Schedule of Events:

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Thursday 1. Leader's Choice, Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking.

Jones Road Stormwater Pond, 2990 Lake Level Canal Road Mount Dora, FL 32757 (Exit to Wildlife Drive). $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Kathy Rigling and Mary Soule (Orange Audubon Society). 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. We will travel backwards from the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive exit on a day it is normally closed except to workers. We will traverse the canals, wetlands and shore of Lake Apopka in a rare opportunity to visit this birding hotspot in search of rarities. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Thursday 2. Waterfowl of the Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. $65. Important -- this trip goes until 2 p.m. and there is no opportunity to leave early. Bring your own lunch. Leaders: Chris Newton (Orange Audubon Society), Craig Watson and Pamela Ford (Carolina Bird Club). 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. We will traverse the canals, wetlands and shore of Lake Apopka in a rare opportunity to visit this birding hotspot on a day that the Drive is not open to the public. We will focus on ducks and other waterfowl. Your trip leaders will point out eld marks to identify each species and distinguish the often brightly colored and distinctly patterned drakes from the often plainer and not- always-so-easy-to-identify hens. Possible sightings include Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck and Mottled Duck, seen in the North Shore wetlands throughout the year, plus overwintering ducks like Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler and less common Ruddy Duck, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green- winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead and Lesser Scaup. We will see Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe, along with Limpkin, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron and other wading birds on this morning trip. We may also turn up a Horned Grebe or Common Loon.

New! Thursday 3. Blue Spring Adventure, Scrub-Jays and Manatees – Some walking. Blue Spring State Park, 2100 W French Avenue, Orange City FL 32763. $60, includes boat trip, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Connor Wagner (Park Biologist) and Alan Shapiro (Orange Audubon Society). 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 23. After entering the park and paying your $6 per vehicle admission fee, meet the park biologist at the parking lot nearest the spring. Half of the participants will look for Florida Scrub-Jays in the scrub via tram with Connor, while half will bird for winter warblers and view manatees from the boardwalk with Alan, and then the groups will switch. At 10 am, both groups will take a scenic 2-hour boat ride on the St. Johns River. Blue Spring is a first magnitude spring and one of the best manatee overwintering sites in Florida. It is also a beautiful state park with overwintering songbirds and a variety of habitats. Possible sightings include Florida Scrub-Jay, Eastern Towhee, resident and overwintering songbirds and Limpkins and other wading birds along the St.Johns River.

Thursday 4. Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail & Trailhead – Accessible and inclusive outing – Walking (or wheelchair access), up to 2 1/2 miles roundtrip on paved multi-use trail. Neighborhood Lakes, 26656 County Road 46A, Mount Plymouth. $30, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Gallus Quigley (Lake County Parks & Trails) and Greg Gensheimer (Green Mountain Scenic Byway). 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Neighborhood Lakes Trailhead serves as the primary trailhead for the Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail and the soon to be completed Wekiva Trail. The paved multi-use trail, when completed to Kelly Park, will be the crossroads between the regional West Orange Trail and Wekiva Trail. Habitat includes former flatwoods and marsh. Burrowing Owls were once seen here and Lake County recently installed 6 artificial burrows in hopes of restoring the population. The trail surface is smooth paved asphalt and is navigable by wheelchairs/mobility equipment. Possible sightings include resident and overwintering songbirds.

Thursday 5. Emeralda Marsh Photo Trip – Mostly driving, some walking

Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area, 36645 Emeralda Island Road Leesburg, FL 34788. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Steve Shaluta, Maxfield Weakley and Bob Wexler. 8:00 a.m.11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Emeralda Marsh, on the eastern side of Lake Griffin near the headwaters of the Ocklawaha River, spanned 10,000+ acres before being utilized for farming. The St. Johns River Water Management District acquired approximately half of this current- day 6,577-acre area for restoration in 1991. We bird and do photography in Area 3, the 4.5-mile round-trip Wildlife Drive, from the comfort of our vehicles. Possible sightings include Northern Harriers, ducks and waders including American Bittern. Rare birds in the area have included Ash-throated Flycatcher, Snail Kite and White-faced Ibis. 

Thursday 6: Waterfowl of The Villages –Mostly driving (own cars, carpooling encouraged), some walking. MEETING PLACE IN THE VILLAGES WILL BE EMAILED TO PARTICIPANTS. $40, lunch after (not included) in The Villages at a favorite place. Leader: Alice Horst (The Village Birders) and Wendy Milstein (Brownwood Birders), who survey waterfowl in the area. 8:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. The Villages is an enormous 55+ community spanning 32 square miles north of the Lake Apopka area in Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties. Its many golf courses have retention ponds that attract some great waterfowl each winter. Long-tailed Duck was seen in 2019. An occasional Snow Goose or White-cheeked Pintail will show up. Bald Eagles, Great Horned Owls, and many species of ducks are usually found.  Possible sightings: see Trip 2. 

Thursday 7. T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, near Fellsmere – Mostly driving, some walking. T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, 3200 T. M. Goodwin Rd., Fellsmere, 32948. $65, bring your own lunch. Leaders: David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson) and Lorri Lilja (Orange Audubon Society). 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 pm. Maximum participants: 16. Note: This location is about 2 hours from Apopka, so leave enough time. Also note that restrooms are not available at this location, make a stop before arriving. In this trip, we will drive our own vehicles (or carpool) exploring the T.M. Goodwin Unit on the east side of the St. Johns River in southern Brevard County. Trip leader David Simpson lives nearby and birds the area regularly. Waterfowl and migratory bird populations are at a peak at this time of the year. Possible sightings include Roseate Spoonbill, White and Glossy Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck and Mottled Duck, seen throughout the year, plus overwintering ducks like Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler and less common Ruddy Duck, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green- winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead and Lesser Scaup. We will see Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe, along with Limpkin, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron and other wading birds on this morning trip. We may also turn up a Horned Grebe or Common Loon.

Thursday 8. Afternoon on the Drive – Mostly driving, some walking.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. $45. Leaders: Bill Asteriades, Kathy RIgling and Mary Soule (Orange Audubon Society). 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. We will traverse the canals, wetlands and shore of Lake Apopka in a rare opportunity to visit this birding hotspot on a day it is not open to the public. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Thursday 9. Dora Canal (Sunset with the Birds) Boat Photography Trip – Boating.

Rusty Anchor - Dora Canal Tours, 400 W. 4th Avenue, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $60, includes boat ride. Important note: Leave plenty of time to find parking in crowded Mt. Dora which has lots of holiday shoppers. Leader. 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. Travel with Captain Scott in his 38-foot pontoon boat across Lake Dora into the Dora Canal and back, with your trip leaders sharing bird identifications and photo tips. Possible sightings include overwintering Ruddy Ducks, Wood Ducks, Bald Eagles, Ospreys and Great Blue Herons, Limpkins, other wading birds, and wintering songbirds. This trip is led by a photographer and focus is photography. Reminder: Allow time to locate parking in Mount Dora. Enjoy dinner in town afterwards.

Thursday 10. Dora Canal (Sunset with The Birds) Boat Photography Trip – Boating.

Rusty Anchor - Dora Canal Tours, 400 W. 4th Avenue, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $60, includes boat ride. Important note: Leave plenty of time to find parking in crowded Mt. Dora which has lots of holiday shoppers. Leader: Lee Ann Posavad (Orange Audubon Society). 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. See Trip 9 for details. This trip added due to popular demand. Photo-oriented.

Thursday 11. Black Rail Quest at St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge – Walking (1/2 mile round trip, possibly wet to muddy conditions on a vegetated path. Flashlights or headlamps recommended). St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge, SR 50 west of Titusville. (GPS: 28°33'3.40"N, 80°53'20.11"W). $55. Leaders: Mike Legare (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) and Craig Watson (Carolina Bird Club). 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. Note: This trip involves walking through tall grass/uneven surfaces, wet areas. Also requires good hearing since the secretive Black Rails will likely only be heard, not seen. The Eastern Black Rail has been recently listed as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act. It appears to be a species affected by climate change and coastal development. The St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge is a little-known refuge, not open to the public. Comprising over 6,000 acres, it was established in 1971 to protect the now extinct Dusky Seaside Sparrow. Mike Legare, refuge biologist, will lead our group through pristine salt marsh where secretive marsh birds survive. At various stops, he will talk about Black Rails, their elusive habits, salt marsh habitat and the research he conducts on these birds. These marshes west and northwest of Titusville are the only marshes along the St. Johns River where Black Rails are found. Saline water seeps to the surface from a layer of salty water that lies above the Floridan aquifer in this area, creating marine type habitats in the midst of a huge freshwater floodplain. These biological islands are home to the same vegetation that you will find in the salt marshes of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. As the sun sets, Mike will  stop at different places and play tapes to entice Black Rails to call. Possible sightings: Bitterns, King Rail, Virginia Rail, and Sora, herons, egrets, night-herons, Marsh and  Sedge Wrens. This is a birding by ear trip, as the chances of sighting the secretive Black Rail are low. Note that walking through the saltmarsh is strenuous and there may also be biting insects. 

Friday, December 6, 2024

Friday 1. Hal Scott: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers – Mostly driving, some walking.

Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park, 4500 Dallas Blvd, Orlando, FL 32833. The actual entrance is located at: https://goo.gl/maps/a7LNonHEP729WuWt5.  $50, bring your own lunch.  Leaders: Graham Williams (St. Johns River Water Management District), Katrina Noland (St. Johns River Water Management District) and Lorri Lilja (Orange Audubon Society). 5:30  a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. The vast expanse of pine flatwoods and open prairies of Hal Scott Preserve straddles the Econlockhatchee River in eastern Orange County, protecting the resources of this beautiful river.  This eco-buggy trip will be led by St. Johns River Water Management District biologists and may include sightings of alligators, deer, gopher tortoises, otters and bobcats. The trip starts at 5:30 a.m. to give us the best chance to see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (RCWs) as the birds awaken from their roosts. Then we will explore the pine flatwoods and Econlockhatchee River swamp for other resident and overwintering species. Sightings, in addition to our target Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, may include Red-headed, Hairy, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and possibly Northern Flicker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Sedge and Marsh Wren, Whip-poor-will, Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, King Rail, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle and Barred Owl.  For information about the preserve, see https://www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/hal-scott/

Friday 2. Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area – Mostly driving, some walking.

Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, 3365 Taylor Creek Road, Christmas, FL 32709. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson),  Lynn Proenza (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) and and Casey Dorsch (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). 6:30  a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area is a 28,000 acre state property east of Orlando south of SR 50. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists will take us on a trailer ride to some of the most wildlife-rich areas of the preserve. Tosohatchee is a mosaic of marshes, swamps, pine flatwoods and hammocks shaped by alternating cycles of fire and flood. It provides habitat for wading birds, marsh birds, waterfowl, raptors and pineland specialties. Threatened and endangered species found here include Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, and Florida black bear. Possible sightings include such as Bachman’s Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird and Red-headed Woodpecker.  

Friday 3. Early Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive – Mostly driving, some walking.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka and McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Chris Newton and Bill Asteriades. 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 16. The trip will traverse the canals and wetlands of the Lake Apopka North Shore in search of ducks and wading birds and then explore the North Shore’s sandy upland edge near Ranch Road. The trip has driving access where normally only hiking or bicycling is allowed. Possible sightings include Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, Wood Stork, Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck, Mottled Duck, Sora, American Bittern and Sandhill Crane, along with most of North America’s wading bird species and other waterfowl listed under Trip 3. Raptors usually seen are Osprey, Red- shouldered Hawk, Barn Owl, American Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. We are likely to see Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated, Yellow-rumped and Black-and-white warblers, American Redstart, Orange-crowned and Prairie warblers and Ovenbird. While most of our breeding Black-necked Stilts and Least Bitterns are on their more southerly wintering grounds, we'll be looking and listening for the few that are recorded each year on Christmas Bird Counts. Other possible sightings are Roseate Spoonbill, Black Skimmer and American Avocet. As many as 13 sparrow species are seen, including rarities like LeConte’s and Clay-colored. Western flycatcher species like Ash-throated and Vermillion are seen most years and Scissor-tailed, Least, Western, Cassin’s and Tropical have been seen. White-faced Ibis are out-of- range birds that are seen many years. Groove-billed Anis from the Southwest were seen each winter between 2015 and 2017, and a Smooth-billed Ani from South Florida was an exciting find in winter 2019. With such a large restoration area on the shore of Florida’s 4th largest lake, in the middle of the Florida peninsula, off-course rarities frequently show up. Past rarities have included Say’s Phoebe, Rough-legged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Eurasian Kestrel, Wilson’s Phalarope, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Whooping Crane, White-cheeked Pintail and Ross’ Goose. With skilled leaders and many eyes, we will be searching for what has turned up. Lists from past festivals are posted at the bottom of the front page of the festival website.

Friday 4. Ferndale Preserve: Wintering Songbirds – Walking

Ferndale Preserve, 19220 County Rd 455, Clermont, FL 34715. $50. Leaders: Gallus Quigley (Lake County Parks and Trails) and Greg Gensheimer (Green Mountain Scenic Byway). 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Ferndale Preserve is a 192-acre Lake County Preserve on the western shore of Lake Apopka, a few miles from Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida. We will bird on foot from the parking lot to the shore of Lake Apopka and back. With a mix of red maple-dominated wetlands, remnant oak hammocks, and other habitats in various stages of restoration, over 190 bird species have been recorded in the area. Possible sightings include wintering songbirds, like Painted Buntings and Ash- throated Flycatcher, and sparrows, like Savannah, Swamp, Vesper and Grasshopper. With luck, we may see Le Conte’s, Clay-colored and more of the 12 sparrow species known to winter in this area.

Friday 5. Bilingual Photo Trip (Viaje de fotografía) – Walking. Lake Apopka Wildlife Dr., 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. $30, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Ed Maldonado. 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 10. Avoiding regular weekend visitors to the Drive, we will settle at great spots for birding and photography. The group may split into those focused on birding and those focused on photography. Note that your exit will be through the Drive, so allow time and bring provisions.

Friday 6 – Pineland & Hammock Specialties at Wekiwa Springs State Park – Walking. Wekiwa Springs State Park, 1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712. $40, bring your own lunch, plus park entrance fee ($4-$6). Leaders: Mary Soule (Orange Audubon Society), Craig Watson and Pamela Ford (Carolina Bird Club). 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Wekiwa Springs State Park is a 7,000-acre state park that is considered one of the crown jewels of Florida’s award-winning state park system.  Possible sightings include pineland specialties, including Brown-headed Nuthatches, Bachman’s Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, Eastern Bluebirds, Pine Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and overwintering songbirds.

Friday 7. Skimmers, Terns and Shorebirds, Disappearing Island – Boat trip, some walking.

Marine Discovery Center, meet at North Causeway boat ramp, 116 North Causeway, New Smyrna Beach, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169. $75, includes boat trip. Bring your own lunch or restaurants are available nearby (see Friday 11). Leaders: Michael Brothers (Florida Ornithological Society), Luis Gles (Woodstars Birding and Nature Tours), Mariah Hryniewich (PhoneSkope), John Groskopf (Florida Ornithological Society) and David Hartgrove (Halifax Audubon Society). 8:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 25. Disappearing Island is a sandbar island located inside of Ponce Inlet, in between New Smyrna Beach and the town of Ponce Inlet. It is a tidal flat that becomes dry at low tide and provides a relatively safe place for birds to rest between foraging. Its rich bird life throughout the seasons was discovered by gull expert Michael Brothers when he was Executive Director of the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, and we are lucky that Michael enjoys showing off this area and how to identify the gulls, terns and shorebirds. We will travel to Disappearing Island in the Marine Discovery Center’s pontoon boat and along the way learn about the Mosquito Lagoon. The Marine Discovery Center is a festival sponsor. 

Friday 8. Trimble Park – Walking (moderate). Trimble Park, 5802 Trimble Park Rd, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $35, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Kathy Rigling (Orange Audubon Society) and Alex DeBear (Young Birders Club). 8:00a.m. - 11:00a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Trimble Park is an Orange County park located near Mt. Dora on an isthmus between Lake Beauclair and Lake Carlton. Spanish moss-draped live oaks line the lake shore. The oaks and other trees should be full of over-wintering songbirds, as we walk the 1.3-mile loop trail. Possible sightings include Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-throated Warbler, Sora, Anhinga, and other songbirds, wetland and water birds. 

New! Friday Trip 9. Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge – Walking, 1 mile roundtrip for the "forest loop" plus 1.4 miles around one of the marsh dikes. Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, 2045 Mud Lake Road, De Leon Springs, FL 32130. We will meet at the pine flatwoods parking lot, which is 0.6 miles further down the road from the Visitors' Center at 2045 Mud Lake Road. Once you see the Visitor's Center entrance, keep driving to get to the refuge entrance. The road becomes narrow and unpaved, but you're on the right path. Cross the railroad tracks, enter through the open gate and the parking lot is on the right hand side. $50, bring your own lunch (or – on your own – you can have lunch afterwards at nearby DeLeon Springs State Park ($6 admission) with its popular Old Sugar Mill Pancake House. You can bird that lovely park). Leaders: Danny Young (Young Bear Environmental) and Tim Hardin (Alachua Audubon). 8:00 a.m.11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 16. Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1964 as a migratory bird refuge, part of five million-plus acres purchased by US Fish & Wildlife Service with proceeds from the Federal Duck Stamp Program. It borders the St. Johns River and preserves 22,000 acres of the river's vast grassland marsh and floodplain swamp. We will walk a loop from the parking lot, start in the flatwoods, traverse a bottomland forest, walk out to the marsh area and  loop around a marsh cell. Possible sightings are American Bitterns, Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, warblers and marsh birds.  

Friday 10. Learning About Birds by Drawing, Waterfowl Edition – Indoor/outdoor Workshop. University of Florida's Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, 2725 S Binion Rd, Apopka, FL 32703, 2.6 miles south of the entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Adults $25. Students and children $10, with registered adult. (To secure discounted prices, email [email protected]). Leader: Tricia Newton, with assistance by Susan Thome-Barrett. 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 10. Indoor session will be 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.; Field session: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on a nearby site (depending on what we find scouting). Bring your own lunch, snacks and water, plus big hat or umbrella (there is no shade in the area where we will be doing our field portion). Also bring a folding chair. Materials provided, or bring your own. In this workshop, you will learn some bird anatomy that will help in field identification of our target birds, waterfowl, plus leave with some drawings you are proud of. To best utilize what you have learned, look for trips during the rest of the festival that will see waterfowl. 

Friday 11. Oystercatchers, Plovers and Clapper Rails –Walking on jetty and beach. Meet and eat lunch at Our Deck Down Under restaurant, 78 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange, FL 32127. $40. Additional $10 parking at Lighthouse Point Park, plus cost of lunch. Leaders: John Groskopf, Luis Gles, Mariah Hryniewich  and David Hartgrove. 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 20; carpooling encouraged. Those who have driven all the way to New Smyrna Beach for the Disappearing Island trip will probably have missed a few specialty birds of the area. Long-time local birder David Hartgrove will show us as many species as possible in this Leader’s Choice add-on trip. Those on Friday 7 will drive north about 20 minutes from the Marine Discovery Center, cross the Dunlawton Bridge and reunite at the restaurant Our Deck Down Under, meeting there by 11:30 a.m. While enjoying lunch on the deck, we will scope for oystercatchers, Reddish Egrets and other birds there in the oyster bars. Then we will travel south through the town of Ponce Inlet, with a quick stop at a Clapper Rail spot, on to Lighthouse Point Park ($10 per car parking), where we will walk the jetty in search of the Purple Sandpiper. This rarity has been seen the last several winters at this site, although it sometimes arrives from the north later than our festival so is not guaranteed. Northern Gannets are possible offshore. A walk on the beach may yield Piping Plovers, and the chance to study winter gulls, terns and shorebirds. Lighthouse Point Park is a beautiful, well-preserved beach park and enjoyable to visit even if we miss some target birds. The Ponce Inlet lighthouse is the third tallest in the U.S. after Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) and Cape Charles (Virginia).

Friday 12. Afternoon Leader's Choice, Lake Apopka North Shore.  – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora 32757. $45. 12:30 p.m. –  3:30 p.m. Leaders: Chris Newton and Gary Steinberg. Maximum participants: 16. For possible sightings, see information for Fri 3. 

Friday 13. Afternoon Leader's Choice, Lake Apopka North Shore.  – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora 32757. $45. 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Leaders: Craig Watson, Pam Ford and Kathy Rigling. Maximum participants: 14. For possible sightings, see information for Fri 3. 

Friday 14. Techniques for Successful Nature Photography Workshop – Indoor Classroom Session. UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research & Education Center, 2725 S. Binion Road Apopka, FL 32703. This is a two-part workshop. $85, price includes Saturday morning field portion. Leader: Jennifer Warner, Wildside Nature Tours. 12:30p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 16. Topics include how to improve your images through the use of best techniques, select gear, solve problems in the field, and see nature from a documentary perspective. The Saturday morning field session (un-numbered) is on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

Friday 15. Caracara Quest in E. Seminole County – Walking.

Meeting spot to be emailed to participants. Leaders will be scouting in advance and choose exact start location based on what they have found. $50. Leaders: Scott Simmons and Karen Hamblett. 12:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 14. The Little Big Econ State Forest includes the 1,646-acre Kilbee Tract, which abuts the St. Johns River near its confluence with the Econlockhatchee River. Caracaras have been seen in the area. The group may split up to check two locations, then reunite. You will be emailed your exact start location. Possible sightings include Crested Caracara, Bald Eagle, Wilson’s Snipe, and wintering songbirds. Please note, sighting Caracaras has been achieved in past trips but nothing is guaranteed.

Friday 16. Birding by Kayak – Wekiva River – Kayak or canoe trip.

Wekiwa Springs State Park, 1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712. $10 for trip; $50 for 3 hours kayak rental (paid at the park concession on afternoon of the trip) or bring your own kayak. Leader: Alan Shapiro (Orange Audubon Society). 12:45 p.m. –  4:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 10. Plus park entrance fee ($4-$6) plus Possible sightings include Limpkin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Eastern Phoebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, herons and egrets. 

New! Friday 17. Birds in Flight – Apopka Birding Park, Walking. Apopka Birding Park, 2923 Lust Road, Apopka, FL 32703 to the right of the entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. $40. 1:00 p.m-3:30 p.m. Leaders: David Simpson and Mark Hainen.   Learn to recognize and better photograph birds in flight from these experts. Take the opportunity to bird around Orange Audubon's new nature center site in which habitat restoration will soon be starting.

Friday Keynote, Dinner: "Leaders' Favorite Birding Hotspots: Travelogues," moderated by Chris Newton. UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research & Education Center, 2725 S. Binion Road Apopka $30 regular, $20 student, $10 youth up to 17. 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Dinner at 5 p.m., presentation at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 7, 2024 

Sat 1. Sunrise Photography and Birding – Mostly driving, some walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $50, includes box lunch. Leaders: Lynn Marie Folts, Philip Lintereur  and Eric Moore. 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Lake Apopka has remarkable opportunities for sunrises from northern locations like Clay Island, and sunsets from Magnolia Park in Apopka and Newton Park in Winter Garden. Sunrise will occur at 7:02 a.m. on this date. It takes a while to drive on the dirt roads of the North Shore, so we will meet at the McDonald Canal Pavilion at 6:00 a.m. and drive through normally locked gates to the Clay Island observation tower overlooking beautiful Lake Apopka. After sunrise, we will bird and explore other areas of the North Shore before returning to the McDonald Canal to eat a box lunch. Your trip leaders will provide both photo and bird identification tips throughout the morning. Possible sightings: See 3.

Saturday 2. Birding by Ear – Walking. 

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $50, includes box lunch. Leaders: Scott Simmons (Learn Outdoor Photography) and David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson). 6:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 16. This walking field workshop will focus on recognizing birds by their sounds. In Florida birds are not as vocal in December as they are in breeding season, but there are still vocalizations that can help with identification. The early morning start time may allow us to hear owls and even see and hear American Woodcocks. Trip tip: To get a head start on this walk, download the Merlin app for your phone and explore the Sound recognition feature. Also review sounds posted on the website of Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Particularly review sounds of Common Gallinule, Red-winged Blackbird and Boat-tailed Grackle, as these are our most vocal wetland species. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Saturday 3. Big Day Lake Apopka North Shore, Western Side – Mostly driving, some walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $85, includes box lunch. This year we will not have vans for the Big Day trips, but carpooling will be required so we have no more than 3 cars. Choose another trip if you don't want to carpool. Leaders: Karen Hamblett and Lorri Lilja. 6:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 10. This trip will explore the western part of the North Shore from McDonald Canal all day with lunch at the canal. There will be three Big Day trips going at the same time plus a Young Birders trip, and a competition for seeing the most species will ensue. This will be an "Everyone seen it? Let's move on" kind of trip, not the best for photographers. Possible sightings: See Fri 3. 

Saturday 4. Big Day Birding Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking. Lake Apopka Wildlife Dr, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mt Dora. Leaders: Tim Hardin and Matt Richardson. 6:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. $85, includes box lunch. Maximum participants: 10. This trip will explore the western part of the North Shore from McDonald Canal all day with lunch at the canal. There will be three Big Day trips going at the same time plus a Young Birders trip, and a competition for seeing the most species will ensue. This will be an "Everyone seen it? Let's move on" kind of trip, not the best for photographers. Possible sightings: See Fri 3. 

Saturday Trip 5. Big Day Lake Apopka North Shore, Western Side – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757.  6:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. $85, includes box lunch. Leaders: Chris Newton and John Thomton (the winning team last year). Maximum participants: 10. This all-day trip will explore the western part of the North Shore from McDonald Canal all day with lunch at the canal. There will be three Big Day trips going at the same time plus a Young Birders trip, and a competition for seeing the most species will ensue. This will be an "Everyone seen it? Let's move on" kind of trip, not the best for photographers. Possible sightings: See Fri 3. 

Saturday 6. Young Birders Big Day – Mostly driving, some walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $25 for youth participants and parents, includes box lunch. Ages 8-17; younger than 16 must be accompanied by a paid adult. Leaders:  John Groskopf, Kathy Rigling and Ethan Landreville. 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 16.  Possible sightings: See Fri 3. Even though the Young Birders Big Day starts a half hour later than the other two, remember that the youngsters have very sharp eyes.

Saturday (unnumbered). Techniques for Successful Nature Photography Workshop (Part Two of Friday 14) – Field Trip – Mostly driving, some walking. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. This is part two of Friday 14, Techniques for Successful Nature Photography Workshop and you will have paid for it in registering for that trip. Includes box lunch at McDonald Canal. Leaders: Jennifer Leigh Warner (Wildside Nature Tours) with Jack Horton (Orange Audubon Society). 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Maximum participants: 16. Meet just inside the Wildlife Drive entrance gate at the welcome shelter on the left. Local birder and photographer Jack Horton will assist Jennifer to lead the group out of the way of weekend traffic on the Wildlife Drive to a spot where participants can practice techniques learned in her Friday 14 classroom workshop.  

New! Saturday 7. Birds in Flight – Apopka Birding Park, Walking. Apopka Birding Park, 2923 Lust Road, Apopka, FL 32703 to the right of the entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. $35. Leaders: Luis Gles, Mariah Hryniewich and Maxfield Weakley.  7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Learn to recognize and better photograph birds in flight from these experts. Luis and Mariah are the Florida Keys Hawkwatchers and are masters at identifying birds on the wing. Max is an excellent photographer who enjoys sharing tips. Take the opportunity to bird around Orange Audubon's new nature center site, in which habitat restoration will soon be starting.

Saturday 8. Pine Meadows: Sparrows, Buntings, & Other Wintering Songbirds – Walking

Pine Meadows Conservation Area, 2280 Pine Meadows Golf Course Rd, Eustis, FL 32726. $45, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Gallus Quigley (Lake County Parks and Trails) and Gigi DelPizzo (Orange Audubon Society). 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Pine Meadows Conservation Area is a 770-acre Lake County conservation area with open water, wetlands, wet meadow and a small upland area of pine flatwoods. Habitat restoration continues to improve the wetlands, uplands and meadows to increase biodiversity of fish, birds and other animals. Possible sightings: Nearly 120 bird species have been seen, including the Henslow’s Sparrow and Bald Eagle.

Saturday 9. Birding By Bicycle on the Lake Apopka Loop Trail – Bicycling. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $50, includes box lunch. Leaders: Alan Shapiro (Orange Audubon Society) and Pete Johnson (Duval Audubon Society). 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Taking off from the McDonald Canal, we will explore the western part of the Lake Apopka North Shore by bicycle. Of course, we’ll be stopping to bird. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Saturday 10. Oakland Nature Preserve and Newton Park Photo Trip – Walking

Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail, Oakland, FL 34760 and Newton Park, 31 W Garden Ave, Winter Garden, FL 34787. $40, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Craig Watson and Pam Ford (Carolina Bird Club). 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Tailored for photographers, we will take time to get the shot. Oakland Nature Preserve encompasses 128 acres of land—48 acres of uplands and 80 acres of forested wetlands with a boardwalk to Lake Apopka. After taking a birding walk at the preserve, we will stop by Newton Park in Winter Garden. This park on the south shore of Lake Apopka has become a birding hotspot. Possible Sightings: Painted Buntings, Grasshopper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, American Kestrel, Merlin, Snail Kites, Purple Gallinules and overwintering ducks.

Saturday 11. Scrub-Jays and Southwest Volusia County Specialties – Strenuous walking on sand and hilly terrain. Lyonia Preserve, 2150 Eustace Avenue, Deltona, FL 32725. We will start at Lyonia Preserve to see scrub-jays and other scrub-inhabiting birds and then, if your leaders' scouting has revealed favorable conditions, will go on to Audubon Park, corner of Lush Lane and Doyle Rd. Deltona, FL 32738. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Luddy Lambertson and Joan Tague. Lyonia Preserve is a 400-acre preserve that has been managed since the 1990s for the Florida Scrub-Jay. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. The Lyonia Preserve and Audubon Park in Deltona are great birding locations within a forty-minute drive from Apopka. At Lyonia Preserve we will see birds of the scrub habitat and at Audubon Park we will see wetland birds. Note that the walk at Lyonia Preserve is in soft sand and up and down a hill, so is somewhat strenuous. Possible sightings: Florida Scrub-Jay, Eastern Towhee, and other scrub species, plus Wilson’s Snipe, Marsh Wren, Sedge Wren and other wetland species. 

Saturday 12. Orlando Wetlands Photo Trip – Tram ride, minimal walking.

Orlando Wetlands, 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Gilberto Sanchez-Perez and Philip Lintereur. 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 20. The Orlando Wetlands is a man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando and other local cities. Located in Christmas, in the far eastern part of Orange County, the park is 1,650 acres in size and has 21 miles of crisscrossing berm trails. It has become a birding and wildlife photography hot-spot. In this trip your leaders will take you by trailer tram to some great spots for photography and share some of their tips. Possible sightings include Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Roseate Spoonbill, Limpkin, and Purple Gallinule. 

Saturday 13. Digiscoping /Phoneskoping – Stationary and a minimum of walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $30. Leader: Mariah Hryniewich (PhoneSkope), Luis Gles (Woodstars Birding & Nature Tours) and Mary Soule  (Orange Audubon Society). 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 10. Learn how to take great photos through a spotting scope. Digiscoping—attaching a smart phone or camera to a spotting scope—minimizes impact on wildlife with extended focal lengths and eliminates the challenge of manual focus. Bring your own scope. If you don’t already have an adapter to connect your phone to the spotting scope, consider purchasing one before festival. Mariah is a rep for PhoneSkope. https://www.phoneskope.com/ that pioneered these adapters. Possible sightings: Wading birds are great subjects on which to focus, and Red-shouldered Hawks and Ospreys often perch cooperatively.

Saturday 14. Advanced eBirding – Orientation at the McDonald Canal gazebo and then walking to bird and test eBird skills. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $30. Leader: David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson) and Susan Thome-Barrett (Orange Audubon Society).  12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. eBird is a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, an app that allows you to record your sightings in the field on your phone, either iPhone and Android, all for free. eBird data documents bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and trends through checklist data collected within a simple, scientific framework. So when you record your sightings on eBird, you are contributing to science and at the same time documenting the progression of your hobby, birding. David Simpson who primarily birds in Florida, has filed many eBird lists and is eager to share advanced tips on how to use eBird. Co-leader Susan Thome-Barrett can assist any participants that are newer to eBird.

Saturday 15. New! How to Use Your Camera Workshop with Keynote Dinner. St. Johns River Water Management District Apopka Service Center. 2501 S. Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703. $40. Leaders Philip Lintereur and Jason Giraulo. 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. workshop (bring your camera). 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner served at 5:00 p.m. Talk at 5:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 10. 

Saturday Keynote, Dinner: “Flamingos in Florida: Past, Present and Future" by Steven Whitfield.. St. Johns River Water Management District Apopka Service Center. 2501 S. Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703. $30 regular ($20 student, $10 Youth under 17,   contact [email protected] to secure this discounted pricing). 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Dinner served at 5:00 p.m. Talk at 5:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 60. American Flamingos are one of Florida's most iconic bird species, and were historically present in large flocks in south Florida, though they disappeared in the late 1800s. Through the 1900s, when rare flamingos did appear in south Florida, both birdwatchers and biologists considered them to be escapes from captive populations. Over the past few decades, flamingo numbers in Florida have increased - but the origins of the flamingos remained shrouded in mystery. In 2015, Dr. Whitfield was among a group of biologists who captured a flamingo (named Conchy) who appeared in Key West, in an effort to understand the origins of flamingos in Florida. Dr. Whitfield's conservation research has led efforts to clarify the conservation status of flamingos in Florida, track recent population trends, and to promote advocacy and policy for a return of Flamingos to Florida. In September 2023, Hurricane Idalia flung flamingos into many parts of Florida and farther North, including to the shallow preserved Mosquito and Indian River Lagoons off Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Numbers seem to be increasing. Dr. Whitfield will share the current state of flamingos in Florida, and what may happen in the future. 

Saturday 16. Owl Prowl – Walking

Apopka Birding Park, 2923 Lust Road, Apopka, next to entrance to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. $25. Leaders: David Simpson, Luis Gles and Mariah Hryniewich. 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. Owls possibly seen or heard are Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech Owl.

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Sun 1. Sunrise Photography and Birding – Mostly driving, some walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $50, includes box lunch. Leaders: Mark Hainen and Philip Lintereur. 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Lake Apopka has remarkable opportunities for sunrises from northern locations like Clay Island, and sunsets from Magnolia Park in Apopka and Newton Park in Winter Garden. Sunrise will occur at 7:02 a.m. on this date. It takes a while to drive on the dirt roads of the North Shore, so we will meet at the McDonald Canal Pavilion at 6:00 a.m. and drive through normally locked gates to the Clay Island observation tower overlooking beautiful Lake Apopka. After sunrise, we will bird and explore other areas of the North Shore before returning to the McDonald Canal to eat a box lunch. Your trip leaders will provide both photo and bird identification tips throughout the morning. Possible sightings: See 3.

Sunday 2. Ocala National Forest Woodpecker Extravaganza – Walking

Clearwater Lake Recreation Area, 24511 Co Rd 42, Paisley, FL 32767. $50, bring your own lunch.

Leaders: Gallus Quigley (Lake County Parks and Trails) and Beck Smith (Archaeopteryx Tours). 6:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12.

The well-burned pine forests of the Ocala National Forest host all of the species of woodpecker that breed or winter in Florida. Possible sightings: The endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker is our target species, but we will also search for Red-headed, Red-bellied, Pileated, Downy, and Hairy Woodpeckers, as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Northern Flickers. We should find Brown-headed Nuthatches and Bachman’s Sparrows, specialties of well-burned Southern pine habitats, and possibly other sparrows and winter songbirds.

Sunday 3. Birding the Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking.

McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $60, includes box lunch. Leaders: Gian Basili (USFWS), Craig Watson (USFWS), Pamela Ford (Carolina Bird Club) and Ben Guigliotti (SJRWMD). 6:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 14. Dr. Gian Basili was the person most instrumental in the purchase of the farms for the restoration of Lake Apopka and is an ornithologist, one of our celebrity leaders. The group will look for overwintering Grasshopper Sparrows and various rarities on the North Shore. Possible sightings: See 3.

Sunday 4. Sparrows of the Lake Apopka North Shore – Walking. Locations, leaders and price. 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. The Apopka Birding Park is Orange Audubon's long-term project to restore bird habitat and build a nature center at the edge of the Lake Apopka North Shore. The old nursery site is upland in contrast to most of the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and with restoration will host many overwintering sparrows. 

Sunday 5. Clay Island – Mostly driving, some walking.  McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $60, includes box lunch at McDonald Canal. Leaders: Luis Gles, Mariah Hryniewich and Lorri Lilja. 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. 

Sunday 6. Clay Island, Gen Z Birding  – Mostly driving, some walking.  McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. This special trip is our festival's annual attempt to pull in college students and others just out of college with a half-price trip. $25 for GenZ. Includes box lunch at McDonald Canal. This discounted registration will close on November 5th and an identical trip with the remaining slots will open for general admission price of $50, open to all. Leaders: John Groskopf and Gigi Del Pizzo. 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 16. 

Sunday Trip 7. Orlando Wetlands, Walking tour with Photography – Walking, with tram ride back for a bathroom break, if possible. Orlando Wetlands, 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Ethan Landreville, Brennan Landreville with Philip Lintereur. 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. The Orlando Wetlands is a man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for treated wastewater from the City of Orlando. Located in the far eastern part of Orange County, the park is 1,650 acres in size and has 21 miles of crisscrossing berm trails. With cattail and bulrush marshes, mixed and open marshes, hardwood swamps and a lake, Orlando Wetlands is a wildlife haven and birding hot-spot. This is a walking tour, but volunteers on a tram will take the participants back to the entrance for a mid-morning bathroom break. Possible sightings include Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Roseate Spoonbill, Limpkin, and Purple Gallinule and numerous wading birds and wintering ducks.

Sunday 8. Green Mountain Trail Hiking and Birding – Walking, approximately 4 miles.

Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead, 20700 County Road 455, Montverde. $50, includes box lunch at McDonald Canal. Leaders: Greg Gensheimer (Green Mountain Scenic Byway) and Pete Johnson (Duval Audubon Society). 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. This trip will start from the Green Mountain Overlook, sitting 132’ above sea level on the west side of Lake Apopka, with a view of Lake Apopka and the Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area, just a short distance from Sugarloaf Mountain (the highest point in peninsular Florida at 312’). The trail, part of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail follows an abandoned railroad bed and connects to Clay Island Trails two miles distant. Plan for a four-mile round-trip hike, pending on closer-in activity. We will look for passerines in the oak hammock and other birds common to wet areas. Possible sightings include Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated, Yellow-rumped and Black- and-white warblers, American Redstart, Orange-crowned and Prairie warblers, Ovenbird, various sparrows and other songbirds. In the wetter areas, green heron, anhinga, belted kingfisher, and more passerines.

NEW! Sunday 9: St. Augustine, Rare Coastal Sparrows–Walking. Masters Tract Stormwater Treatment, 7756 Hub Bailey Rd, Hastings, FL 32145. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders:  Blair Clark and Susan Thome-Barrett. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. After Masters (for shorebirds), Anastasia State Park (for beach birds), we will visit Dr. Robert Hayling Freedom Park at high tide (for seaside sparrows). Trip leader Blair Clark, who has put this new festival trip together, is a 17-year old but very skilled Young Birder from the St. Augustine area. Note that this location is an hour and a half from Apopka.

Sunday 10. Rock Springs Run State Reserve, Scrub-Jay Quest – Walking, strenuous walking in salt marsh. Rock Springs Run State Reserve, 30601 County Rd 433, Sorrento, FL 32776. $45, bring your own lunch. Leaders: David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson) and Chuck Honaker (Seminole Audubon Society). 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. Part of the 70,000-acre Wekiva River Basin and adjacent to Wekiwa Springs State Park, Rock Springs Run State Reserve now hosts Florida Scrub-Jays as well as other scrub and pineland species. 

Sunday 11. Sawgrass Island Preserve Photo Trip (Focus on Fill Flash)  – Walking. Sawgrass Island Preserve, 11931 Sawgrass Island Rd, Umatilla, FL 32784, North parking area. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Steve Shaluta and Max Weakley. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 12. This 1,137-acre Preserve is close to the Ocala National Forest on the edge of Lake Yale and was purchased by the Lake County Water Authority to protect water quality and wildlife habitat for that lake. It encompasses a large sawgrass marsh as well as upland habitats and supports gopher tortoises, Florida pine snakes, Florida Sandhill Cranes, Bald Eagles, and migratory waterfowl. Sawgrass Island Preserve is a favorite of trip leader/ professional photographer Steve Shaluta, who uses fill flash to produce gorgeous bird photos. Learn from Steve and up-and-coming photographer and birder Max Weakley, who also lives nearby.

Sunday 12. Waterfowl of the Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. $60, includes box lunch. Leaders: Leaders: Chris Newton, Kathy Rigling and Tim Hardin. 7:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. We will traverse the canals, wetlands and shore of Lake Apopka, taking care not to get in the way of other visitors. For possible sightings, see information for Trip 3.

Sunday 13. Birding by Kayak on the A-B Canal –  Paddling

McDonald Canal Boat Ramp, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $50, box lunch included. Kayaks kindly provided by Lake County Water Authority. Includes box lunch. Leaders: Alan Shapiro (Orange Audubon Society) and Matt Richardson (Orange Audubon Society). 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 10. Starting at the kayak launch by the McDonald Canal Boat Ramp, we will paddle down the McDonald Canal to where it meets the Apopka-Beauclair (A-B) Canal and then down the A-B Canal as far as conditions permit. It is about 5 miles round-trip to Lake Apopka. This paddling trip will provide a different view of the Lake Apopka North Shore, its birds and the lake restoration efforts. Possible sightings include Snail Kites eating the introduced apple snails, Limpkins, Purple Gallinules in the spatterdock, Common Yellowthroats, and other wetland and water birds. There is a chance to see a Barn Owl, and if conditions are good and we reach the lake, we may see nesting Bald Eagles.

Sunday 14. Afternoon Leader's Choice, Rarity Chase – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $45. Leaders: Chris Newton, Tim Hardin and Haden Klinger. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. Note: This trip may involve driving up to 45 minutes from the meeting site to see a particular rare bird. It is not a continuation of a morning Leader’s Choice trip —may involve visiting the same sites if there is a particularly rare bird there. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Sunday 15. Afternoon Leader's Choice, Rarity Chase – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $45. Leaders: Luis Gles, Mariah Hryniewich and Kathy Rigling (Orange Audubon Society). 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. Note: This trip may involve driving up to 45 minutes from the meeting site to see a particular rare bird. It is not a continuation of a morning Leader’s Choice trip —may involve visiting the same sites if there is a particularly rare bird there. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Sunday 16. Afternoon Leader's Choice, Rarity Chase – Mostly driving, some walking. McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757. $45. Leaders: John Groskopf (Florida Ornithological Society) and Lorri Lilja (Orange Audubon Society). 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. Note: This trip may involve driving up to 45 minutes from the meeting site to see a particular rare bird. It is not a continuation of a morning Leader’s Choice trip —may involve visiting the same sites if there is a particularly rare bird there. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Sunday 17. Sunset Photography and Birding – Some walking. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd., Apopka, FL 32703. $35. Leaders: Steve Coleman (Sunsets by Steven), Lynn Marie Folts (Orange Audubon Society) and Jack Horton (Orange Audubon Society). 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 12. Lake Apopka has remarkable opportunities for sunsets. On this date sunset will occur at 5:30 p.m. and the earlier start time will allow driving to the pump house and set up. Bring deet-containing bug spray. Your trip leaders will provide both photo and bird identification tips. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Monday, December 9, 2024

Monday 1. Joe Overstreet Road and Three Lakes– Mostly driving, some walking. Meet at Publix, 3372 Canoe Creek Rd., St. Cloud, FL 34772. $60, bring your own lunch or snacks. Leaders: Chris Newton, Lorri Lilja (Orange Audubon Society), and Brady Bailo (Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society). 7:00 a.m. -  2:00 p.m. Maximum participants: 14. Possible sightings include Crested Caracara, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Northern Bobwhite, Snail Kite, Bald Eagles, and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at Three Lakes.

Monday 2. PEAR Park, Morning – Walking. Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (PEAR) Park Wildlife Conservation Area, 4800 Univ. Ave., Leesburg, FL 34748. $50, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Gallus Quigley (Lake County Parks and Recreation) and Alan Shapiro (Orange Audubon Society). 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Meet at Nature Center. PEAR Park is 268-acre Lake County wildlife conservation area made up of scrub and sandhill restoration. Possible sightings include wintering songbirds and sparrows, like Savannah, Swamp, White-crowned, Vesper and Grasshopper. With luck, we may see Le Conte’s, Lincoln’s, Clay-colored and more of the 12 wintering sparrows. https://ebird.org/hotspot/L371829

Monday 3. Best of Birding the Lake Apopka North Shore – Mostly driving, some walking.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. $60, bring your own lunch. Leaders: Luis Gles (Woodstars Tours), Mariah Hryniewich (PhoneSkope) and Brian Silverman (St. Johns River Water Management District). 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 16. This half-day trip will focus on the best birds seen on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive trips in the previous four days. Possible sightings: See Fri 3.

Monday 4. Wekiwa Springs Sandhill Specialties – Walking

Wekiwa Springs State Park, 1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712. Leaders will coordinate early entry to the park and collect park admission. Park entrance: $4 per single person, $6 for 2-8 people or free for Youth Camp overnight guest or annual pass holder. $30, bring your own lunch. Leader: Paul Lammardo (Wekiwa Springs State Park). 7:30 a.m. -  11:00 a.m. Maximum participants: 8. Wekiwa Springs State Park is a 7,000-acre state park that is considered one of the crown jewels of Florida’s award-winning state park system. This will be a walking trip. Possible sightings include pineland specialties, including Brown-headed Nuthatches, Bachman’s Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, Eastern Bluebirds, Pine Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and overwintering songbirds.

Monday 5. Scrub-Jays and other Pineland Species at Seminole State Forest – Some walking (sandy surfaces). Seminole State Forest, south entrance, turn north off SR 46 just west of Wekiva River bridge, approximately 14 miles west of Sanford. $50, bring your own lunch.

Leaders: Ralph Risch (Florida Division of Forestry) and Joseph Whipple (Florida Division of Forestry). 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Maximum participants: 15. The endemic Florida Scrub-Jay is restricted to Florida’s ever- decreasing sandpine scrub habitat. The 25,812-acre Seminole State Forest hosts the nearest relatively stable population of this friendly and charismatic bird to Lake Apopka. After everyone gets up close and personal with scrub-jays, the group will search for other species throughout the afternoon. Possible sightings include Florida Scrub-Jay, Sandhill Crane, Wild Turkey, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Bluebird and pineland specialties such as Bachman’s Sparrow, Red-headed Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Monday 6. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge – Mostly driving, some walking.

Parrish Park, 1 A Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville, FL 32796. $55, includes access permit. Bring your own lunch. Leaders: David Simpson (Birding with David Simpson), Mitchell Harris (Space Coast Audubon Society), Craig Watson and Pamela Ford (Carolina Bird Club). 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 24 (group will split into two). Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is consistently rated as one of the top birding destinations in the United States with 357 species recorded. The refuge has one of three important populations of the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay. Possible sightings include Hairy Woodpecker, American Avocet, Roseate Spoonbill, and overwintering shorebirds and ducks. Note that this trip will NOT go to Black Point Wildlife Drive but to other good birding spots. This trip can be conveniently taken in combination with  Monday 7, which is straight up I-95 in Daytona Beach Shores.

Monday 7. Gull Congregation at Daytona Beach Shores – Some walking.

Frank Rendon Park, 2705 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118-5701. $50. Leaders: Michael Brothers (Florida Ornithological Society) with Mitchell Harris (Space Coast Audubon Society). 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Maximum participants: 20. This location near Daytona Beach, about an hour northeast of Lake Apopka, hosts an amazing birding spectacle each late afternoon and evening during the winter months. Gulls from the northeastern U.S. and Canada winter here, feeding during the day at Daytona Beach’s Tomoka Regional Landfill. Tens of thousands of gulls fly for the evening to the beach at Daytona Beach Shores. After gathering (staging) on the beach, close enough to be identified, the gulls move at dusk to settle beyond the breakers offshore. Fast-flying Pomerine and Parastic Jaegers try to pick off the less aware individuals. Michael Brothers, gull expert and retired director of the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, discovered this amazing phenomenon over 10 years ago and has been monitoring the gulls every winter evening since. Possible sightings: Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed are common, with Bonaparte’s and Lesser Black-backed gulls also expected. Glaucous, Iceland, Thayer’s, Franklin's, Heermann's and California gulls are also possible. Vega, European Herring, Yellow-legged and Slaty-backed gulls are rarities that have turned up.

Date: December 5 - 9, 2024

Location:

McDonald Canal Pavilion - 24600 CR 448A, Mount Dora, FL 32757

C.S. Lee Park and Little Big Econ State Forest - Drive 15 miles east of US 17-92 on SR 46 just before crossing the St. Johns River. 

The state forest is on the south side of SR 46 just before the St. Johns River and C.S. Lee Park on the left. 

Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area - Emeralda Island Road, Leesburg, FL 34788

Ferndale Preserve - 19220 County Rd 455, Clermont, FL 34715

Frank Rendon Park - 2705 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118-5701.

Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead - 20700 County Road 455, Montverde,  FL 34715

Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park - 4500 Dallas Blvd, Orlando, FL 32833.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive - 2850 Lust Rd, Apopka, FL 32703

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, 2045 Mud Lake Road, De Leon Springs, FL 32130

Lyonia Preserve - 2150 Eustace Avenue, Deltona, FL 32725

Magnolia Park - 2929 S Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

From I-95, take Exit 220 (Titusville, SR 406). Drive east on SR406, also known as Garden Street. Continue east on Garden Street for 4 miles and travel over the Max Brewer Causeway Bridge. The Refuge begins on the east side of the causeway. 

Newton Park - 31 W Garden Ave, Winter Garden, FL 34787

Oakland Nature Preserve - 747 Machete Trail, Oakland, FL  34760

Ocala National Forest - Clearwater Lake Recreation Area - 24511 Co Rd 42, Paisley, FL 32767

Orlando Wetlands - 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709

Parrish Park - 1 A Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville, FL 32796

Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (PEAR) Park Wildlife Conservation Area  - 4800 Univ. Ave. Leesburg, FL 34748

Pine Meadows Conservation Area - 2280 Pine Meadows Golf Course Rd, Eustis, FL 32726

Rusty Anchor - Dora Canal Tours - 400 W. 4th Avenue, Mount Dora, FL 32757

Seminole State Forest - SR 46, Bear Pond Trailhead, Mount Dora, FL 32757

This is the South Entrance, just west of the Wekiva River Bridge. Approx 14 miles west of Sanford.

St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge - SR 50 west of Titusville, Meeting Place for Thurs 11

T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, Broadmoor Marsh - 3200 T. M. Goodwin Rd., Fellsmere, 32948 

Trimble Park - 5802 Trimble Park Rd, Mount Dora, FL 32757

Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area  - 3365 Taylor Creek Road Christmas, FL 32709 

Wekiwa Springs State Park - 1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka, FL 32712

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