noaboa's Favorites

Seen while heading to Restoration Area 2004 for plant monitoring with Steve Woodmansee.

All of my observations from today:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-03-29&place_id=any&user_id=joemdo

More info about the surrounding restoration area: https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/hidprogram.htm

Project that includes all of the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration areas: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/everglades-national-park-hole-in-the-donut-restoration

Excellent spotting by Steve! He made sure I got a look and thankfully this beauty was very cooperative. See video at link below

Seen while completing plant monitoring with Steve Woodmansee in the Hole-in-the-Donut, Restoration Area 2009 West in Everglades National Park. We were joined by Kevin and Alec today... thanks for helping us get across the deep water with your truck!

Short video about the day of plant monitoring in the HID:
https://youtu.be/dQ5mXZJsYVo

All of my observations from today:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-01-04&place_id=any&subview=table&user_id=joemdo

Looks like a faded individual of this species maybe? Genus has 63 SP. in North America though and I haven't checked for lookalikes

I set up two sheets at Pinecrest Campground (no campers) in Big Cypress National Preserve for blacklighting. I originally tried Mitchell Landing Campground nearby but all of the spots with electrical sockets were taken by campers so I went to Plan B and only used my DJ blacklights connected to USB powerpacks. This observation is from the 2nd sheet described below

1: Pinecrest campground, very close to the gate and in the tunnel of trees before the open area. 2 DJ blacklights running from ~11:00PM until ~12:30AM and then the batteries died. I put on a new battery later than I should have (around 2:15AM) but I was busy photographing insects at the other sheet.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-03-25&d2=2023-03-26&nelat=25.761806503458363&nelng=-80.91879250206762&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.76067598755696&swlng=-80.92007996239477&user_id=joemdo

2: Pinecrest campground, sheet tied to large sign and tree facing open area with just one DJ blacklight connected to USB powerpack.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-03-25&d2=2023-03-26&nelat=25.762470660741428&nelng=-80.91913662455477&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.762144553314332&swlng=-80.91953359148897&user_id=joemdo

In addition to the blacklighting, I also set up a sheet (no lights) under an oak with some low hanging branches that I was able to whack with a fallen branch I found. I didn't put a ton of effort into this but still saw some cool barklice and other critters.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-03-26&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&field:Entomology%20Sampling%20Method=beating

All of my observations from tonight including a little bit of walking around with a flashlight looking for spiders/insects:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-03-25&d2=2023-03-26&nelat=25.91366727752328&nelng=-80.78348221694716&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&subview=map&swlat=25.57411578765215&swlng=-81.10345902358779&user_id=joemdo

Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights I used, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida

2022 Home River BioBlitz, exploring areas on and around the highly urbanized Miami River with Nico S.

Info about the project, including an event coming up on Sunday: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-home-river-bioblitz-2022-miami-river-florida

Umbrella project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-home-river-bioblitz-2022

Tropical Park pineland, one day post burn. A very small part at the southern end of the preserve was still burning but most of the fire was completely out/not hot. This is a pine rockland habitat, dependent on fire to keep the mostly open canopy consisting of only slash pine and the rich diversity of native grasses, shrubs and forbs as an understory. For more info about the importance of fire in pine rocklands, see here: https://www.miamidade.gov/environment/library/brochures/pine-rocklands.pdf
& here: https://www.miamidade.gov/environment/pine-rocklands.asp

This pineland had been taken over by many invasive plants due to fire suppression and unfortunately also infiltrated by cats (there are probably hundreds of cans of cat food in some parts of this preserve thanks to people feeding the cats). I am hoping to volunteer with EEL to help clean up and also pull up any invasive plants that pop up. I came back on Monday, May 17th, five days post burn, and noticed an area with lots of rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) dropping fruit/seed in part of the preserve.

It is unclear to me how the fire started but my understanding is the fire department came and initially was planning on putting the fire out (even hosing down some of it) but then thankfully let it burn out on its own. I thought I heard it was a prescribed burn but based on how the news reported on it, that doesn't seem to have been the case.

Link to news article about the fire: https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/part-of-tropical-park-catches-fire-near-soccer-field/

My goal here was to sort of map the burn via iNaturalist, showing the state of plants in different parts of the preserve. I was very careful not to bring any seeds in on my shoes/socks/clothes! I unfortunately really goofed and did not have my phone geotagging my observations. I had to estimate the locations so basically all of my work of photographing the plants did not work out the way I planned. My impression is that there was a substantial area that was not burned a bit west of the path that goes north/south through the preserve. I thought I was documenting the location but, again, I must've accidentally turned off the geotagging feature on my phone's camera. When I came back the following Monday (five days post burn), it seemed like this island of green had been burned, so I am wondering if EEL had a fire crew come out and burn areas that were leftover.

All my observations from this day: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.788490133153903&nelng=-79.94006956842279&on=2022-05-12&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&swlat=25.618346976274324&swlng=-80.63735808160638&user_id=joemdo

Observations from 5 days later, with just a couple burned areas showing signs of green: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.788490133153903&nelng=-79.94006956842279&on=2022-05-16&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&swlat=25.618346976274324&swlng=-80.63735808160638&user_id=joemdo

On a fruiting Ficus aurea tree at Southwest Miami High. Spent an hour picking figs and photographing little things around the tree. Ms. BB saw me out there and helped me find some of these critters along with Sofia G.

All observations from SW today: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2022-03-16&order_by=observed_on&place_id=129492&user_id=joemdo

Not 100% sure about ID but looks like the best match on bugguide.net in Brentidae: https://bugguide.net/node/view/199515

Observed during Wild Vizcaya|Nocturnal Edition. Thanks to Rebecca for inviting me to come out!

I had two sheets set up along the same trail: one lit by DJ blacklights in an area with a more open canopy and the other lit with the bioquip blacklight in an area with a closed canopy.

Both sheets had good numbers of termites but with the sun setting after 7:30PM, there wasn't much time for many of the larger insects to arrive. I had my macro lens handy and mostly focused on the little insects that came to the sheets. The highlight of the night was a small beetle called Stereodermus exilis, which is seldom observed/documented:

All observations from tonight: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.746025310234007&nelng=-80.20599775995565&on=2022-03-18&place_id=any&swlat=25.74336774456748&swlng=-80.21527820249234

Observations from the first sheet with the bioquip blacklight:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.745510212119925&nelng=-80.20851170620146&on=2022-03-18&place_id=any&swlat=25.744845823395632&swlng=-80.21083181683564

Observations from the second sheet with DJ blacklights: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.74551451872572&nelng=-80.21083476464354&on=2022-03-18&place_id=any&swlat=25.744850130025547&swlng=-80.21315487527771

Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights used on the first and second sheet, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida

One of the best nights of blacklighting I have had so far! Temps were in the low 70's, there was some light wind making for difficult photography at times but it wasn't too bad. Lots of bigger insects came to the first sheet so I didn't spend as much time on the tiny stuff and probably missed lots species. I also met a couple really cool guys that were into bluegrass music so I had crunchy tunes to go along with the blacklighting goodness.

I had two sheets set up, this photo is from the second sheet described below, which I didn't spend as much time at.

First sheet was at the first Mitchell's Landing Campground with an RV hookup and regular power sockets. I was using my Bioquip blacklight hooked up to the power there and also changed the position of the sheet ever so slightly so it was a little bit further from the big oak here and maybe was a little more exposed.
All observations from the first sheet: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.75581877096547&nelng=-80.92848461106104&on=2022-02-28&place_id=any&swlat=25.755154439896867&swlng=-80.92983537153731&user_id=joemdo

Second sheet was in a random little area right off Loop Road that mostly had pines. Not an ideal setup but I didn't have a lot of time and wanted to try a new spot. I lit this sheet with two cheapy DJ blacklights.
All observations from the second sheet: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.753631626006754&nelng=-80.93233231414365&on=2022-02-28&place_id=any&swlat=25.75230293568458&swlng=-80.93503383509619&user_id=joemdo

All observations from tonight: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.75688987500895&nelng=-80.92476405596601&on=2022-02-28&place_id=any&swlat=25.751575170341294&swlng=-80.93557013977617&user_id=joemdo

Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights used on the first and second sheet, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida

Some type of warbler? We were doing survey in the middle of the ocean near Dry Tortugas National Park and this little buddy hung out with us for 4-5 hours before regaining his energy and continuing on his way to wherever he was going. Gave it water - what a day!

Rockdale Pineland Preserve moth night hosted by EEL for National Moth Week. We had some rain before and during sunset but it was mostly cloudy while these sheets were up between 8:45-11:00PM. I had two sheets set up, this one with just one "DJ" blacklight powered by USB battery packs (the kind used to charge phones) and the other with two lights. To learn more about the lights used in this setup, see here: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Video of these lights in action in Big Cypress: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

My other observations from tonight:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2021-07-23&place_id=139257&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any

Found in a wetland habitat being considered as the site for a possible highway.
More info here: https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/desantis-florida-cabinet-clear-way-for-836-extension/2473466/
It has not yet been approved and is very much worth fighting against!

I came out here to document some of the native species that call this area home. Please spread the word about this area's importance as a wetland with many native species present and worth protecting.

I created a project on iNaturalist that includes observations from the wetlands and farmlands that would be affected: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/no-to-the-kendall-parkway

Set up my cheapy DJ blacklights with portable USB charging packs in two spots. I had two lights here on a billboard platform near the bridge west of the Everglades Safari. More info here about this easy/affordable set-up here: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

This sheet was much busier than the other, which was on the ground about 50 yards away. The sheet on the ground also only had one light.

All observations from this night:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.761380601680504&nelng=-80.6249528301274&on=2021-07-09&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&subview=map&swlat=25.7600519980589&swlng=-80.63005707388274&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any

Super excited to see this little shrimp! I am not sure about the ID but it looks like a good match. I went down to photograph an anemone and noticed this shrimp nearby. I was snorkeling so it was hard to get a good photo of this little guy

Seen while snorkeling at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. This was the first reef (closest to shore)

I think this was the coolest insect of the night! Not sure about ID... iNat's suggesiton helped me find this species, only observed once so far on iNat in Florida by @mpoinat

Set up a blacklight for about an hour at POHS. Very similar mix of insects to those we saw here during the insect bioblitz last Friday. There seemed to be slightly more activity, possibly because I did a better job spacing the blacklight from the sheet. Thanks to Fred for allowing me to give blacklighting another shot here since I needed to pick up my light.

ID is a guess... it was floating around wildly in the current, seemed to be very close to death.

Windy & wavy conditions, snorkeled near shore in very shallow water looking for shells and anything else I could find.

An unexpected bird for this area. Very surprised and thrilled to find it in my local birding patch :-)
There have been a ton of coots and ring-necked ducks here all winter but this one must've popped in very recently

Seen while conducting plant monitoring with Steve W. in Restoration Area 2019 of the Hole-in-the-Donut (Everglades National Park)

My other observations from this area today:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.39258814990023&nelng=-80.58948484093018&on=2021-03-14&place_id=any&swlat=25.3712631375634&swlng=-80.67115274101563&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any