It’s hard to believe we’re already one month into the New Year. Did you make a New Year’s resolution? Ours was to spend more time birding and butterfly watching for the 2021 Wings Over Florida Big Year!
A Big Year is an attempt to see as many birds (or butterflies!) as possible between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. Some people like to go chasing rare birds all over the state in attempt to beat the record but you don’t have to be competitive to participate. You can challenge your own personal record or simply use a Big Year as motivation to get outside and enjoy nature. To apply for our certificates, you only need to see a minimum of 50 bird species or 20 butterfly species.
Remember - if you kept track of your bird and butterfly lists during 2020, it’s still not too late to apply for your 2020 Big Year certificates and buttons!
Calling all birders!
The 2021 Great Backyard Bird Count will be held from Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15. This event, co-hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada, is a great opportunity for birders of all levels to contribute to our understanding of bird populations.
To participate, you will need to have a free eBird account, which is quick and easy to set up. During the count, observe and record birds using either the Merlin or eBird app for at least a 15 minute stretch. You can observe birds in your back yard but data submissions aren’t limited to around the house – checklists from anywhere are welcomed for the event.
In 2020 there were over 250,000 participants worldwide who observed over 27 million birds! That seems like a high benchmark to beat but participation has been increasing year after year – let’s make 2021 the best year yet! You can follow along with the count’s progress using Cornell’s live map of eBird submissions.
For more information on how to participate, head to BirdCount.org for more detailed instructions.
Have you ever heard the tip that hot sauce or cayenne pepper will keep squirrels off your bird feeders and wondered whether this was a myth?
It turns out that it is true! Birds are not sensitive to capsaicin (the chemical that makes peppers taste hot) in the same way mammals are. They can consume even the spiciest peppers without tasting a thing. There may also be an evolutionary explanation for this – studies have shown that pepper seeds germinate much better after passing through the digestive tract of a bird than that of a mammal, meaning that birds are more effective at dispersing seeds that will grow into more pepper plants. It is in the plants’ best interest to ward off mammals and leave the seed dispersal to the birds.
So, yes, hot sauce can potentially help ward off unwanted feeder visitors, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it (would you want to be surprised by a mouthful of hot sauce when you were expecting a tasty sunflower seed?) There is a better way to avoid battling with squirrels on your birdfeeder altogether – turning your yard into a habitat for wildlife with native plants, shelter, and water will ensure that there is plenty to go around! Learn more and order your copy of our Planting a Refuge for Wildlife booklet today at MyFWC.com/viewing/habitat/refuge.
 Wading birds gather at Savannas Preserve State Park.
Address: 2541 Walton Road, Port St. Lucie, 34952
Hours: Parks and Trails: Thursday-Monday, 8 a.m. to sunset
Phone: 772-398-2779
Website
The savannas (a large, freshwater basin marsh) once stretched along much of Florida's southeastern coastline. This 6,800-acre park protects the largest intact remnant of this ecosystem, from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach. It was historically a saltwater estuary but gradually became freshwater and today it sustains birds from Sandhill Crane to Wood Stork and ducks. Begin at the Environmental Education Center on Walton Road, where visitors can access a 17.5-mile multi-use trail system. Pick up a trail map and hike or drive through the flatwoods to the day use area, where visitors can view the marsh from the observation deck or explore it by canoe/kayak via the boat ramp. Herons, egrets and other waders nest throughout the wetlands; maintain a 300-foot distance when approaching their rookeries. This park also protects one of the largest intact coastal scrub habitats (nearly 700 acres) within the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. At the Jensen Beach Blvd. entrance, visitors can access the southern portion of the trail system. Another trail worth birding is the Hawk’s Bluff Nature Trail, a .75-mile wilderness loop off NE Savannah Road.. This hiking trail passes through scrub and along marshes; watch for Great Horned Owls, woodpeckers, waders, Limpkin and Purple Gallinule. Marsh rabbit, American alligator, gopher tortoise and white-tailed deer also occur at the park.
Feb. 4 – "Florida Birds Exposed" Book Presentation and Photographs (Virtual)
Feb. – Birding Trip to Hernando County Landfill (Brooksville)
Feb. 6 – STA 5/6 Driving Bird Tour (Clewiston)
Feb. 6 – Work Day at Florida Audubon’s Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary (Brooksville)
Feb. 7 – Joys of Birdwatching - Class (Virtual)
Feb. 9 – Birding Trip to Orlando Wetlands (Christmas)
Feb. 10 - Birding Trip to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Titusville)
Feb. 10 – Native Plant Gardening – Presentation (Virtual)
Feb. 13 – Great Backyard Bird Count at Bird Island (Ponte Vedra Beach)
Feb. 13 – Hernando Audubon Big Day/Birdathon
Feb. 13 – Bioblitz Nature Walk (Clermont)
Feb. 14 – STA 5/6 Driving Bird Tour (Clewiston)
Feb. 15 – STA 5/6 Driving Bird Tour (Clewiston)
Feb. 20 – Birding Trip to J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park (New Port Richey)
Feb. 21 – Limited Edition Field Trip: Lake Harvey Wilderness (Geneva)
Feb. 21 – SJCA Young Birders Fort Mose Walk (St. Augustine)
Feb. 25 – Hernando Audubon Meeting – Introduction to Tropical Birds (Virtual)
Feb. 26 – Hernando Audubon Beginning Birding (Brookesville)
Feb. 27 – Scrub-jay Trail Day (Clermont)
Do you know about any other bird or wildlife-related events going on in Florida? Help spread the word by letting us know! Send in the times, dates, locations and contacts to WildlifeViewing@MyFWC.com for posting on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail website.
Events must be related to birds or other wildlife and must be open to the public. Examples include field trips, interpretive programming, webinars, summer camps and family programs.
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