Nature Happenings

• Project Feeder Watch starts and extends until April, www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Feeders get busier as the month progresses.
• Open water is important if there's an early freeze. Put out heated bird baths for a winter water source.
• American Goldfinches arrive. This is projected to be a great year! Put those finch feeders out now!
• Number and variety of wintering hummingbirds begins to build on Coast.
• Resident birds that may have left their home territory return for the winter.
• Waterfowl migration peaks this month.
• Franklin's Gulls pass through in large numbers on their way to wintering grounds of the coast of Chile.
• Common Loons and Bald Eagles arrive from the north.
• Northern Gannets arrive along the SE coast.
• Fall begins for most migratory waterfowl.
• The fall migratory population of the Sandhill Crane peaks in mid-November.
• Leonid meteor shower is mid-month.

From Our Friends at UF/IFAS

Wildlife happenings to look for in November:
Birds
Set up winter seed and suet feeders
Cedar waxwings come south for the winter. Their flocks can be seen on cedars, hollies, cherry laurels, privet, and other fruit plants.
Look for downy, hairy, red-bellied, and redheaded woodpeckers on suet feeders.
Bald eagles begin their nesting season. Look for spectacular aerial courtship displays.
Sandhill cranes return in full force from their breeding grounds up north. (Only a small number live here all year round).
Many yellow-rumped warblers and palm warblers will be in neighborhoods, natural areas, and yards, and gray catbirds have already arrived, and will be skulking (and cat-calling!) in thickets.
Kinglets, phoebes, robins, and other northern songbirds have arrived for the winter
Mammals
Peak of deer rutting in central and north Florida.
Bears are on the move and crossing roads, especially in Central Florida
As water temperatures lower, manatees begin to move to relatively warm waters at springs. Boaters beware of idle speed zones.
Look for migrating Hoary and Red Bats in North Florida. Hoary is a large bat with frosted fur.
Amphibians
Ornate chorus frogs begin calling.
Fish
Spotted sea trout should enter tidal creeks around Thanksgiving.
Bass congregate around jetties in south end of Lake George.
Trees
Cypress begin turning a rust color