*** This cache is part of the Taking Flight GeoTour. Anyone can claim this cache, but to be eligible to receive a Taking Flight GeoTour prize tag, geocachers must complete the activities in this survey for at least 12 caches on the tour.***
Welcome to Jiggs Landing!
Jiggs Landing is one of Manatee County’s only public freshwater boat ramps, and it is the only boat ramp and preserve site located on the Braden River. To the extreme north of the preserve is Evers Reservoir which supplies the drinking water for the City of Bradenton. A popular site for visitors and locals alike, Jiggs Landing provides the opportuinity to launch boats or kayaks, fish from the sea wall or dock, or rent a historic fishing cabin. While Jiggs is not the County’s largest preserve, it’s still a great spot to watch for bird flyovers, making it a favorite for bird watchers. But Jiggs Landing is also important because it offers a unique mix of freshwater wetlands habitat that provides homes and temporary stop over places for migratory birds.
Jiggs Landing. Photo by Scott Veix
Each year, thousands of birds migrate, or move, from one place to another in search of warmer weather, food availability, and better habitat. As the seasons change up north, we see several new bird species arriving in Florida (right around the time the human “snowbirds” appear, too). Some of these birds will spend the entire winter in the state and others will continue on southward to South America and beyond.
To prepare for migration, birds must alter their body metabolism. Many accumulate fat before long flights as fat provides lots of energy for flight. “Hyperphagia” begins about 2 to 3 weeks before migration. This is the time when a bird’s appetite and food consumption changes in order to prepare for migration. The feeding frenzy results in lots of fat production and storage that will help with the long flight ahead. Many species will also shift their activity period; instead of being active in the day they may become more active at night in order to fly at times when there are fewer predators and a greater likelihood of encountering favorable winds.
Map of North America's migration flyways
The Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, two of four that occur throughout North America, are the two pathways that bring birds in to Florida. Most birds that migrate use one of these paths in order to reach their seasonal homes, flying together as a flock. The flocks can include birds of all one type or, in the case of birds that do not normally fly in flocks, a group of a number of different species. Safety in numbers is the rule for migration and birds will come together and be unusually social in the hopes of improving survival. A flock of birds also means more eyes to spot potential food sources, and a flock flying in formation can improve aerodynamics and help all of the birds together to have an easier flight.
Migratory birds rely heavily on “stopover sites” to survive their long flights. These sites serve as a rest stop for vacationing birds, giving them the opportunity to recharge before continuing their journey. Manatee County preserves like Jiggs Landing provide habitat where shelter, food, water, and resting space are abundant making them ideal stopover locations for birds that are passing through.
You can provide stopover areas for birds in your own back yard by setting up bird feeders, moving water features, or a bird bath. Plant native trees and shrubs in your yard to provide a temporary habitat, food source, and resting place for visiting birds. Having a wide range of plants, types of feeders and seeds, and water sources will invite a wide range of migratory species to enjoy your property. These quick and easy changes can make a positive impact on the local and migratory bird communities.
Visit the sites along the Taking Flight GeoTour (TFGT) and learn about Manatee County's wild spaces and the amazing feathered friends that live in them. Along the way, you will be challenged to become a citizen scientist, a preserve ranger, a detective, a historian, an excellent geocacher. Caches are located in birding hot spots throughout Manatee County's publicly accessible conservation Preserves. Each one highlights a specific bird species or aspect of bird life providing you with opportunities to learn more about these creatures and what we can do to help them survive. Caches also focus on protecting the region's waterways, bays, natural watersheds, and habitat areas for many of our area's feathered friends.
The Taking Flight GeoTour launched August 20, 2012 and includes 18 caches within Manatee County.
To be eligible to receive a Taking Flight GeoTour prize tag, geocachers must complete the activities in this survey for at least 12 finds on the tour. Keep this survey open in your browser, only click submit when at least 12 finds have been completed. Survey responses will be automatically sent to Manatee County staff. Prize tags can be redeemed on Saturday mornings from 9am - 12pm at The NEST at Robinson Preserve located at 840 99th St NW, Bradenton, FL 34209. If you are unable to collect your prize tag in person, please contact ecoevents@mymanatee.org to arrange for your tag to be sent in the mail. Tags will be available while supplies last.
Thank you for assisting with the Taking Flight GeoTour: