Birding

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Choctawhatchee Audubon events for March 2012

Join the Audubon for birding education and field trips The following are upcoming events and programs for the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society MARCH 1: Monthly meeting: Learn how to get along with our native black bears in a program to be presented at the next monthly meeting of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. “Living with Florida Black Bears” will be presented by Andrew Jernigan of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Learn more about our local bear population as well as...

Eagles nest like no other

Florida’s eagle population now exceeds 4,000 birds each year By Stan Kirkland, FWC I get to do many special and enjoyable things in my job with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). One of those things is checking on an eagle’s nest on North Bay in Bay County, on private land, and unlike many nest sites where trees obscure the nest, that wasn’t the case with this nest. The nest is near the crown of a tall longleaf...

Join in on the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 17-20

Be a part of something big! The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event Feb. 17-20. It’s free, fun, and easy—and...

Walton naturalist recognized as one of the top 20 bird nest monitors in the U.S.

Bluebird program at Hammock Bay a national success Walton resident and naturalist Joe Wyatt has been recognized for his efforts monitoring bluebird nests. Wyatt manages a nesting program each year at Hammock Bay in Freeport. In 2011, Wyatt monitored 101 nests, placing him as one of the top 20 nationwide in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch program. Wyatt is the only Floridian in the top 20. NestWatch is a nest-monitoring project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration...

Camp Helen State Park history tour Feb. 4

Learn about the history of a beautiful local State Park Time: 10 – 10:45 a.m. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Camp Helen State Park invites you to their history walk at Camp Helen State Park. Come learn about the early history of the park and local area while wandering on a guided tour around Camp Helen’s restored historical buildings. The history walk takes place the first Saturday of each month. Participation Requirements: • Must have the ability to follow visual...

An osprey feeds on its favorite meal

Nice catch! Cynthia Howard of Fort Walton Beach captured this great photograph of an osprey and its lunch on Okaloosa Island on Feb. 25. One of the largest birds of prey in North America, the Osprey eats almost exclusively fish. It is one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. Ospreys are year-round residents in Northwest Florida. Cool Facts •    The Osprey readily builds its nest on manmade structures, such as telephone poles,...

Legends of the crow

Backyard Safari By Jessica Basham, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission It’s not a typical winter morning in Florida. Most of the state is 70 degrees and it’s January! Everything outside is brown, bare and dull. The only noise is the rustling of leaves and the coo of mourning doves. Then, loud and clear in the distance I hear the caw of a crow. As the morning continues, other crows join and the lone call becomes chatter. Are they telling...