The Long-tailed Skipper is one of the most common and distinctive skippers in Florida and resembles a small swallowtail. Adults have a quick, low flight. They are fond of flowers and often abundant in home gardens. The larvae construct individual shelters on the host by folding over small sections of a leaf with silk. Older larvae may use the entire leaf or connect several leaves together. The butterfly is migratory, and moves southward each fall to overwinter in warmer portions of the state. Has been a while since I posted one of these. Found this one at,-------- You guessed it! Dinner Island Ranch,
Hendry County, Florida.

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The Red-shouldered Hawk is probably the most numerous and widely distributed breeding hawk in Florida. Pairs
are quite noticeable as they circle above their territories, incessantly crying "kee-yar kee-yar," and intermittent
performing undulating sky-dances. Because of its relative abundance throughout Florida, the Red-shouldered
Hawk was located in more than 85% of the state's quadrangles and was confirmed in more quadrangles than a
other raptor.
I found this one at Dinner Island Ranch on another 5 day visit there, that I Just returned from. It let me get close enough for this portrait
but not without some objection on its part. I took a few quick shots before it began objecting, and departed from my presence.

Tags:   Red -shouldered Hawk Gary Helm ghelm4747 hawk bird birds wildlife nature fly flight feathers roost perch wings Canon camera outside Florida Dinner Island Ranch Hendry County USA US Sx60HS outdoor animal image raptor photograph portrait

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North America's only venomous water snake, the Eastern Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) and the Florida Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti) are large heavy-bodied venomous snakes. This snake has two names and cottonmouth is the more appropriate one and more widely used. This name is given because when the snake is threatened it will open its mouth and the lining of the mouth is cotton white. The other name is used since it lives near on in water and the skin feels like moccasin leather. The Eastern Cottonmouth has a brown to olive-brown background with dark cross bands. When they get older they often lose their coloration, and will become solid black. Florida Cottonmouth looks very similar to an Eastern but is usually a lot darker. One big difference is that the have two dark vertical bards on each side of the nose. The babies look a lot like baby copperheads and can be hard to distinguish. They also have the yellow tip to. Both subspecies average length is between 3ft to 4ft long. The maximum record for both subspecies was 7ft 2in.
I found this slightly shorter version of a Florida Cottonmouth on the road to my camp sight at Dinner Island Ranch, in Hendry County, Florida.
It didn't take much for it to cop an attitude with me, and show me why it is called A Cottonmouth. I took a few shots, and let it go on its way in "Peace".

Tags:   Cottonmouth snake Water Moccasin Water Moccasin wildlife animal reptile cold blooded slithering Nature outside Dinner Island Hendry County Florida road trail Venomous Pit Viper Heavy- Bodied large fangs two names USA US Canon Sx60HS Gary Helm ghelm4747 tecture Florida Wildlife Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area texture

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Phoebes are proud members (at least they seem so) of the Family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.

The Eastern Phoebe gets its name from its distinctive but rough two note call, fee-ah-bee or whee-bee. (not to be confused to the clearly whistled two note call of the Chickadee). The discovery of the Eastern Phoebe is credited to Thomas Say (1787-1834), who collected this species along the Arkansas River near Canon City, Colorado during the 1819-1820 expedition to establish military posts along the upper Missouri River.

The Eastern Phoebe holds the distinction of being the subject of the first bird banding experiment in North America. In the early 1800s, J. J. Audubon tied thin silver wires on the legs of a brood of Eastern Phoebes. The following year, he was delighted to discover that they returned to breed in the same area. Phoebes are notorious for returning to build their nest, often right on top of the previous years nest. At one location in New England, successive generations of Phoebes were known to return to breed under the same bridge for over 30 years.

Eastern Phoebes winter in the southern states from Texas to Florida. I found this one perched on a Barbed Wire Fence at Dinner Island Ranch WMA
in Hendry County, Florida.

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"Belted kingfishers are busy birds. They spend a good part of their day pursuing food. Small fish, dragonfly larvae and water bugs are fair game for these year-round residents of Central Florida.
Like ospreys, herons and cormorants, the belted kingfisher uses that airy vantage point to scope out its surroundings. This bluish-gray bird with a white belly, white neckband and over sized head employs keen eyesight to survey an underwater smorgasbord."

"The kingfisher is an exceptional hunter. When diving, it swiftly navigates through the top 18 inches of water to capture prey. Its long, pointy beak minimizes splash while maximizing speed. Its beak is such an aerodynamic appendix that many Japanese bullet trains mimic its design. Its eyes are also special. It has a transparent third eyelid, and its lenses function both under water and above. (Sherry Boas, Simply Living)"

I found this male " Bullet Train" at Dinner Island Ranch WMA. Hendry County , Florida.

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