Refuge Manager Andrew Gude - Notes

We are in the “biblical proportions of bloodsucking, biting, and insanity-causing insect season”.  Forester Daniel Barrand is mulching with the Tiger Cat in Dixie County.  The video shows the horrendous swarms of biting yellow flies in the Week's Landing area where he is working.  This is the definition of insanity if you are outside.

Daniel, along with our new staff members Jasmin Muslimani (Refuge BioTech) and Nicolle Montero (UF Summer Forestry Assistant), attended Leah Eggeman's timber sale prebid meeting at St. Marks.  Daniel said that this is the most complex timber sale he has put together to date while with the NWRS.
 
Jasmin and Nicolle Montero are also working to continue our Bobwhite Quail surveys.

Last week, while Nicolle and Jasmin were doing photo plot work, they  got into a terroristic horde of ticks that were literally crawling all over them.  They had to return to the shop to de-tick and change clothes.

Refuge Engineering Equipment Operators Jason Coates and George Pelt have been doing road improvement work around the refuge. Also, Jason recently repaired several large potholes at McCormick Creek Road boat launch.

The 2021 - 2022 Lower Suwannee Hunt Brochure is off to the printers and already available here on Friends website.  We offer 201 aggregate hunt days, 131 aggregate hunt days minus waterfowl, or 99 total hunt days.  Our phones are already getting calls about this upcoming season's hunts.

Picture of Wilson's plover from Wikipedia

Picture of Least Terns from wikipedia

Picture of a young racoon in a tree

Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers have established a shorebird nesting colony!  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff are surveying the areas.  Refuge staff are working to protect these nesting birds by attempting to lure and trap raccoons.  So far no raccoons have been trapped despite a variety of baits being used.   They are apparently very smart and savvy.