Visitors and staff observe flora and fauna from the boardwalk on a daily basis. Below are some of the highlights reported since August 21, 2024!

To find out what to expect in this season, check out our Seasonal Nature Viewing Opportunities page. Click here to download a checklist of birds around the seasons.

Birds:
Black -bellied Whistling Duck
Anhingha
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Red-shouldered Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk  (white phase)
Limpkin
Mourning Dove
Common Ground Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barred Owl
Eastern Screech Owl
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Waterthrush
Lousiana Waterthrush
Black-and-White Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
​American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow-throated Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle



Butterflies:
Great Southern White
Barred Yellow
Cloudless Sulphur
Little Yellow
Orange-barred Sulphur
Large Orange Sulphur
Dainty Sulphur
Sleepy Orange
Black Swallowtail
Tiger Swallowtail
Palamedes Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail
Ceranus Blue
Ruddy Daggerwing
Gulf Fritillary
Monarch
Zebra Longwing
Gulf Fritillary
Phaon Crescent
Common Buckeye
White Peacock
Viceroy
Queen
Monarch
Cabbage White
Gray Hairstreak
Horaces Duskywing
White Checkered Skipper
Tropical Checkered Skipper
Least Skipper
Fiery Skipper
Delaware Skipper
Aaron's Skipper
Twin Spot Skipper
Brazillian Skipper
Ocola Skipper



Other Invertebrates:

Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper
Leaf-footed Bug
Okefenokee Fishing Spider
Dragonflies
Damselflies
Grasshoppers
Apple Snails
Slough Crayfish

Reptiles and Amphibians:

Carolina Green Anole
Cuban Brown Anole
Five-lined Skink
Black Racer
Eastern Garter Snake
Peninsula Ribbon Snake
Yellow Rat Snake
Banded Watersnake
Soft-shelled Turtle
Red-bellied Turtle
Florida Box Turtle
Alligator 
Pig Frog
Leopard Frog
Green Treefrog
Cricket Frog
Cuban Tree Treefrog
Greenhouse Frog


Mammals:

Raccoon
Gray Squirrel
Marsh Rabbit
White-tailed Deer
Florida Panther (seen 8/4/24)

 

Blooming Plants:

Whitetop Sedge (Rhynchospora colorata)
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
Alligatorflag/Fireflag (Thalia geniculata)
Swamp Lily  (Crinum americanum)
Lanceleaf Arrowhead  (Sagittaria lancifolia)
Chapman's Arrowhead (Sagittaria graminea var. chapmanii)
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Leavenworth's Tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii)
Skyflower (Hydrolea corymbosa)
Carolina Climbing Aster  (Symphyotrichum carolinianum)
Moonflower/Tropical White Morning Glory  (Ipomoea alba)
Saltmarsh Morning-Glory  (Ipomoea sagittata)
Scarlet Hibiscus/Scarlett Rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus)
Swamp Rose Mallow/Swamp Hibiscus (Hibiscus grandiflorus)
Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos)
Pale Meadowbeauty  (Rhexia mariana)
Nuttall's Meadowbeauty (Rhexia nuttallii)
Bretonica Peluda (Melochia spicata)  
Musky Mint (Hyptis alata)
Baldwins Milkwort (Polygala baldwinii)
Yellow Milkwort (Polygala rugelii)
Showy Milkwort (Asemeia violacea)
Southeastern Primrosewillow (Ludwigia linifolia)
Eastern False Dragonhead (Physostegia purpurea)
Spurred Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum)
Beggartick  (Bidens alba)
Button Rattlesnakemaster (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Richard's Yelloweyed Grass (Xyris jupicai)
Musky Mint (Hyptis alata)
Tall Elephantsfoot  (Elephantopus elatus)
Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)
Greater Yellowspike Orchid/Yellow Helmet Orchid (Polystachya concreta)
Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)  - Our Super Ghost Orchid first bloomed on June 21, 2024, 4 flowers appeared, it stopped blooming on July 12, 2024, on 7/26/24 three new buds emerged, and on July 27 another bud was spotted.  On August 7, 2024 the biggest of the buds bloomed.  As of 8/19/24 through 8/29 there are four flowers in bloom.
Florida Star Orchid/ Umbrella Star Orchid (Epidendrum floridense)
Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochleata)"
Night Fragrant Orchid (Epidendrum nocturnum)

Want more info?