I can’t wait to see what they cook up next!
I joined the Treasure Island beach cleanup this morning. The cooler weather and light breeze made for a delightful outing.
I filled two bags with trash as I wandered along the shore, so I know I did a good deed.
My reward? A baseball hat, beach toys, a fishing lure, colorful googles, a pink Pegasus, and an amazing view! šļø
Last week I rearranged the bird baths in my front yard. In an effort to help these water vessels stay cleaner longer I moved them further away from the bird feeder. I also added a new one that is wider and shallower (which I thought my neighborhood crows would appreciate).
You might be wondering why I have so many bird baths. While it is true that I live in Florida and am surrounded by water, most of the perennial water near me is salty or brackish which wildlife finds not suitable for drinking or bathing. So, as we enter our dry season, late April – June, fresh water becomes increasingly important.
As you can see in the video below, it didn’t take long for one of the crows to investigate. I found it amusing that the bird had to check out all three of them! I am not yet sure which bird bath is preferred but I imagine my corvid friends will let me know soon.
Al and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and traipsed down to the jetty at Pass-a-Grille Beach yesterday afternoon.
The water color was stunning and it was so incredibly clear. Which worked out well since several manatees and pod of dolphins put on quite a show for us!
A wonderful way to spend the day. Another reason Iām so fortunate to live here!
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