Natural History

Migration: Song Sparrows

April 14, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - Summerhill State Forest

Talking about Song Sparrows as a migrant might not be totally fair as some birds stay over the winter and some migrate south. However, regardless of whether they are returning migrants or just over wintering birds, Song Sparrows are one of the first birds of spring to start singing. Here in Central New York they are everywhere and their song is ubiquitous. It seems that nearly every time I put my binoculars on a sparrow, it turns out to be a Song Sparrow.

Migration: Swamp Sparrows

April 12, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) - Summerhill State Forest, New York

Sorry it was so quiet around here last week. I have had a busy week but now have some time to share a few new images. Songbird migration has finally gotten underway. For several weeks there have been huge flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds and American Robins around, but now many sparrows have also returned and are now on territory and singing. Last week, I was able to find and photograph four different species of sparrows in just two days. Over the next few days I’ll be sharing with you a few images of these birds while we wait for the warblers to start showing in the next few weeks.

Big Cypress: Burned out Cypress Dome

March 8, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Cypress Dome after Wildfire - Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

At the end of last April, lightning ignited a wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve, just south of Interstate 75 as it crosses the state. The fire burned for about two weeks and fire crews from the preserve worked hard to contain the fire. Now about 10 months later, I have been wading through the burned out dome photographing the charred trunks contrasted with the brilliant greens of new sawgrass growth.

Big Cypress: Dingy-flowered Star Orchid

March 5, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Dingy-flowered Star Orchid (Epidendrum amphistomum) - Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

This weekend I will be searching through Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in an attempt to find blooming orchids of any variety. I have no idea what I will find or if I will find any at all. This isn’t the ideal time of year for some of the most spectacular species but there should be some in bloom and I’m here now so I’m going to give it a try.

The Florida Dry Prairie

February 23, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) - Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Florida

The Florida Dry Prairie is a rather nondescript habitat. It’s a big prairie of bluestem grasses and wiregrasses and palmettos. In fact, it’s not even really all that dry. At times it can be very wet, but its called a dry prairie simply because it is much drier than the wet prairies elsewhere in Florida. So what is special about these prairies? Well, they are home to sparrows, lots and lots of sparrows, but one of them is particularly unique.

Archbold: Prime Scrub Jay Habitat

February 22, 2010 By Drew Fulton 3 Comments

We know that the Lake Wales Ridge harbors some really unique life and habitats. We know that the local scrub is regulated by fire. But what exactly is the prime habitat for the Florida Scrub Jay? Let me just show you…

You need Adobe Flash Player to view this content.

Prime Scrub Habitat at Sunrise - Archbold Biological Station, Florida

As you can see here, Florida Scrub Jays like low scrub habitat with a mosaic of oaks and palmettos growing under five or six feet. As the head ornithologist at Archbold said, “If you can’t see the horizon you aren’t in good habitat.” Typically this short vegetation has patches of open white sand in spots where you will often find Scrub Jays foraging for fallen acorns and insects.

At first glance, wanting to live in a big wide open environment may not seem ideal. As a bird, you are easily exposed to predators from above. However, this is where Scrub Jays thrive, so let’s explore why.

Archbold: Scrub and Fire

February 21, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

As I continue to explore more and more habitats, I am continually amazed how many of them are dependent on fire for both formation and regulation. It is truly amazing the number and diversity of habitats that are classified as pyrogenic, meaning that they are entirely regulated by wildfire. The scrub of the Lake Wales Ridge is definitely one of those habitats and I’d like to use this series of panoramas to show you how.

You need Adobe Flash Player to view this content.

Intersection of Burns - Archbold Biological Station, Florida

This first panorama isn’t exactly the most exciting image as it is directly on top of a road, but I am including it because it is illustrative. At this intersection, you can clearly see three different sections of scrub at different stages of fire succession. Looking straight ahead when the image loads, you’ve got a recent fire, less than a year ago. If you pan to the right and cross the first road, you see a taller patch of scrub. This patch burned about 8 years ago. Continuing to the right, you will cross another road and see an even taller patch that hasn’t burned for at least 25 years. Let’s take a closer look at each of these forests…

Archbold: The Lake Wales Ridge

February 19, 2010 By Drew Fulton 1 Comment

You need Adobe Flash Player to view this content.

A Florida Scrub Jay perches in prime Dry Scrub habitat. Archbold Biological Station, Florida

I spent a couple days at the Archbold Biological Station earlier this month working on a project focusing on the Florida Scrub Jay and its habitats. As I have previously written, this is the location for Florida Scrub Jay research and a prime location for the beautiful scrub habitat that these birds call home.

Everglades: Tropical Sunset

January 28, 2010 By Drew Fulton 1 Comment

Florida Royal Palms (Roystonea elata) at Sunset - Royal Palm, Everglades National Park, Florida

Several of my favorite palm species are found in the Everglades and one of those is the Royal Palm. These magnificent trees are found only in tropical climates like that of South Florida. They have been planted throughout the Miami area, but they can be found naturally in the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, particularly the area preserved by Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.

Everglades: Wood Stork

January 27, 2010 By Drew Fulton 3 Comments

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) in Flight - Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida

Of all the wading birds found in the Everglades, the Wood Stork is possibly the ugliest. These large white birds with a bald head may not be the most beautiful of the wading birds, but they are quite interesting and the most endangered.

Migration: Song Sparrows

Migration: Swamp Sparrows

Big Cypress: Burned out Cypress Dome

Big Cypress: Dingy-flowered Star Orchid

The Florida Dry Prairie

Archbold: Prime Scrub Jay Habitat

Archbold: Scrub and Fire

Archbold: The Lake Wales Ridge

Everglades: Tropical Sunset

Everglades: Wood Stork

News and Updates

Connect with me at:

Projects: