Birding

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A snowy plover family thrives at Grayton Beach State Park

2012 season proved best year ever for tiny shorebirds at South Walton State Park Photos by Jeff Talbert, Florida State Park Services Specialist 
Information gleaned from report by Raya Pruner, Biological Scientist, Florida Park Service, District 1 As we enjoy our wonderful beaches in South Walton, many visitors and locals are not aware that we are sharing vital habitat for a variety of shorebirds. Our dune systems and coastal dune lakes provide perfect nesting areas and foraging habitat for a...

Choctawhatchee Audubon events for December

December 1: Bird Walk in the Niceville/Valparaiso area. Join Niceville native and noted bird photographer, Walt Spence, for a tour of birding spots around Boggy and Rocky Bayous. Expect to see shorebirds, woodpeckers, wading birds, raptors, warblers, flycatchers, and belted kingfishers. The bird walk is free and open to the general public. Meet in front of Badcock Furniture on SR 20 in Niceville at 7:30 a.m. Call Walt for more information at 850-582-7064. December 6: Program: Local ornithologist, Alan Knothe,...

Take a night hike at Topsail Nov. 7

See and hear the creatures of the night! Time: 4:45 p.m. There are many creatures that come out after the sun goes down. Come join the folks at Topsail for a night hike as we try and spot and hear some of these creatures. The walk begins by watching the sunset, then a 1 mile hike back to the day use parking lot. Meet at the Day-Use parking area at 4:45 p.m. and ride the 5 p.m. tram to the...

Learn about vultures at Topsail Nov. 2

Time: 1:30 p.m. Come learn about vultures at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Nov. 2. These often misunderstood birds play a vital role in the health of our forests. Meet at the Day-Use entrance off of Hwy 30A and take a short hike to the clubhouse. All programs require a $6.00 per car entry admission into the park. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is located at 7525 W. County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL  32459 Phone: (850) 267-8330...

Choctawhatchee Audubon events for November

November 1: A program titled, “The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Instilling Environmental Stewardship through Monitoring, Education, Research, and Restoration,” will be presented by the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance’s Director, Julie Terrell, at the November Meeting of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance of Northwest Florida State College (CBA) has been coordinating programs in Okaloosa and Walton counties inculcating watershed stewardship, estuarine education, and restoration of critical habitat in Choctawhatchee Bay. Ms. Terrell will describe CBA’s activities, including monitoring programs, both...

Look to the sky for migrating white pelicans in Northwest Florida

Migration time for white pelicans By Stan Kirkland, FWC One of the many benefits of living in the Florida panhandle and particularly near the coast is the vast variety of wildlife we often see. Daily, you’re apt to see bald eagles, ospreys, fox squirrels, black bears, wild turkeys, deer and numerous other species. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. One species you may miss that’s migrating through our area now are white pelicans. Just...