Back yards in Florida range from grassy fenced suburbs to sandy beach views, screened pools to oak-shaded forests, and all of them can be good places to spot birds. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), hosted each February by Audubon in partnership with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada, is an opportunity for anyone, anywhere to participate in community science by simply going outside and counting birds for at least 15 minutes. Scientists at all three organizations use the data collected, via submissions in the eBird app, to study how bird populations have changed over the course of many years, which parts of the hemisphere are most critical for bird conservation, and much more.
For many people, including several Audubon Florida staff members, the Great Backyard Bird Count is a fun late winter tradition. This year’s count was held February 13-16, and Audubon Florida staffers were excited to share their sightings from wherever they were this weekend.
Shorebird Biologist Zach Matchinski didn’t spend GBBC weekend in his own back yard in the Panhandle, instead crossing state lines for a visit to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. The refuge is the site of the annual Festival of the Cranes each January, and as anticipated, he came away with several crane sightings. He also logged Northern Shovelers, a White-throated Sparrow, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Northern Cardinal.
Executive Director Julie Wraithmell and Communications Director Erika Zambello were traveling through Ocala National Forest, one of the best remaining examples of the scrub habitat that Florida Scrub-Jays rely on, and were rewarded with a sighting of this elusive species.
Senior Coordinator of Shorebird Stewardship Brian Cammarano stayed closer to home this weekend, walking just a few blocks from his house in the Panhandle to a new parklet with a boardwalk overlooking a wetland. There, he spotted a Northern House Wren.
In Southwest Florida, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen spotted a Broad-winged Hawk resting in a tree in his back yard. This species is uncommon in Florida: occasionally found in the northern region during the breeding season, it sometimes spends winters in southern Florida.
One of the best parts about the GBBC is that it highlights the simplicity of birding: It can happen anywhere, with little to no preparation, and for as short or long as you have available. Communications Associate Karina Jiménez spent Saturday at an outdoor shopping center in Orlando, where she recorded half a dozen Common Grackles and a pair of White Ibises.
A wrap-up of birding in Florida wouldn’t be complete without a list from an out-of-towner. A National Audubon Society staff member was visiting South Florida over the long weekend and managed to gather an exciting list, including a Sora, Red-winged Blackbird, Wood Storks, Wilson’s Snipe, Double-crested Cormorant, Purple Gallinule, Great Blue Heron, and even a striking (if invasive) Egyptian Goose.
It’s always a good time for birding in the Sunshine State, but birding for science? Count us in.
