Birding

Category

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society programs and Events for March, 2014

March 6: Monthly Meeting Program: “Beach-Nesting Birds: Florida’s Original Beach Babies” Join Bonnie Samuelsen, Project Manager for Audubon Florida’s Coastal Bird Stewardship Program for an amazing photo presentation on Florida’s Beach Nesting Birds. Learn about these rare and declining birds and the statewide efforts to protect them. The meeting will be held in Room 130 on the ground floor of the Student Services Center at the Niceville campus of Northwest Florida State College, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. with...

Join in on the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 14-17, 2014

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Since then, more than 100,000 people of all ages and walks of life have joined the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. Simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see for...

Beach nesting bird presentation at Coastal Branch Library Feb. 27

Did you know that beach-nesting birds such as snowy plovers, black skimmers, American oystercatchers and least terns lay their eggs on top of the sand, and raise their young on our local beaches? Chicks less than six inches tall can be seen feeding along dunes, coastal lakes and the tidal zones. Want to see it for yourself?  Dramatic courtship displays and the sight of adorable chicks taking their first steps await you in an amazing photo presentation on Feb. 27...

Choctawhatchee Audubon programs and events for February 2014

Join the Choctawhatchee Audubon for birding programs and field trips. February 1: Bird Walk  – Master birder, Bruce Purdy, will lead a bird walk to the Okaloosa County Landfill and Ft. Walton spray fields. This location consistently produces the highest species counts in our area, with wintering shorebirds, raptors, ducks, songbirds, and more on display. Wear good shoes and bring water and insect repellent. Meet at Coach and 4 Restaurant at 1313 Lewis Turner Blvd., Ft. Walton at 7:30 a.m....

Bald eagles continue to thrive in Walton County and across Florida

Florida’s eagle population now exceeds 4,000 birds each year Bald eagles have been spotted in several locations in South Walton and along the Choctawhatchee Bay. It is great news that these splendid raptors are making Walton County their nesting home. According to the last census taken in 2013 by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) there are six active nests around the Choctawhatchee Bay. Several of the nests are active, with returning eagle pairs every year.  The bald eagle...

Choctawhatchee Audubon programs and events for January 2014

January 2, Monthly Meeting Program: “The Shark Tank” by Charidy “Sharkie” Krouse, shark biologist and conservationist.  Sharkie presents an overview of the beautiful, mysterious, ecologically important and often misunderstood shark.  She will discuss various species found along the Emerald Coast, their behaviors, reproduction, life strategies, facts and myths and much more. The meeting will be held in Room 130 on the ground floor of the Student Services Center at the Niceville campus of Northwest Florida State College, and will begin...