Four days of field and boat trips, expert seminars, keynote speakers, and a free nature expo!

Schedule:

October 17, 2024

Pre-Festival Bus Trip

Seeking Florida's Special Birds - Bus Trip
Saddle Creek Park and Circle B Bar Reserve Bus Trip (includes lunch). The bus will leave FWC’s Suncoast Youth Conservation Center at 7:30 and arrive at Saddle Creek Park, a well-known leading site for fall migratory warblers and songbirds in the mixed hardwood and cypress forest habitats. During migration, over 30 species have been recorded including Bay-breasted, Canada, Cerulean, Golden-winged and Wilson’s warblers. Rarities such as Black-throated Gray Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo have also been seen. The next stop is the Circle B Bar Reserve, a highlight of the Great Florida Birding Trail. We’ll look for alligators, eagles, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawks, Wild Turkey, Barred Owls, Wood Storks, White Ibis, Sandhill Cranes, moorhens, Pied-billed Grebes, Black-necked Stilts, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Bobwhite, Eastern Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows, American Kestrels, Great Blue Herons, American White Pelicans, sandpipers, spoonbills, Great Egrets, ducks and other waterfowl, and wading birds. We might also see otters, bobcats, grey fox, armadillos, squirrels (gray and fox varieties), frogs, turtles, black racer snakes, five-lined racerunner lizards, and other reptiles. Many migratory birds can be found here. Walk about 2 miles at each site.

This trip is by bus-only. All registrants must meet at the Festival site at 7:00 am to begin boarding. Be sure to bring insect repellant, water, snacks, and a hat, and to wear walking shoes. This tour includes a box lunch.

Tickets are $100

1:00 pm: Birds of America
"John James Audubon's Birds of America" at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts
Once the docent-led portion is over, all attendees may view the rest of the Museum's exhibits.

Tickets are $25

6:30 - 8:00 pm: Coffeepot Bayou
Coffeepot Bayou Bird Island, Pinellas County - Boat Trip
We have reserved Tampa Bay Watch’s Discovery Eco-Tour boat leaving from the St. Petersburg Pier for an evening field trip to Coffeepot Bayou. Board the boat at the pier area at 6-6:15. We leave the dock at 6:30 and return by 8 at dusk. We travel across Old Tampa Bay to Coffeepot Bayou Bird Island and watch colonial waterbirds up close. Although the birds are not nesting, we will see Brown Pelicans, Anhingas, cormorants, and all the herons and egrets, including state-listed “threatened” Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, and Reddish Egrets, plus Roseate Spoonbills. Audubon Florida’s Coastal Islands Sanctuary staff will provide commentary. Photo credit: Tom Bell

Tickets are $60

October 18, 2024

8:00 - 11:30 am: Outback Key Preserve
Outback Key and Lower Terra Ceia Bay with Tampa Bay Watch - Boat Trip
This boat trip will go out to a barrier island on the Gulf that is a prime birding spot. You will ride out, then walk parts of the island scanning for shore birds, including Marbled Godwits, Willets, Long-billed Curlews, and plenty of peeps, plus waders and possibly Reddish Egrets. You will then boat into Terra Ceia to the islands of Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge, including ******* Key, a roost site for Magnificent Frigatebirds! Your leader is a shorebird expert so you’ll get plenty of tips on how to distinguish one from another. Be sure to bring sunscreen, water, snacks, hat, and anything you will want on the boat or island walk. Wear shoes that can get wet so that you can walk on Outback Key. Photo credit: Sam Schnapf

Tickets are $60 plus $2.00 tolls

8:00 - 11:30 am: Se7en Wetlands, Lakeland, Polk County
Se7en Wetlands - Wagon Trip
Bring water, snacks. There is a restroom at the office, and one partway around the wetlands.
Se7en Wetlands is a gorgeous example of restoration. Once a phosphate mine, the City of Lakeland owns and operates Se7en Wetlands south of Lakeland. The 1,600 acres of marshes, swamps, uplands, and lakes are designed into a wetland treatment system using seven ponds of various depths. Water circulates from one to the next to provide final polishing treatment for the City’s wastewater with connection to the North Prong of the Alafia River, which flows directly to Tampa Bay. Se7en Wetlands boasts an outstanding and diverse community of plant and animal species. In the spring it hosts a waterbird breeding colony including Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks. In the winter American Bitterns and sandpipers use the wetlands habitats Two pairs of Bald Eagles nest there. We will travel by van around the larger wetlands uplands where the incoming water is distributed. We will stop to search for birds, alligators, otters or other wildlife. There will not be much walking, but we will be getting into and out of the van frequently.

Tickets are $30

8:00 - 11:30 am: Roberts Bay Bird Colony Island
Roberts Bay Bird Colony Island on the Carefree Learner - Boat Trip
We’ll cruise south across Sarasota Bay to see the islands, habitat for the largest nesting colony for wading birds and Brown Pelicans in Sarasota Bay. The Roberts Bay Bird Colony has been designated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a “Critical Wildlife Area” and is managed by Audubon Florida. Listed species including Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, and American Oystercatchers. We will coast near the three islands and observe the behavior of these beautiful wading birds.
Commentary will be provided by the professional staff of Audubon Florida’s Coastal Islands Sanctuaries.
Tickets are $60 plus $2.00 tolls

8:00 am - Noon: Cross Bar/Al Bar Ranch
Cross Bar/Al Bar Ranch, Spring Hill, Pasco County
The 12,500-acre Cross Bar/Al Bar Ranch is managed as a wellfield by Pinellas County Utilities. With wetlands, oak hammock, pine flatwoods, and open pastures, it offers prime birding but is not normally open to the public. Accompanied by the site managers, you will carpool out to check the wetlands for waders and the pastures for Burrowing Owls. Florida Scrub-Jays, Barred Owls and even coyotes are possible sightings. Preferably drive a vehicle with AWD that can handle rough roads. Bring snacks and beverages, as there is nothing available at the site.

Tickets are $25

8:30 - 11:00 am: Duette Preserve
Duette Preserve: Natural History, Restoration, and Management - Wagon Trip
Come and take a ride back in time across an austere landscape where grasses, wildflowers, and palmetto still dominate; where longleaf pine stands are being restored, Bachman’s sparrows and scrub jays are thriving. Our wagon comfortably seats 20. Joining us will be the manager of our Education and Volunteer Division, Aedan Stockdale and manager of the Resource Management team Mike Elswick. We’ll discuss the history of the site, the plants and wildlife found there, and the restoration and management efforts past and ongoing.

Tickets are $30

8:30 am - 12:00 pm: Honeymoon Island
Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County
Honeymoon Island State Park is well known for the migrants it attracts and the many shorebirds that use its beaches. Your leader is the Environmental Specialist for the park, and shorebirds are his specialty, so this should be a great walk! Besides all the plovers and sandpipers, godwits and Willets, Reddish Egrets and oystercatchers along the shorelines, Merlins patrol the edges looking for an unwary breakfast, Great Horned Owls nest in the pine forest on the island, and the Osprey Trail is well named. This trip will focus on shorebirds, how to distinguish them in their winter drab and by their shapes and postures. The back lagoon will probably have the waders who prefer quieter waters. Take a picnic lunch for a post-walk lunch on the beach or at picnic tables near the Osprey Trail at the north end of the park road.

Tickets are $25

8:30 am - 12:00 pm: Cockroach Bay
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve
The Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project represents one of the largest, most complex coastal ecosystem restoration projects ever developed for Tampa Bay. Named for the abundant horseshoe crabs (“roaches”) in the nearby waters, after 20 years the Preserve is a model of habitat diversity. Wading birds will be leaving a nearby night roost. A moderate hike up “Mount Cockroach” offers a view of the tidal and freshwater wetlands and gallinules, Limpkins and egrets. Neotropical migrants abound in the savannah-like landscape. Both White and Glossy ibis frequent the freshwater ponds and wetlands, as do Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. The area is close to the bay so gulls and terns will sail overhead. Gull?billed Terns nest nearby and often continue in the area year?round. Spoonbills use the tidal lagoon, and passerines forage in the old oaks. The freshwater pond to the south is well?known for the wintering ducks to be found there.

Tickets are $25

12:00 - 3:30 pm: Upper Tampa Bay Paddling Trip
Experience a celestial event – the changing of the tides - and the habitats at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park during this two and a half-hour kayak adventure! Kayak out Double Branch Creek to Old Tampa Bay with the ebb tide, explore the open bay during the slack, and return to the launch site with the incoming tide. Pass mangrove forests, oysterbars, sand and mudflats, and seagrass beds. Look for American Oystercatchers, herons and egrets, Ospreys, and shorebirds and perhaps manatees and dolphins. Our leaders are County Park Managers and bird experts.

Tickets are $60

October 19, 2024

7:30 - 11:30 am: Blackwater Creek Preserve
Blackwater Creek Preserve, Hillsborough County
This 2,200 acre preserve includes some of the finest remaining examples of long-leaf pine-dominated mesic pine flatwoods and blackwater streams, interspersed with hardwood hammocks, cypress domes, freshwater marshes, and wet prairies. Join Preserve Land Management Staff and expert birders to find Wood Storks, Sandhill Cranes, hawks and herons, sparrows and woodpeckers, and fall migrants. Blackwater Creek’s former cattle pastures and tree farms were acquired between 1997-2003, and are now preserved to allow hiking and wildlife viewing. The site is scientifically managed to preserve these environmentally sensitive lands. Parts of the trail may be flooded due to the rainy weather in August and September. The water on the trail could get to 8 inches deep in some places so there will definitely be some soggy feet. Please wear shoes and trousers that allow walking through water. Due to Hurrican Helene, some of the trails will have ankle-depth water

Tickets are $25

7:30 am - 12:00 pm: Fort De Soto
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County
Fort De Soto County Park is a premier birding destination in Florida. More than 250 species of birds have been recorded in the park over the years. Fall migration brings neo?tropical migratory species to the park as well as occasional wanderers from the Caribbean and the western United States. The island’s shorebird diversity is one of the best on the Florida west coast. This trip is intended for advanced birders, and will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday. You will meet at the flagpole, then drive or walk to the hotspots of the day. Short easy walking at all times. If you care to bring your spoting scope, it will be handy for studying the shorebirds along the beach. If there’s a passerine fallout you’ll be in the wooded areas finding warblers, thrushes and buntings. There’s never a bad day birding at Ft D!

Tickets are $25 plus $2.50 tolls and $5 park entry

8:00 - 11:00 am: Alafia Bank
Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary - Boat Trip
Join Audubon Florida’s Sanctuary Managers for a boat trip from the Port of Tampa to the Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary in Hillsborough Bay. This island sanctuary hosts the largest Roseate Spoonbill nesting colony on the west coast of Florida, as well as being a valuable nesting site for Brown Pelicans, herons and egrets, and White and Glossy ibis. The Alafia Bank has been ranked by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as Florida’s most important waterbird nesting colony and is an FWC-designated “Critical Wildlife Area”. While October is not the nesting season, we can expect to see a wide variety of waterbirds, including American Oystercatchers, terns, and shorebirds. Mark Rachal will describe restoration, protection, and management of this internationally recognized “Important Bird Area”. On the way, we’ll look for dolphins. Bring your binoculars as we stay on the boat for this field trip. The boat leaves the dock at 8 a.m., so please plan to board by at least 7:45 am.

Tickets are $60

8:30 - 11:00 am: Gibbons Preserve
The Myron and Helen Gibbons Preserve is a 60-acre forest that has not been logged. The Gibbons family donated the preserve to the Tampa Bay Conservancy, a regional land trust. The 1.5-mile trail crosses Bell Creek and winds through oak and mixed hardwood and cypress wetlands before reaching the shoreline of the Alafia River and looping back to the parking area. Suncoast Native Plant Society members identified over 120 plant species here in 2005. Providing natural shoreline on the Alafia River, this refuge for wildlife protects water quality. Although this trip is mainly an old growth forest riverine habitat walk, you may spot warblers, vireos, woodpeckers, and more in the hammocks, and waders may be along the river’s edge. The trail is narrow, and there are roots. While most is flat, there are some steep spots near the river banks, and spots may be wet, depending on recent rains, so shoes for wading across wet areas are recommended.

Tickets are $25

9:00 - 11:30 am: Newman Branch Paddling Trip
Newman Branch Kayak and Upland Trail Hike - Kayak Trip
Leaving from the Youth Conservation Center, you will paddle Newman Branch, through mangrove tunnels into Seneca Sound, a small embayment that is part of Hillsborough and Tampa bays. You will learn about the species of mangroves and their adaptations for a salty environment and also visit the restored wetlands and uplands of the Newman Branch Restoration project. Possible sightings of birds include night-herons, Little Blue and Tricolored herons, and Reddish Egrets. Photo credit: N. O'Hara

Tickets are $60

2:00 - 5:00 pm: Schultz Preserve
Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve, Bugs and Butterflies
The 134-acre Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve, dredged from Hillsborough Bay to create developable land in the 1970s, has been restored over the last 25 years to mangrove forest, coastal and freshwater marsh, coastal dunes, and uplands. The diverse habitats make it THE place for a wide variety of butterflies and other pollinators, including the northern-most colony of Julia Butterflies. Plenty of birds are possible too! Enjoy the nice walk through the varied habitats, but as the walking paths are rough in places, this trip is possibly not suitable for some. There is some shade available but most is sunny, and there are no facilities, so wear a hat and bring water and a snack. Photo credit: MJ Raupp

Tickets are $25

October 20, 2024

7:30 - 11:30 am: Lower Green Swamp
Lower Green Swamp, Hillsborough County
The Lower Green Swamp Preserve, once a working cattle ranch, is being restored to native habitat by Hillsborough County’s environmental lands staff. You will visit only a portion of the 12,800 acres of this preserve, but they are glorious! From the parking area the trail crosses a grassland where Eastern Towhees whistle and bobwhites scurry in the early hours, Loggerhead Shrikes snag grasshoppers, and eagles perch on the power poles. Eastern Bluebirds and Red-headed Woodpeckers share the open wooded and pine areas with vireos and Common Yellowthroats. After crossing Itchepackesassa Creek you’ll enter an open pine flatwoods where Sandhill Cranes, turkeys, and Bachman’s Sparrows rule the roost. At the far end there is a large wetland with Purple Gallinules, Anhingas and Wood Ducks. The trail loops back and follows the creek along an oak hammock dripping with Spanish moss to return to the bridge and then the parking area. Barred Owls and Wood Ducks are sometimes seen along the creek, and of course any migrating warbler will enjoy the insect life it offers. County staff overseeing the restoration will lead the tour to explain and showcase the restoration. Due to Hurricane Helene, the trails are wet. Water resistant boots are recommended.

Tickets are $25

7:30 am - 12:00 pm: Fort De Soto County Park
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County
Fort De Soto County Park is a premier birding destination in Florida. More than 250 species of birds have been recorded in the park over the years. Fall migration brings neo?tropical migratory species to the park as well as occasional wanderers from the Caribbean and the western United States. The island’s shorebird diversity is one of the best on the Florida west coast. This trip is intended for advanced birders, and will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday. You will meet at the flagpole, then drive or walk to the hotspots of the day. Short, easy walking at all times. If you care to bring your spoting scope, it will be handy for studying the shorebirds along the beach. If there’s a passerine fallout you’ll be in the wooded areas finding warblers, thrushes and buntings. There’s never a bad day birding at Ft D!

Tickets are $25 plus $2.50 tolls and $5 park entry

8:00 - 11:00 am: Photography Field Workshop
Photography Field Workshop, Circle B Bar Reserve
Reinier Munguia has led photography field workshops for 20 years, all over the world. Participants will learn photographic techniques and develop skills to create better images. This workshop will be at the Circle B Bar Reserve, among the best regional birding spots. Shallow wetlands intersected by raised levees for walking support habitat for Purple Gallinules, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Sora, American Bitterns, and more. Bald Eagles patrol the area, and previous trips have found both Peregrine Falcons and Merlins. Wildlife includes alligators and marsh rabbits. Wintering White Pelicans still leave room in the deeper lakes for ducks. Reinier says, “Wildlife photography is not about taking pictures, but to create images that portray nature at its best.” Everyone must meet at the gazebos by the main parking.

Tickets are $25

8:00 - 11:00 am: Celery Fields
Celery Fields, Sarasota County
This 400?acre stormwater retention area in eastern Sarasota County is one of the Gulf Coast’s best birding hot spots. The former aqricultural fields have been restored to a meandering stream with wetlands and grasslands nestled among the curves. A hill with walking and equestrian trails overlooks the area, and two boardwalks allow access to the stream and marsh. With 220 species recorded at the site, the swamp and open water environment is a haven for Limpkins, bitterns, rails and herons. The Least Bitterns do not know that they are ‘shy and retiring’ here, Peregrine Falcons sail overhead, and variety of fall sparrows spend the winter. Depending on water level, shorebirds, waders and ducks may be abundant. Sarasota Audubon provides volunteer Bird Naturalists at each of the two boardwalks to help visitors identify birds and plants. The Nature Center with native plant gardens is also available for visitors to enjoy. Walks are on even paths or short boardwalks, but there is little shade and only a few benches. On your way in scan the ponds on either side of Coburn/Apex Rd for waterbirds as well.

Tickets are $25

8:00 am - Noon: Bird Banding
Birding and Banding in Hammock Park, Dunedin
Come learn about bird banding, observe how ornithologists use it to learn about and conserve migratory birds, and enjoy our fall migratory birds while birding this 100?acre city park. The hammock’s hardwoods and sabal palms attract numerous resident and migratory species. The Fern Trail in particular is known for having banner days in fall migration. You will observe the banding station action, seeing some of the local migrants up close while researchers measure, weigh and band them. Some participants will get a chance to release banded birds! You will also walk sections of the park and boardwalk to see what else is lurking in the bushes, along the stream, or zipping through the trees overhead. Warblers, vireos and thrushes are all good bets in the bushes, Golden-winged, Bay-breasted, Kentucky, Blackburnian, Canada and Cerulean warblers have been seen here, along with Baltimore Oriole, Black-billed Cuckoo, Veery, Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager. Herons, egrets, and night-herons wade the tidal stream. Osprey and Barred Owl occur year round, and winter brings ducks, rails, sandpipers and a multitude of sparrows. Raptors scan for the unwary over the open fields. The walk is easy, flat, not more than 2 miles.

Tickets are $25

8:30 am - Noon: Terra Ceia Preserve
Frog Creek & Terra Ceia Paddling Trip - Paddling Trip
Tampa Bay has relatively few natural, unobstructed tidal creeks left, and Frog Creek is one of the least developed and most species-rich. In a leisurely-paced paddling trip of a little over 2 miles, participants will experience a dramatic change in biota over a gradient from freshwater, with overhanging oaks, leather ferns, and sawgrass-lined shores to saltwater, through a significant mangrove forest and around oyster bars. This is an excellent foraging area for a variety of coastal bird species. Participants will need to paddle for a little over 2 miles, but it is at a leisurely pace and downstream. Canoes or kayaks will be provided, and you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer (but no discount is offered). Sunscreen, bug spray, and bottled water will be supplied.

Tickets are $60

Date: October 17 - 20, 2024

Location:

Florida Birding And Nature Festival - 6650 Dickman Road Apollo Beach, FL 33572

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