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Panhandle Phenology-May
What to watch for:
- Neotropical migrants are still arriving
- Magnolias are blooming
- Yucca stalks are now upwards of 4 and 5 feet tall
- Young brown pelicans will be visible in nests
- Coyote pups are in the dens
- Red-cockaded woodpeckers are nesting
- Flathead catfish are spawning below the dam in the Apalachicola River
- Many species of bats are giving birth
- Male alligators may be heard “rumbling” in wetlands
- Sea turtle nesting season begins with green sea turtles arriving on our beaches. Please follow all applicable regulations and do not disturb or interfere with nesting turtles. Turtle-safe or, better yet, NO lights on the beach from now until hatching ends in October. This will give sea turtle hatchlings a more natural environment and a better chance to make it to the water.
- Redbreast, spotted, and bluegill sunfish spawn. Bluegills will make their conspicuous bed-like nests in sync with the full moon.
I get these tips from various resources and my personal observations.
If you find phenology as fascinating as I do then you might want to visit the Twin Cities Naturalist webpage and listen to Kirk Mona’s phenology podcast.
If you have a Florida Panhandle phenological observation (birds/animals migrating, mating, plants blooming, etc.) that you would like to share please add it to the comments section!
Panhandle Phenology-April
What to watch for:
- Chuck-will’s-widows have returned from the tropics
- Alligators are moving around looking for new territory and mating oppurtunities
- Anadromous striped and hybrid bass are moving into clear spring runs on the Choctawhatchee River and tributaries
- Saw palmettos are flowering
- Green anoles are breeding
- Snakes and glass lizards are becoming more active
- Keep an eye on BadBirdz Reloaded for information on neotropical migrations
- Pinewoods tree frogs, which have a bell-like call, are calling in earnest now. They may have called on warm days in February and March but their voices are much more prominent now.
- Southern cricket frogs are also calling with more frequency
- Florida softshell turtles begin nesting. Look in the soft shoulder along roads or at the edge of ponds and you may see a female laying eggs
- Brown pelicans are flying in large groups. I counted 40 individuals in several flocks recently
- Tanagers, indigo buntings, hooded, and palm warblers might be spotted in thickets
- Mourning doves are courting and mating. Males will display by strutting with fluffed-up neck plumage and cooing.
- Quail begin nesting
I get these tips from various resources and my personal observations.
If you find phenology as fascinating as I do then you might want to visit the Twin Cities Naturalist webpage and listen to Kirk Mona’s phenology podcast.
If you have a Florida Panhandle phenological observation (birds/animals migrating, mating, plants blooming, etc.) that you would like to share please add it to the comments section!
Chuck-Will’s-Widow and Other Panhandle Nightjars & Nighthawks
Last night I heard the eerie and beautiful calls of the first Chuck-Will’s-Widow of the season. Chuck-Will’s-Widows belong to a genus of bird known as nightjars, part of the goatsucker family (which includes nightjars and nighthawks). Nightjars hold a fascination for me, and many others, because they are shrouded in a certain air of mystery. They are nocturnal insectivores who share superficial characteristics with bats and owls, animals steeped in superstition and lore across many cultures. Read the rest of this entry
Panhandle Phenology-March
What to watch for:
- The hummingbirds are HERE! I got a new glass feeder with a bee guard the week of the 24th and had my first humming bird that week! Report your hummingbird sightings to Hummingbirds.net . I reccomend a glass feeder because the strong sunshine in Florida rapidly breaks down plastic feeders and they usually only last one summer. I recommend a feeder with a bee guard to keep helpful ants and essential pollinators like bees and wasps from drowning in your nectar. Uncolored nectar is best in a feeder with red on it. I also planted some red salvia in hanging baskets and pots around the backyard.
- BadBirdz Reloaded showed the first big neotropical notcturnal migration this month! I usually notice an influx of yellow-rumped warblers at this time of year. I also saw a hooded warbler the week of the 24th, which is a first and a life bird for me.
- Eastern bluebirds are in nest boxes and have eggs
- The danger of frost should be past by now and it should be ok to start gardening outside
- Some highbush blueberries are blooming early
- Cinnamon ferns in and around wetlands are fully unfurled
- Eastern Redbuds are blooming
- Saw palmettos, especially those in areas managed with prescribed fire, are recovering and “flowers” are starting to show
- Azalea and mountain laurel are blooming
- Aloe vera is blooming and yuccas are staring to send up their asparagus-like flower stalks
- Early trumpet vines are blooming
- Many species of butterflies are more active now that more blooms are available. I’ve been seeing swallowtails and yellow sulfurs.
I get these tips from various resources and my personal observations.
If you find phenology as fascinating as I do then you might want to visit the Twin Cities Naturalist webpage and listen to Kirk Mona’s phenology podcast.
If you have a Florida Panhandle phenological observation (birds/animals migrating, mating, plants blooming, etc.) that you would like to share please add it to the comments section!
February 2013
Sunrise over the dunes
“Late February, and the air’s so balmy snowdrops and crocuses might be fooled into early blooming. Then, the inevitable blizzard will come, blighting our harbingers of spring, and the numbed yards will go back undercover. In Florida, it’s strawberry season— shortcake, waffles, berries and cream will be penciled on the coffeeshop menus.”
- Gail Mazur, The Idea of Florida During a Winter Thaw Read the rest of this entry
January 2013
“Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them.”
- Vincent A. Simeone
Panhandle Phenology-January
What to watch for:
- Happy New Year!
- Great horned owls are courting and nesting in pine flatwoods.
- If it’s not too cold you may hear spring peepers calling from lakes, ponds, and roadside ditches.
- The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are in rut in Zone D! If you know where to look there are many active scrapes and bucks are obliviously trailing does in broad daylight with little regard for human activities.
- Hunting season is still open in the Panhandle, it’s a good idea to wear blaze orange out in the woods even if you aren’t hunting. Avoiding brown and white clothing is also a good idea.
- West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) are still in the springs. If you are of a mind to visit South Florida to swim with them now is a good time.
- Black crappie will start becoming more active later in the month. I am told Morris Lake is a good place to catch them. Please follow all the appropriate fishing regulations!
- Striped and sunshine bass (white x striped hybrids) move into open water to eat shad
- Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) breeding seasons peak
- Gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are giving birth to their fist litter of the year
- Don’t forget to cover your plants at night but uncover them during the day. The days are getting longer!
- Don’t forget to put out suet and black oil sunflower seeds. Carolina chicadees, pine warblers, nuthatches (brown-headed and white-breasted), sparrows, doves, blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, pine siskins, ruby-crowned kinglets, and goldfinches appreciate them. Try a peanut feeder for variety.
- Florida black bears don’t hibernate like their northern cousins, so be “bear aware” when you select locations for your bird feeders. Bears like eating suet and seeds just as much as small animals and find feeders to be an easy source of food. This can lead to conflicts with humans. Remember: a fed bear is a dead bear!
I get these tips from various resources and my personal observations.
If you find phenology as fascinating as I do then you might want to visit the Twin Cities Naturalist webpage and listen to Kirk Mona’s phenology podcast.
If you have a Florida Panhandle phenological observation (birds/animals migrating, mating, plants blooming, etc.) that you would like to share please add it to the comments section!
December 2012
Not the best photo, but the ocean is actually steaming! The tide is also waaaay out with the new moon.
