2020 Big Year
It seems hard to believe that we are almost two months into 2020, but March is nearly here! While some of us may have lost our new year’s momentum by now, we recently heard the story of two birders who are still going strong on their 2020 Florida Big Year.
“We are two birders living in Tallahassee attempting to break the Florida big year record. Natasza is a biology master's student and Gundy, who goes by his last name, is a field biologist.
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"We decided to attempt to break the Florida big year record after being surprised at how many species we had recorded on eBird after a birding trip we took in the Everglades during the first week of January. We are humbly aware that we are not the best birders in the state, but we hope our drive and passion are enough to break the record for most bird species seen in one year in Florida. Doing a big year is a big endeavor. It means lots of traveling and last-minute schedule changes. When a rare bird shows up, plans can suddenly change to chasing a bird across the state. To maintain a work-bird balance we often work, and sometimes sleep, in the car. While one of us is driving to rare birds around the state on the weekends, the other is doing research, writing papers, sending emails, or studying the next bird from the passenger seat.
"Having to scour over every detail of every bird to find as many species as we can has already made us better birders. In the first two months of the year, we have already seen 250 bird species, qualifying for the first four Wings Over Florida certificates. Most of our species have been found at stops along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Some of the rare birds we have seen in the state so far include Scott's Oriole, Mountain Bluebird, Pacific Golden-Plover, Cinnamon Teal, Ruff, La Sagra's Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher, Black-headed Gull, and Heerman's Gull. Our adventure has reignited Gundy's passion for photography and fanned the flames of Natasza's obsession for recording bird calls and songs. You can follow our progress throughout the year on Instagram @flbigyear2020.”
Congrats to Natasza and Gundy on their impressive year of birding so far!
Have a Wings Over Florida story you’d like to share? Reach out to us at WildlifeViewing@MyFWC.com for a chance to be featured in our newsletter! 
Trail Site of the Month: Gulf Islands National Seashore Fort Pickens Area
The Gulf Islands National Seashore spans and protects over 150 miles of barrier island coastline in Florida and Mississippi. Just outside of Pensacola, the Fort Pickens area of the seashore offers excellent opportunities. The site’s impressive eBird list boasts over 300 species, including many tired migrants that will be making landfall on the Panhandle shores in the next few months. The trails on the fort’s bayside can be extraordinary for migrant songbirds like Tennessee, Cape May, and Magnolia Warblers. Morning is not necessarily the best time to see these birds; long-term sighting logs from dedicated local birders indicate these migrants can make landfall in early afternoon. Fallouts are exaggerated by early afternoon rain showers that ground migrants as soon as they reach land.
If you’re a history buff as well as a birder, Fort Pickens has even more to explore. Constructed between 1829 and 1834, the fort played an important role as a Union stronghold during the Civil War and remained in use until 1947. Today many of the structures are open to discover with plenty of interpretive signage or available ranger-led tours.
Other attractions at Fort Pickens include campsites, a fishing pier, biking and boating opportunities, beaches for swimming and relaxing, and an impressive discovery center where you can learn about the rich natural and cultural history of the area. You can also hike the northern terminus of the Florida Trail, which is just outside the fort at the western end of the island.
Address: 1400 Ft. Pickens Rd, Gulf Breeze, 32561
Phone: 850-934-2600
Hours: November-February: 5 a.m.-6 p.m.; March-October: 5 a.m.-9 p.m.
Check out the events page of our website for more to do across the state!
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 interpretive programming, summer camps and family programs.
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