Nature Happenings

  • Hummingbird numbers peak around Labor Day, then start to dwindle; huge numbers along Texas coast.

  • Blackbird (grackles, cowbirds and redwings) flocks can number in the thousands.

  • Broadwings and other hawks pass through.

  • Peak of Blue-winged Teal migration.

  • First flickers and kinglets can appear by the end of this month - they love suet.

  • Migration month! Look for Baltimore Orioles! More birds are in the area now than any other month.

  • First juncos and White-throated Sparrows can appear by the end of this month.

  • Peak migration for Bald Eagle and other raptors.

  • House Wrens begin arriving in the southeast in late-September.



From Our Friends at UF IFAS

Wildlife Happenings - September
September brings the beginning of Fall, and the peak of the hurricane season, so we should be seeing some new species and activity as a result. Here are some interesting things to look for in September:
Birds
Get feeders ready for returning birds
Hawk migration begins at St. Joseph Peninsula in Gulf County.
Bald eagles return to nest sites and begin courtship.

Mammals
Gray bats migrate to Alabama caves for winter hibernation.
Start looking for manatees concentrated in rivers, bays, and near power plants.
Deer breeding begins in south Florida flatwoods.
Manatees start to gather in freshwater springs near power plants

Amphibians
Start listening for Spadefoot toads after heavy rains.

Fish
Atlantic sturgeon begin fall migration from the Suwannee and Apalachicola Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

Invertebrates
Blue crabs migrate from the shallow panhandle coast to deeper water for the winter.
Blue crab "jubilee" also begins along panhandle beaches.