Birding

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Springtime boasts new life in Chickadee nest

Six Carolina Chickadees about to hatch On April 3, a good deal of activity was stirring at a Carolina Chickadee nest in Freeport, as six new eggs are about to hatch. Both Chickadee parents were close by as Joe Wyatt, naturalist at Hammock Bay checked the bird box for its progress. As Joe approached the box, the female chickadee flew out of the nest and perched herself on a nearby tree branch and chirped in discontent for the intrusion. The...

Killdeer spotted on Western Lake

This territorial killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) was spotted along the shallow mud flats of Western Lake in Santa Rosa Beach on Feb. 21. The bird must of been nesting in the area as she was not delighted with the presence of paddlers near her spot....

Be a part of the The Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 12-15

Annual event fun for all ages 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 U.S. 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. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps...

Hootie hoo are you?

Screech owl peers out wearingly from its tree home This Eastern Screech Owl was photographed in the Mack Bayou area of Santa Rosa Beach. He (she) sat patiently as the photographer climbed into the bed of a pick-up, then up on the toolbox to grab the shot. Although the photo is not recent, it was the third consecutive spring the owl had made this tree its home. A slightly cropped version of this photo appeared in an ad in the...

Endangered whooping cranes winter at St. Marks NWR in Wakulla County

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge winter home to endangered birds On Jan. 13, Operation Migration successfully escorted 10 young endangered whooping cranes more than 1,100 miles to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Wakulla County, Fla. Initially, 20 young cranes left Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin on Oct. 23, 2009. The group was split in two in Jefferson County, Fla., with the second half now on their way to winter at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, just south...

Banded Rufous hummingbird winters in same yard six years in a row

Local bird lover excited about a returning winter guest Local hummingbird enthusiast and butterfly expert, Mary Ann Friedman of Niceville is excited about a winter guest she has coming to her yard year after year. A Rufous Hummingbird, nicknamed “Ruferocious” has been returning to Mary Ann’s yard each winter for six years. “We call her Ruferocious because she is pretty possessive and usually kicks any other would be winter hummingbirds out in a very short time. Before she started “living”...