Dr. Jerry Jackson

The Great Egret is, indeed, great!It is great in size, second only to the Great Blue Heron among herons and egrets in Florida – standing on its long legs an adult is nearly three feet tall – and that’s without having its neck stretched upwards. The Great Egret’s solid white feathers often seem unbelievable when this bird is seen wading in muddy water. In between meals and while it is waiting for food to come by, it reaches beneath the feathers of its breast and side to take a bill-full of powderdowns – special feathers that crumble when rubbed against the much sturdier feathers that cover the powderdowns. In a sense applying crushed powder downs is very much like a human applying make-up.

Orb-weaving spiders are those that spin webs to capture insects that they eat. We have many species of orb-weavers in Florida and fall is the best time of year to see them. These spiders begin life as tiny creatures in early spring and by fall they have matured to adult size, are much more conspicuous, and are ready to mate. All orb-weavers produce a venom to kill their prey, but the venom is -- at worst -- like a bee-sting for humans.

Most of us – by the time we reach high school – have learned about the monarch butterfly tasting bad to predators because it eats milkweed. We might also have learned about its similar-looking relatives that also eat milkweed:the darker-colored Queen Butterfly and the Soldier Butterfly and a much more distant relative that eats willow leaves -- the Viceroy Butterfly.

The Green Heron is hardly green at all, but has a green tint reflected from the black as a result of its feather structure. This diminutive heron is with us year round and can often be seen at water’s edge, standing on floating debris, or on a low limb. While its legs are short, its neck is relatively long. It can be extended instantaneously to seize a small fish or other creature or to gain a better view of its surroundings or potential prey.

The Black Skimmer is a very unusual shorebird – in part because of its exceptionally long, knife-like lower bill and much shorter, slightly-curved upper bill. The knife-like lower bill is for slicing through calm surface waters near shore and in shallow ponds and lakes to capture fishes. When the lower bill strikes a small fish, the fish slides up the bill and the upper bill clamps down on it.

River Otters are carnivorous mammals – distantly related to dogs and cats, members of the weasel family, and close relatives of Sea Otters. An adult otter can be nearly four-feet long and – it has a bite that can crush a turtle, a clamshell, or your hand. An otter’s jaw is built for crushing – not for grinding.

The Florida Softshell Turtle is one of three softshell species common to Florida – but it is found over most of the state and is especially common in south Florida. The other two species are found in parts of north Florida and northward. It’s easy to identify the Florida Softshell because it has a noticeable ridge of scales across the front part of its otherwise leathery “shell” – which is properly known as its “carapace”. All of these softshell turtles are flattened – aiding in their rapid movements to capture small fish, crayfish and other small animals. Plants do appear in their diet, but at a low level – and perhaps they just came along with an animal they were eating.

Molt is a routine loss and replacement of feathers that can occur at any time of year, but in most birds a complete molt occurs in late summer and fall. For some species a partial molt often occurs in early spring. Timing of molt is important. In late summer and fall, weather is warm and there is generally an abundance of insects, seeds, and fruit that provides energy for molt.

The Great Egret is the largest of North American egrets and although it can be found in most of North America, it is nowhere more common than in Florida. More northern populations must migrate south in winter to survive, thus Florida and other southern populations swell. Great Egrets are second in size only to our Great Blue Heron. Its size, striking white plumage, yellow to orange bill, and black legs make it readily identifiable.

Spanish Needles, Devil’s Pitchfork, and Bidens alba are one and the same – and humans have bestowed this plant with several other common names. This plant is scientifically known as Bidens alba. “Bidens” refers to the two sharp “teeth” usually found at the tip of each spine associated with a seed. The teeth are sharp and point backward such that an animal that passes by will get “hooked” and carry the seed away until it is pulled off or brushed off – and there a new Bidens plant may grow. The species name “alba” means “white” and refers to its white petals.