jriddle's Identifications

Characteristics: Bird possessing curved neck, long legs, mostly white/grey plumage, and long, thick bill.
Habitat: Forest (Lettuce Lake Park)
Conditions: 91° Fahrenheit, no precipitation, minimal wind.
ID: Ardea herodias
ID Justification: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id

Characteristics: Red belly, dark black shell, black/white striped head and limbs.
Habitat: Forest (Lettuce Lake Park)
Conditions: 87° Fahrenheit, no precipitation, minimal wind.
ID: Pseudemys nelsoni
ID Justification: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herpetology/florida-amphibians-reptiles/turtles/

Callicarpa Americana is a native plant to our region. This observation took place at 09:45 a.m. on Aug 30th of 2018. The weather was partly cloudy with a temperature of 78 degrees with a gentle breeze from the E @ 5 mph with no precipitation observed. This was spotted alongside a nature trail in a suburban environment. Though this species is cultivated for gardens it was found in an area with a variety of oaks, ferns, and other Callicarpa Americana leading me to believe that this plant was not cultivated. This species matched in visual similarity to research grade photos found on inaturalist. Other beautyberry species were compared and lacked the same leaf morphology and color of berry. In addition they lacked the multitude of local photos of this particular species