 USFWS Photo
It can be sad to say farewell to fall migrants, their springtime return with bright breeding plumage and musical songs seeming ages away. While we might miss them here in the U.S., their presence is enjoyed by wildlife watchers on their wintering grounds in Central and South America.
The Prothonotary Warbler is a small songbird with a bright orange-yellow head. They nest in cavities over slow moving water, such as bald cypress swamps. In the summer you can find them in the U.S. from New Jersey to north Florida and as far west as central Texas. In the winter they migrate south to Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. This migratory species can even be found as a rare winter resident in Puerto Rico, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands and Lesser Antilles. Conserving habitat throughout the entirety of their breeding, stopover, and wintering grounds is key to protecting Prothonotaries and other migratory species.
As with most flora and fauna, there is a variety of local names for this beautiful bird. For example, in Costa Rica it is named "Reinita Cabecidorada," or "Golden-headed Queen" and in Nicaragua it is called "Manguito Dorado," or "Little Golden Mango." In the United States, "Prothonotary" refers to clerks in the Roman Catholic Church, whose robes were bright yellow. Whatever you choose to call them, these small golden birds are a favorite among Floridians, Central Americans and Caribbean locals, connecting us all through their annual flights.
 Brown-headed Nuthatch, FWC Photo by Andy Wraithmell
Look high in the canopies of pine forests and you might see these smalls birds with chisel-like bills as they hop from trunk to tree branch. The tiny rubber-ducky squeaks of these vocal insect eaters are hard to miss when they gather in small flocks. Controlled burns can help create the standing dead trees where Brown-headed Nuthatches build their nests. These birds prefer well-maintained, open pine forests; their presence is a good indicator of healthy habitat!
November is the last month to order our limited edition birding trail merchandise featuring beautiful illustrations from Gainesville artist Sam Wehmann Epstein. These whimsical mugs, tees, totes, and home décor make excellent gifts for nature lovers.
As always, proceeds from our store support GFBWT program improvements as well as bird and wildlife conservation across Florida.
 Great Blue Heron, FWC Photo
Address: SE Highway 349, Old Town, 32680
Open: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Contact: 352-493-0238
Website
The north side of this 53,000-acre national wildlife refuge lies in Dixie County and has four recommended stops for birding and wildlife viewing. The first is Shired Island Beach, where trails lead you through coastal hammocks, past mudflats and open beach. Anything, from wintering shorebirds to songbird migrants making landfall in spring, might turn up here. Dixie Mainline is a 9-mile, unpaved road through pine flatwoods, bottomland hardwoods and marsh. Drive, bike or walk this road for a spectacular outing; this is an interesting stop for herons, egrets, shorebirds, raptors, wrens and fall warblers. Butterfly diversity is also quite good along this stretch of road; Sweadner’s juniper hairstreak, a Florida endemic, occurs here (two broods, mainly spring and fall). Fishbone Creek, accessed from County Road 357, has an observation platform with a vantage of salt marsh, plus a small boat launch on the creek. Explore the Fishbone Creek paddling trail (best for experienced paddlers) at this stop, where you might encounter Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, bottlenose dolphin, black mullet and diamondback terrapin amongst the cordgrass, needlegrass rush, oyster bars and open waters. Salt Creek has an accessible boardwalk to the salt marsh, where you might encounter Seaside Sparrows and Marsh Wrens singing, and Bald Eagles soaring. There’s always something to see here year-round but be prepared for biting insects in summer. Please call or look online for hunting information. The refuge is part of the Big Bend Ecosystem Important Bird Area.
Thursday, November 4
Herons of Florida (Port St. Lucie)
Saturday, November 6
Hernando Audubon Birding and Biking on the Withlacoochee Trail (Brooksville)
Field Trip: Egans Creek Greenway (Fernandina Beach)
Sunday, November 7
Birding 101 at Palmetto Leaves Regional Park (Jacksonville)
SJCA Young Birders Walk at Fort Matanzas National Monument (St. Augustine)
Chain of Lakes Field Trip (Titusville)
Tuesday, November 9
Nature/Bird Walk at Ocala Wetland Recharge Park (Ocala)
Wednesday, November 10
SJCA Monthly Meeting: Birdscaping Your Yard (Virtual)
Thursday, November 11
Thursday Morning at Matanzas Inlet with Peggy Cook (St. Augustine)
Saturday, November 13
Saturday Morning at Fish Island Preserve (St. Augustine)
Hernando Audubon Birding Trip to Fort Cooper State Park (Inverness)
Field Trip to Ringhaver Park (Jacksonville)
Sunday, November 14
Limited Edition Field Trip to Lake Apopka North Shore – Clay Island (Mount Dora)
Wild Turkeys with Dr. Jay Exum, PhD (Sanford)
Monday, November 15
Make Your Sightings Count with eBird (Virtual)
Thursday, November 18
Hernando Audubon Society Meeting (Virtual)
Saturday, November 20
Nature Walk and Work Day at Crosby Sanctuary (Orange Park)Hernando Audubon Society Birding Trip to Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary (Brooksville)
Birding at Mead Botanical Garden and Kraft Azalea Garden (Winter Park)
Friday, November 26
Hernando Audubon Beginning Birding (Brooksville)
Saturday, November 27
Open House at Crosby Sanctuary (Orange Park)
Cruikshank Sanctuary Field Trip (Rockledge)
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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