Go Native Blog

Wilcox’s Big Yard Community Highlight

“We live in a 55 plus HOA in central Florida.  I completely re-landscaped our yard with Florida native plants, and I also added a water feature.  All of the changes I made to our yard were to attract and support wildlife, giving them food, shelter and water, all while staying within the standards of our HOA.  Almost every evening I sit on our lanai and wait for our guests, i.e. my photo subjects, to appear and where I took the photo of the Ground Dove.

A favorite Florida bird would be a tough pick, as it would depend where I was at.  If I am at the beach, I am always seeking Oystercatchers.  If I am in my backyard, listening to and watching the Common Nighthawks fly over is always rewarding.  During the winter months I enjoy the migrating ducks, especially the Hooded Mergansers.

…Even though we live in Leesburg, and soon to be in Ocala, we have many plants in our yard from Wilcox.

-Greg Drawbaugh 

You can submit your photos here

Fall Birding in Tampa Bay

Going into fall, we are seeing some migratory birds start to trickle through Florida. You may have seen large numbers of Swallow-tailed Kites as they made their way through Florida on their way to South America. I have started to see an increase in the number of bald eagles in the county as well. They will be spending the winter with us. Songbirds, such as warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, will start to trickle through as we move into September. Below are some of my regular birding haunts in the Tampa Bay area. 

-Nikki

Nikki’s favorite places to bird: 

• Sawgrass Lake Park is a great place to observe songbirds, woodpeckers, and wading birds. You may spot Short-tailed Hawks that reside near the park. 
• Lettuce Lake Park has extensive boardwalks through the swamp. You can see songbirds, wading birds, and sometimes owls. 
• Fort Desoto Park
  • North Beach/Outback Key is the best place to observe shorebirds. In fall, they are more challenging to identify. Soon there will be American White Pelicans coming in for their winter stay.
  • Arrowhead Picnic/Trail area often has warblers, thrushes, and tanagers. You may get lucky and spot a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in this area. Bring mosquito repellent!
  • East Beach trails and shoreline is another great place for songbirds, especially buntings and flycatchers. There are usually rowdy Nanday Parakeets in this area as well. 
• Brooker Creek is located in the north part of Pinellas County. There are many habitat types which may lead to seeing a larger variety of birds. It is also one of the best places in the county to look at plant life. Be prepared for wet trails. 

Key Vista Nature Park, located in Holiday, FL, is a hidden gem with trails through flatwoods down to the gulf. There is an observation tower that is great for spotting wading birds, ospreys, and eagles. Take some time to look around at the sand pines, bluejack oaks, plantain, and lupine that are growing here!