Observaciones de renaud_j_017

Location: swampy pond behind my apartment complex, this little family has also been walking around the whole complex for a while now.
Weather: sunny, warm, and humid
Description: Adult- mostly grey with red head coloring and long neck and legs
Juvenile- yellow-brown color with fluffy feather, still has long neck and legs
I believe these are sandhill cranes due to the distinct red coloring in the face/ head and the vocalizations they make.
Found in moist grasslands/ wetlands and stay in Florida and surround areas (non-migratory)
Site: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id

Location: LITERALLY EVERYWHERE! These little caterpillars are all over the place at my apartment complex and most places in Tampa right now
Weather: sunny, warm and humid
Description: yellow-orange caterpillar with furry appearance as well as multiplayer “antenna” (2 on one end, 1 on the other) with one half having these fluffy balls on the back of the caterpillar.
I believe this is the caterpillar of the fit tussock moth because it has all the distinct characteristics I mentioned in my description and those are distinct to the fit tussock moth.
Found along the costal areas of the gulf states (Florida to Texas)
Site: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/URBAN/MEDICAL/tussock_moths.htm

Location: on a jasmine bush in my apartment complex
Weather: sunny and warm. Humid
Description: brown moth that looks very plain but when it opens it’s wings there are distinct yellow dots that show. The body/ midsection is greenish brown and it has hairy-like appearance
I believe this is Leonard’s skipper because the other similar looking species were much too small and did not have the greenish body nor did they have as many dots on the wings at this moth has.
Can be found in grassy areas with small flowers and are native to many states in the US
Site: https://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/leonardsskipper.html

Site:

Location: in the swampy area/ pond behind my apartment complex.
Weather: sunny and warm, humid
Description: mostly grey body with black and white facial coloration. Yellowish white feathers on the top of head. Long neck and legs
I believe this is a yellow-crowned night-heron because it has the distinct long yellow feathers on the top/ back of its head as well as distinct coloration on the face/ beak area
They are found is costal wetlands, swamps and mangroves
Site: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-crowned_Night-Heron/id

Location: Hillsborough county, outside my apartments on the trunk of a tree in the shaded area
Weather: sunny and warm, humid
This lichen is flat and is mostly white with pink or red edges, when I looked up that description, herpothallon was a result as well as Christmas lichen, but I went with herpothallon because Christmas lichen is much more red in the center and the lichen I found is not. Herpothallon can be found pretty much anywhere shaded or sheltered. The website I looked at is linked below

https://lichenportal.org/cnalh/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&taxon=52508&clid=1198

Found on USF Tampa campus growing with the grass next to the sidewalk at around 10:30 am. Small flowering plant with yellow buds and green leaves. Growing in clusters. Mostly in sunny areas. Seeded vascular. I believe they are lesser hop trefoil, any other similar looking species had too large of buds.
"Lesser Hop Trefoil, Trifolium Dubium - Flowers - NatureGate." LuontoPortti, www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/lesser-hop-trefoil.

Found on feb 24, 2020 At about 10:00 am outside my apartment. Growing on many trees, they seem like they may be dead or ready to spread spores. They are each about 1-2 inches long with orangish- brown spores in the underside of the leaves. The leaves are a brownish green color currently, but are more brightly colored when they are flourishing. All the trees they were growing in also had missed and algae growing in them as well and they seemed to be more prominent in areas with less light that would hold more moisture.

Found on feb. 24, 2020 around 9:30 am. Seedless non-vascular plant. Found growing in large amounts on trees in my apartment complex. It ranges in color from bright green to slightly pale green and grows in clumps. Was growing mostly near the base of the trees in more shaded areas.

Visual Description:
This organism is brownish green in color and approximately 4 ft. in length. it has scales/ tough skin, and long claws (reptilian)
Reference: https://owlcation.com/stem/Types-of-Alligators
Habitat:
found in shallow bank off the Hillsborough river. The area was full of vegetation and trees.
Geographic distribution:
this organism tends to be found mostly in the costal south eastern region of the united states.