From the beach, you can sometimes spot them at parks along Florida’s northeastern shore, such as North Peninsula State Park in Ormond Beach. Watch for whales if you get out on the water this winter. One of the rarest whales in the world due to overhunting in the past, North Atlantic right whales today are threatened by boat strikes. But every winter, North Atlantic right whales return to the waters of eastern Florida and Georgia, which is the only known place where they give birth to their young. Some that might not immediately come to mind are whales. When you think of wildlife in Florida, you might think of alligators, panthers or mosquitoes. While they can be found in most inland waters this time of year, visitors at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a little more than an hour north of Tampa, may see the snook up-close and personal thanks to the underwater observatory that allows unparalleled views of the fish in the spring.
Like manatees, they’re sensitive to the cooler temperatures, and the colder it gets, the more snook will swim inland. Snook, a favorite fish among anglers, migrate each winter from offshore to warmer inland waters. Manatees aren’t the only ones who head to springs to stay warm.
It hosts hundreds of manatees every year. If you’re looking to spot one of these gentle grazers this winter, Blue Spring State Park just south of DeLand is one of the best places to go. Without warm spring water, many manatees would freeze, making healthy springs essential for their survival. Spring water is near 72 degrees all year, kept at a consistent temperature underground before bursting out of spring vents. That’s because as water temperatures drop, manatees seek out springs, where they can stay warm. This bird was recorded on its breeding grounds in Seward, Alaska.Probably Florida’s most famous winter wanderer, manatees can be found in Florida year-round but are much easier to spot in the winter. The male Varied Thrush sings in whistled tones from the tops of live conifers, mainly in the morning and evening. Some populations move to lower elevations to spend the winter, a phenomenon known as "altitudinal migration." Sometimes individual birds wander far out of their normal range, surprising observers as far afield as the East Coast.ĭuring the winter Varied Thrushes become more sociable, gathering in loose flocks of up to 20 birds that may include this thrush's close relative, the American Robin.
Varied Thrushes winter along the west coast of North America from Alaska south to Baja California Norte.
Varied Thrush is a short-distance migrant, unlike many thrush species such as Wood Thrush and Bicknell's Thrush. In winter, when Varied Thrushes move downslope into more settled areas, window collisions and free-roaming cats can be significant sources of mortality. Varied Thrush numbers have decreased significantly over the last 40 years due to habitat loss in the mature and old-growth forests where they nest, alongside species such as Swainson's Thrush, Western Tanager, and Evening Grosbeak. Famed naturalist Louis Agassiz Fuertes called its song "the voice of the cool, dark, peaceful solitude which the bird chooses for its home." The eerie, ethereal-sounding whistles of the colorful Varied Thrush resound throughout the dense rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, where this bird's haunting song is more often heard than the bird itself is seen.
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