A few butterfly photos from around the yard.

Zebra Wing butterfly(Heliconius charitonius)

 Spice bush Swallow Tail (Papilio troilus)

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
The Monarch was a recent hatchling that narrowly escaped being chopped when I was trimming a bush. You can see the chrysalis just to the left in the top two photographs, and it was wonderful to sit and watch as he dried his wings. I was able to figure out his sex because of the obvious scent spots on the inside of his wings (third image).

Encounter with Chester (sort of) and a Red-bellied Woodpecker

A few weeks back, while down at the river, I startled poor Chester just after he had caught a female Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus ). He flew off, dropping the woodpecker at my feet. A rare chance to photograph this lovely bird up close, and to show the difference in the head markings, and the small red belly patch. After I took the photographs, I put the carcase back up in the tree- but I am not sure if he came back. I could identify her as a female because the red on her head is at the nape, and a tiny amount just above her beak. On the male- the nape and top of the head is red, an example of sexual dimorphism.
They nest in tree cavities, and frequently store nuts in cracks. They also will wedge a difficult nut in a crack to give them a better chance at cracking it open. They have a very long tongue,with barbs on the end and very sticky spit to aid in searching out the best morsels deep in tree crevices and holes. They are omnivores and eat insects, spiders, arthropods and numerous fruits, seeds and nuts. The tongue also exhibits another sex difference- the male's tongue is longer and has a wider tip- this may maximize their ability to forage in different situations, thus increasing the odds of success.
Red-bellied males drum (peck on wood, roofs, even metal poles) to establish and protect their territories, and the pair can be quite fierce in protecting their nest.
Great sound link provided by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology-

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-bellied_woodpecker/sounds

This is a list of the woodpeckers who live in or visit our pocket swamp, all of these I either see or hear daily.

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Very interesting find today, a Brahminy Blind Snake!

While moving a rock this morning, I uncovered a Brahminy Blind Snake, AKA also called a Worm Snake or Flower Pot Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus). They are relatively common despite the fact that they are non-native and were first found and documented in 1983 in South Florida. They are now found throughout Florida, and it is thought they came to the U.S. from Asia or Africa in potting soil. They do have residual eye spots on their head, but seem only to discriminate between light and dark. You can pinpoint the head from the tail because the snout is rounded, while the tail is pointed (it's still hard to tell!). They are very small (2-6inches long), live in the soil, under rocks and leaf litter- and on first glance- look quite slimy. Nope, they are very slick, shiny and smooth- not worm like at all except in size and where you may find them. Another interesting fact is they are all female, and reproduce parthenogenetically (unisexual, they are genetically identical). At this point, it is unknown whether they bear live young or lay eggs. Frequently when I uncover them, there are two or more nestled together. I am usually against non-native species, but the Brahminy Blind Snake hasn't displaced any native species, and since they eat ant and termite larvae, eggs, and pupae, I like them. If you can get over your initial repulsion to things that seem slimy, and worm like- you should at least leave them alone to eat those nasty termite eggs. Their mouth is so small, there is absolutely no chance they can bite. This little girl was quite unhappy at being caught, and thrashed and twined around my fingers until I let her go. Because of their size, and the tiny slick scales (you can see the scales in the close up images, as well as the lighter colored belly)- they are excellent and very fast burrowers. All of the ones I've caught appear at first to be black, but they are a lovely deep plumy brown. I put her in a plastic container for some of the photos, next time I will try to document them in situ. The second image is a close up of the head.