Jean’s October 2025 Bird List
My neighbor Jean and her husband Steven live at the other end of our lane in Old Miakka. Both are avid birders and have welcomed many Audubon members for walkabouts on their 14-acre property - a hot spot for avian diversity! Jean and Steven have seen, heard, or used Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID phone app to identify over 100 species.
Jean has several bird feeders off her back porch which she keeps filled year-round. She is the first to tell anyone that her abundant sightings are because of the diversity of native plants she has growing on her property. The seeds, berries, and nectar from native shrubs and vines provide a reliable food source throughout the year. Larger shrubs and smaller densely foliated trees provide shelter and nesting sites. Canopy trees give necessary shade to plant species that require some respite from full summer sun. Low growing groundcovers and scattered wildflowers are used by local insect pollinators who become essential protein sources for fledglings.
Diversity is key! If you want to attract and support many bird species, create different habitats in whatever space you can set aside for them: sun, shade, high and dry, or low and wet niches. It’s important to plant native species adapted to each type of mini habitat. Resident and migratory birds will feed and nest nearby or return year after year.
Planting, preserving and protecting native plants on your property is an immensely rewarding and hopeful experience no matter what size habitat you create. Over time, the birds will come – maybe some you’ve never seen before!
-Laurel Schiller, Owner of Florida Native Plants Nursery
