Our spring issue featured an article on the Florida scrub jay and the kinds of birds you can see at Myakka River State Park , a wonderful place to watch birds. Many state parks and refuges offer ranger-led bird hikes, which is another great way to learn. Local chapters of the Audubon Society and the Florida Trail Association also have group birding walks from time to time. I believe the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers a birding program in which members are identified by the number of birds they've identified. You might want to keep track of which birds you've seen, and where and when.
Some birders keep a journal.
Others just use checklists that are in the back of some field guides. Watching wildlife is rewarding, and birds are the most easily seen kind of wildlife. Luckily for those of us in Florida, there are so many kinds of birds to watch. E-mail the editor . All rights reserved.