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- A January willow bloom with a non-native honeybee visitor
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- The moon vine has a very long corolla tube that only a sphinx moth could drink from
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- A monarch lays eggs on a giant milkweed
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- A mangrove skipper feeds from a Cape honeysuckle
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- A mangrove skipper feeds from a Mexican clover
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- A barred yellow butterfly
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- A great southern white butterfly- note the blue tips to the antennae
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- A red admiral butterfly
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- A milkweed bug on Mexican milkweed
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- A spiny Gasteracantha spider with white web tufts to alert birds to avoid destroying the web
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- Insect water striders that skate on the surface of the sea
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- A great blue heron looks majestic
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- A blue headed vireo
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- A wintering kestrel
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- A basking alligator
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- A basking male peninsula cooter
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- A raccoon takes a look at a bird water bath
In middle January we have had some very cool nights and windy days as weather fronts approach and pass by. This has a significant effect on animals that must be warm to forage such as most butterflies, and on the flowering of native plants. Some exceptions are willows which are now in flower and attracting a few insects such as this non-native honeybee. Another exception is the fantastic white night blooming moon vine which has a long corolla tube down which any insect has to extend a very long tongue to reach the nectar. The only insect which is likely to be able to achieve this is a night flying sphinx moth.
Monarchs have been notable in their ability to fly even during cool days and seem to be not only feeding but laying eggs on our African giant milkweed. On slightly warmer days I have seen spectacular mangrove skippers feeding on non-native flowers such as flame vine and Mexican clover (and thus beneficial since there are few natives blooming). A few barred yellows, great southern whites, and red admiral butterflies have also been seen in sunny spots warming up by basking before flying to forage.
A small group of Mexican milkweeds I found at Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve had an interesting insect on them- a brightly colored milkweed bug. This bug retains toxins from the milkweed food and advertises its poisonous nature by bright red colors. Birds have been shown to learn not to eat such brightly colored insects when doing so sickens them.
A common Gasteracantha spider discourages birds from eating it by its spiky abdomen. But it has a problem with birds flying through and destroying its web which is made up of valuable proteins. In an effort to diminish this damage this spider places white tufts of silk on the web presumably to warn birds of its presence and allow them to avoid colliding with it.
A very interesting and unusual marine insect turned up at our dock on Lemon Bay. There were groups of small sea skaters or water striders which are one of the very few insects to live on the surface of, but not in the ocean. But they can occur far from land and spend their entire lives on the sea surface. A conundrum of insect biology has always been why there are hardly any marine insects that spend their entire life cycles in sea water. Remember that only larval mosquitos live in water- the adults emerge and fly away. Possibly the crustaceans occupied all the available niches first, or basic insect biology developed on land is unsuitable for ocean life.
Our largest heron the great blue visits us occasionally. They are predators on any creature they can swallow. Except on the beaches where they beg fish from fishermen they are rather shy. I attribute this to a long persecution by inland fishermen who perceive them as competitors for fish. Small birds are limited in winter time and this blue headed vireo is one of our winter residents that is an early migrant back to the northern US, It used to be called the solitary vireo but does often associate with other birds in mixed species flocks that forage together in winter. The kestrel is another winter resident that is a beautiful small predatory falcon feeding on tiny prey of all types.
Reptiles being poikilothermic and lacking an internal means of generating body heat are often seen basking in cool weather. This alligator is hauled out on a basking platform in Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve. The peninsula cooter is also basking to allow for digestion of food and to dry out its skin. This is a male turtle as can be seen by the very long tail (the better to mate with large females) and the long fingernails (used in mating rituals).
We have three dripping water baths for birds in our yard but various other critters use them as well. Although this raccoon did not actually drink but just seemed curious about what might be there in terms of food.
Views of wildlife and flowers are definitely harder to come by in winter but the rewards for study of nature remain high even when it is cooler. So do not procrastinate and avoid your hike because of some chilly weather. There is always something interesting to see.
