8384 Fish Hatchery Rd., Holt, 32564
(850) 957-6177
Mondays-Fridays, 7:30am to 4:00pm
Website
![martin gourds](jpg/bwater-fisheries.jpg)
Nestled in the Blackwater River State Forest’s uplands, this fish hatchery is an oasis for birds. Stop at the visitor center to check the sightings log and to pick up a checklist. Walk the dikes between the aquaculture ponds, looking for wintering ducks such as Ring-necked Ducks and Blue-winged Teal. Wilson’s Snipe feed along the muddy edges. During spring migration several species of shorebird are regularly spotted including, Semipalmated and Solitary Sandpiper. Forster’s Terns and Northern Rough-winged Swallows skim over the ponds and there is a healthy colony of nesting Purple Martins; visit between April and July to enjoy the martins. Northern Bobwhites and Wild Turkeys are common in the adjacent forest and wooded fields. Bachman’s Sparrows and Brown-headed Nuthatches are fairly common, Orchard Orioles nest and Henslow’s Sparrow has been recorded in the winter.