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Wildlife
Activities by Month
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Florida's Protected Species |
Saltwater Fishing |
Hunter Safety Course |
Hunting in Florida |
Freshwater Fishing |
Wildlife Updates |
Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | August | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
January
- Nesting activity begins for ospreys,
sandhill cranes, some herons and egrets, and Black Vultures.
- Deer reach the peak of the rutting
season in north Florida.
- Gray foxes, bobcats, and raccoons
begin courtship and breeding this month.
- Look for red-tailed hawks perched
in trees and on billboards along interstates.
- Huge clouds of tree swallows should
be visible around sunset roosting over large marsh areas.
- Cedar waxwings and robins are eating
fruits such as holly berries.
- Male cardinals begin territorial
singing later in the month.
- Early returning purple martins can
be seen in South Florida.
- Put your old Christmas tree to good
use - start a brush pile near your bird feeder. Not only
will it provide good year-round cover for birds, but it will
also take up a lot less space in your county land fill.
- General gun season for antlered deer
and wild hogs (only where they are established as a game
animal).
- Turkey (only bearded turkeys or gobblers)
season.
- Quail and Squirrel season.
- Dove season.
- Crow season.
- Waterfowl and coot season.
- Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day Only
children under 16 may hunt. They must be accompanied by a
non-hunting adult.
Up
February
- Early Purple Martin scouts will start
to appear in Florida this month. Now is the time to raise
houses or gourds.
- Screech Owls begin nesting in the
central region of the state.
- South Florida should start seeing
Wild Turkey and Quail breeding activity.
- Magnificent Frigatebirds begin nesting
in mangroves in the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas.
- American Swallow-tailed Kites return
to Florida from South American wintering areas.
- Woodcocks begin courtship behavior
in north Florida. Listen at dusk for their "peenting" in
open fields.
- Ospreys will begin nesting in north
Florida.
- Pileated Woodpeckers begin their
mating season and will start announcing territories by drumming
on various objects including houses and telephone poles.
- Others who are beginning their nesting
season include: Little Blue and Tri-colored Herons, Wood
and Mottled Ducks, and Snail Kites.
- Purple Finches and Pine Siskins will
leave our feeders and begin their migration back to northern
nesting areas.
- Alligator Snapping Turtles will start
mating this month, with nesting activity throughout the spring.
- Eastern Moles are breeding this month
in tunnels under our lawns.
- Pocket Gophers begin their spring
breeding season.
- Striped Skunks begin their breeding
season.
- Quail and Gray Squirrel hunting season
is still open.
- Antlered Deer and Wild Hog general
gun season in the Northwest Zone (Panhandle).
- Special archery and muzzleloading
for Deer in the Northwest Zone (Panhandle).
- Shad spawing occuring in rivers.
Up
March
- Frogs and toads move to ponds, streams,
and ditches to breed during rainy nights.
- Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon migrate into
the coastal rivers late Febuary through early March of their
spawning season.
- Largemouth bass spawn throughout
central Florida.
- White bass run up the Ochlockonee
River above Lake Talquin.
- Many birds begin nesting.
- Snakes and other reptiles are more
active and likely to be seen in yards and gardens.
- Wild turkey and quail begin breeding
in central and north Florida.
- Mangrove cuckoos return to the Keys.
- Summer tanagers and great-crested
flycatchers arrive to breed.
- Swallow-tailed kites can be seen
in significant numbers throughout the south Florida wetlands.
- Listen for newly-returned chuck-will's-widows
calling after sunset.
- Hummingbirds return.
- Woodpeckers begin announcing their
territories by drumming on loud objects.
- Litters of raccoons, bobcat, and
armadillos are being born.
- Last chance to see manatee concentrations
in various springs this winter.
- Quail and gray squirrel hunting season.
- Spring turkey season.
- Purple martins begin nesting.
Up
April
- Black bears begin moving after winter's
inactivity.
- Long-tailed weasels, minks, and river
otters will be born April through May.
- Endangered gray bats return to Florida
caves to raise young.
- Sooty terns take over Dry Tortugas
for nesting.
- Bobwhite quail nest now through September.
- Migrant warblers concentrate on coasts.
- Mississippi kites
return.
- Great-crested flycatchers return.
They use shedded snake skin in their nests.
- Watch for hummingbirds feeding on
blooms of columbine, buckeye, and feeders.
- Pine barrens treefrogs begin calling.
- Carolina anoles breed - red dulap.
- Most Florida snakes begin mating
rituals.
- Beginning of sea turtle nesting season
on Florida beaches.
- Largemouth bass move into shallow
water in Lake Talquin.
- Plant extra parsley for black swallowtail
butterfly larvae to eat.
- Spring turkey season ends.
- Endangered Re-cockaded Woodpeckers are year-round
resident and nest in living pine tree cavitites from April
to June.
- Tarpon enter inshore waters to feed before spawning from April to June.
- Common Snook spawning season begins and runs
until October.
Up
May
- Least terns and snowy plovers nest
on beaches and flat rooftops.
- The last of the cedar waxwings and
goldfinches head for their northern breeding grounds.
- Painted buntings nest through summer
in northeast Florida.
- Brown pelican and white ibis young
are now visible in nests.
- Crocodile nesting begins in Southwest
Florida.
- Courtship ritual of adult alligators
begins, noted by the loud and resounding bellows and water
slapping. Continues through June.
- Loggerhead and green sea turtles
begin nighttime nesting on sandy beaches.
- Soft-shell and alligator snapping
turtles complete egg laying.
- Gray bats congregate at maternity
caves now through mid-July.
- Bluegill begin to bed during full
moon.
- Flathead catfish congregate below
Jim Woodruff Dam, Apalachicola River.
- Peak flight month for Schaus' swallowtail
butterfly in the Keys.
- Mating Season of the invasive Love
Bug species begins and lasts until September.
Up
June
- It is the height of the gopher tortoise
breeding season.
- Red bats and Seminole bats are being
born.
- Southern flying squirrels' breeding
season begins.
- Tarpon spawning begins in June
and runs to August.
- It's breeding season for least terns,
oystercatchers, and black skimmers. They nest on islands,
undisturbed beaches, and even rooftops when their preferred
habitat is unavailable.
Special dates
in June
- June 1, 1952 - first sighting of
cattle egrets in Florida.
- June 14, 1969 - last sighting of
ivory-billed woodpeckers in Florida.
Up
July
- Look for frigate birds flying overhead
in south Florida.
- Shorebirds are nesting on beaches.
- Listen for Eastern narrowmouth toads
("waaa", like a baying sheep) after heavy rains.
- Treefrogs are laying eggs which hatch
into tadpoles in about 5 days.
- Alligators and crocodiles will begin
to hatch.
- Armadillos are breeding.
- Gray squirrels are being born.
Special Date in July
- July 22, 1982 - First Florida bog
frog discovered in a panhandle wetland.
Up
August
- Black bear cubs are weaning from
their mothers.
- Short-tailed shrews are beginning
a second round of breeding for the year.
- First flocks of blue-winged and green-winged
teal arrive to winter on Florida lakes and wetlands.
- Swallow-tailed kites begin gathering
in communal night roosts before migrating.
- Purple martins and tree swallows
begin to gather to migrate south for the winter.
- Yellow warbler migration begins.
- Young sea turtles are hatching so
watch where you're walking on the beach.
- Gopher tortoise and turtle eggs are
hatching.
- Indigo snake and other snake eggs
are hatching.
Up
September
- Hawk migration begins at St. Joseph
Peninsula in Gulf County.
- Bald eagles return to nest sites
and begin courtship.
- Deer breeding begins in south Florida
flatwoods.
- Gray bats migrate to Alabama caves
for winter hibernation.
- Adult Atlantic and Gulf sturgeon
begin fall migration from the Suwannee and Apalachicola Rivers
as well other coastal rivers to the Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico.
- Blue crabs migrate from the shallow
panhandle coast to deeper water for the winter.
- Blue crab "jubilee" also
begins along panhandle beaches.
- Fall Mullet migration to the gulf
begins.
Up
October
- Vultures return to the Miami Courthouse
and other areas in South Florida (Turkey Vultures, that is).
- Northeast Florida: Look for migrating
Peregrine falcons in natural areas, especially along the
coast as they follow shorebird prey.
- Warbler migration peaks early this
month.
- Monarch butterfly migration nears
its peak along Florida's Gulf coast.
- Sandhill cranes that nested in more
northern latitudes move down to join our resident birds.
- Peak in chimney swift migrations
in South Florida.
- Flatwoods salamanders breed with
the first rains of the October.
- Flying squirrels will be moving into
pecan groves as the nuts ripen.
Up
November
- Cedar waxwings come south for the
winter. Their flocks can be seen on cedars, hollies, cherry
laurels, privet, and other fruit plants.
- Peak of deer rutting in central and
north Florida.
- Hunting seasons for deer, turkey,
quail, and gray squirrel are in full swing.
- Ornate chorus frogs begin calling.
- Enthusiasts look for downy, hairy,
red-bellied, and red-headed woodpeckers on suet feeders.
- Bald eagles begin their nesting season.
Look for spectacular aerial courtship displays.
- As water temperatures lower, manatees
begin to move to relatively warm waters at springs. Boaters
beware of idle speed zones.
Up
December
- Snail kites gather in large south
Florida roosts, and nesting activity begins.
- This is the best time for watching
waterfowl on wetlands, lakes, and prairies.
- Great horned owls and barred owls
courting. Listen for them. =)
- Oscars abundant in Everglades Water
Conservation Area canals, taking worms, crickets, and beetle
spins.
- Look for Goldfinches at north Florida
feeders.
- In north Florida, bald eagles start
hatching about Christmas day.
-
Shad migration from the ocean to the rivers begins.
Up
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Last Modified:
Friday, December 21, 2007 11:57
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