At the edge of Grassy Lake, within the 8,300 acres of Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, sits a brand-new bird blind. Accessible at the end of a 100-yard long, crushed shell path, the blind is the culmination of years of effort and dreaming by leaders of the West Pasco Audubon Society. As a light at the…
Category: audubon
Audubon – Gravel Rooftops Provide Crucial Habitat for Nesting Seabirds and Shorebirds
Gravel rooftops take on an entirely new function during the spring and summer months: nesting habitat for sea and shorebirds. Sea and shorebirds – including Black Skimmers, Least Terns, and American Oystercatchers – traditionally nest on sandy beaches and marshy islands, but those habitats are in high demand for coastal recreation. In addition to development…
Audubon Staff Return American Oystercatcher Chick to Rooftop Nesting Area
It was a hot and steamy day atop a rooftop seabird colony in Pinellas County. Least Tern, Black Skimmer, and American Oystercatcher chicks sought refuge from the sun’s glare beneath their parents or in the fragments of shade they could find on the gravel roof. While this unorthodox habitat may seem like a strange place…
Audubon – March 1 Marks the Beginning of Beach Nesting Bird Season
Spring brings nesting sea and shorebirds to Florida’s coastlines. Making scoop nests right on the sand, the plovers, terns, and American Oystercatchers must overcome storm surges, algal blooms, and human disturbance to successfully fledge chicks each year. So far, the first reported nests have come from Dog Island, with three Snowy Plover pairs successfully laying…
Audubon – 20th Century Women Key to Audubon Florida’s Success Today
Audubon Florida would not be the powerful organization we know today without decades of dedication by hardworking, visionary women. For Women’s History Month, we are taking a look back at these extraordinary leaders. Read the entire article here!
Audubon – Field Work at the Edge of Florida
Audubon biologist Alex Blochel loads up the Pathfinder boat at the Everglades Science Center (ESC), tossing in snorkel gear and measuring equipment for a full day of field work on the water. The dawn light has just crested the shiny leaves of Florida Bay mangroves, and he’ll need all the daylight he can get to measure submerged aquatic vegetation…
Audubon – New Living Shoreline
Mark Rachal steps into the 20-foot center console skiff, throwing rope lines back into the boat and motoring towards the Richard T. Paul Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary. As he moves away from the boat launch, Brown Pelicans, Forster’s Terns, and Great Egrets wheel across the blue sky overhead, a testament to the importance of the…
Audubon Florida – Jay Watch Celebrates 2019 Season of Monitoring and Restoration
At the end of November, Jay Watch volunteers from far and wide gathered at the Archbold Biological Station to celebrate another successful summer season of mapping Florida Scrub-Jay cooperative family groups at over 40 sites on the Florida peninsula. Florida Scrub-Jays are the Sunshine State’s only endemic species. A handsome bird, the jay is curious…
Audubon Florida – New Records of Banded Skimmers in Key West
As the sun set on Key West, Florida, Dr. Kristen Markovich spotted a mixed flock of Black Skimmers and gulls. Using the remaining light, she photographed the birds, zooming in to take a closer look. A green band attached to the bright orange leg of one of the skimmers caught her eye: “0B.” Through this simple…
Audubon – Winter Brings New Birds to Walton County
Winter brings a sense of calm to our Gulf of Mexico beaches. A delightful chill means crisp, refreshing walks on the sand, or turning faces to the sun on breezy afternoons. Many of our summer birds have long since migrated, but an entirely new avian community moves in for the winter months. Read the entire…
