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Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 13 - 17, 2002 -- Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
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Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 13 - 17, 2002 -- Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
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INDEX OF FIELD TRIPS
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Take a Ride on the Wild Side of Kennedy Space Center!
Departs ONLY from KSC Visitors Complex (GATE 3).
Preregistration is a must!
Trip Leaders: Dr. Ross Hinkle with Cary and Betty Salter
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| George White |
Join Dynamac Corporation Chief Scientist, Dr. Ross Hinkle, for a guided bus journey through the working launch complex of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and into the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Learn how KSC, working with the Fish and Wildlife Service, sets the standard for how nature and technology can co-exist peacefully and benefit one another. Ross will talk about the ongoing ecological studies at KSC related to such areas as fire ecology, remote sensing and global climate change. Some endangered Florida wildlife you might see includes the Florida Manatee, Wood Storks and the threatened Florida Scrub Jay. The tour will travel along parts of the nation’s most biologically diverse estuary, the Indian River Lagoon and Banana River, Florida scrub and pine flatwoods habitat.
www.dynamac.com www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Nov 17, 9:30am-12:30pm: Limited to 45 registrants; $35.00/person
Pelagic Birding Offshore Cape Canaveral
Trip Leaders: Wes Biggs, Jeff Bouton, Murray Gardler, Larry Manfredi, David Simpson, Lee Snyder, Doug Stuckey, Dick Novier
Long time birders know that a pelagic birding trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and pelagic trips in Florida are a new frontier. Pelagic birds are species that are not usually seen close to land, so a boat trip offshore is needed. Join us onboard the 85 foot fishing boat, Miss Cape Canaveral, as we steam out of Port Canaveral to search for some of the most sought after species in Florida.
Among our targets will be the Northern Gannet, Corey’s Shearwater, all three jaegers, Leaches and Band-rumped Storm Petrels, Black and White-winged Scoters, and Black-legged Kittiwake. Seabirds seen on previous festival trips include Northern Gannet, Bridled Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, Corey’s Shearwater, Pomerine and Parasitic Jaeger, Brown Booby, and Sabine’s Gull (nearly unheard of for Florida). There is always the possibility of adding a new species to your Florida list, keep your fingers crossed.
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Hike the Little-Big Econ State Forest
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo and Jeff Bouton
The hike will start out in East Seminole County at the Barr St. entrance, moving through open fields and riparian woodlands to the Econlockhatchee River, where a cable foot-bridge (a historic narrow-gage railroad trestle) crosses the river. Alligators are a common sight here. Along the way such common inhabitants as the Wood Duck, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Barred Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, and Sedge Wren may be encountered. Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk, Wild Turkey, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned and Yellow-throated Warbler, Ovenbird and Grasshopper Sparrow are a possibility. We’ll return to our vehicle and drive to the Kilbee Tract portion of the Little-Big Econ State Forest on the St. Johns River, near its confluence with the Econlockhatchee River. We will walk some more in pursuit of raptors, marsh birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and songbirds. What we will find will be largely dependent on the water levels. Most of the common species are usually well represented here. This site is rarely a disappointment. Between the two sites we will have a moderately difficult 5 to 6-mile walk, some of it through mud and standing water, and ample mosquitoes. So be prepared for a wet and wild adventure!
sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide
Nov 14, 5:30am-12:30pm: Limited to 12 registrants; $35.00/person
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| Lee Snyder |
Bird Banding & Blue Spring State Park
Trip Leaders: Randy Sleister, Buck and Linda Cooper, Boyde Blihovde, Richard Poole and Richard Harris
Richard Poole first banded birds in 1995, and has participated at the Rock Springs Run banding station ever since. Wekiwa Basin GEOpark biologist, Boyde Blihovde will join the group and Richard at his banding station, where a series of mist nets are positioned near shrubs and fields. At nearby Blue Spring State Park, the group will join Captain Ron Woxberg on St. Johns River Tours for a look at the quiet backwaters of the historic St. Johns River, with its shorelines of cypress and great stands of oak hammocks. Blue Spring State Park biologist, Richard Harris, will provide an interpretive talk covering the natural and cultural history of the Spring, which plays a vital role in the survival of one of the state’s most beleaguered residents – the Florida manatee.
For hundreds of years, Timucuan Indians made this area their home, eating snails gathered from sandbars. Over the years, discarded shells formed a massive mound. In 1872, pioneers Louis and Mary Thursby built a large frame house atop the shellmound, safe from the floodwaters of the river. Thursby’s Landing became a popular stopping place for northern scientists who came to Florida to study its strange wildlife and plants, many of them staying in the Thursby home. The home has been closed to the public for many years. Participants on this field trip may get a rare, special opportunity to tour this wonderful, old "Florida Cracker" house, which is filled with furnishings and memories from Florida’s fabulous steamboat era. On the way home, a stop at Volusia County’s Lyonia Preserve will allow participants to observe Florida Scrub Jays.
*At the time this program was printed, the Thursby home was undergoing major restoration.
It was uncertain whether the work would be completed in time for this tour. The Park Ranger will provide an interpretive presentation whether the home is accessible or not.
www.floridastateparks.org search Blue Spring
www.floridariver.org
www.volusia.org/growth/landacq
www.sjrcruises.com
Nov. 14 & 16, 6:00am-4:30pm, Limited to 42 registrants; $55.00/person (includes meal)
Tossahatchee & Orlando Wetlands Park
Trip Leaders: Kurt and Cindy Radamaker, Murray Gardler, and Mark Sees
Shaped by alternating cycles of fire and flood, Tossahatchee State Reserve is a mosaic of marshes, swamps, pine flatwoods and hammocks. The Tossahatchee marshes are feeding areas for wading birds and, during winter months, host large numbers of migrating waterfowl. The forested uplands support white-tailed deer, bobcat, gray fox, turkey, woodpeckers, hawks, owls, songbirds and, on rare occasions, the Florida Panther. Birds of interest include Bachman’s Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, Swallow-tailed Kite and Florida Sandhill Crane.
A short distance away at Orlando Wetlands Park (OWP), Manager, Mark Sees, will join the group to lead a tour of the nearly 1200 acres of created wetlands, which include cattail and bulrush marshes, mixed and open marshes, hardwood swamps and a lake. Guests are sure to see numerous wading birds, and often, Purple Gallinules, Least Bitterns, American Bitterns, Red-shouldered Hawks and King Rails can be found foraging in the marshes. A variety of other animals abound at OWP including white-tailed deer, river otter, raccoon, bobcat, opossum, and wild hog.
www.floridastateparks.org search Tossahatchee www.cityoforlando.net search Parks
Nov. 14 & 15, 6:00am-12:30pm, Limited to 21 registrants; $35.00/person
Smyrna Dunes and Turtle Mound
Trip Leaders: Wes Biggs, Dave Goodwin and Dick Novier
Wes Biggs, veteran Florida birder, of Florida Nature Tours, will lead this trip to Volusia County. At Smyrna Dunes Park, we will take a two-mile hike along Ponce Inlet in search of northern gulls and terns and shorebirds. Piping and Wilson’s Plover are possible along with sparrows in the salt marsh. Purple Sandpiper is a main target species and gannets should be diving offshore.
The Turtle Mound area in Canaveral National Seashore is the best seawatching spot in Florida for nearshore pelagics and November is the best month to be there. On previous festival trips, Northern Gannets, Pomerine and Parasitic Jaegers passed just offshore. Good looks at a rare Long-tailed Jaeger caused much excitement the year before last.
www.floridanaturetours.com
Nov 14 & 16, 6:00am-12:30pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $35.00/person
Viera Ponds
Trip Leaders: Brian Tolland and Larry Manfredi
Start the morning at the marshes east of Lake Washington to look for Snail Kites, Crested Cara Cara and Limpkins, then move to the Viera Ponds. During 1999-2000, Brevard County constructed and planted with emergent wetland plants, a series of connected wetlands for the advanced treatment of reclaimed water. During the fall and winter, an incredible diversity of bird species use these created wetlands and the nearby prairie hammocks and cabbage palm savannahs.
An active Bald Eagle nest is visible from the wetland dike road, a family of Crested Cara Cara maintains a territory around the wetlands and Northern Harriers course just above the marsh vegetation and pasture grasses. Thousands of wintering ducks concentrate here including Green and Blue Winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, American Widgeons, Mottled Ducks, Mallards, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers, Lessor Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Pintails, Buffleheads and Ruddy Ducks. Canada Geese sometimes use these artificial marshes during the winter. As many as 14 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks now regularly use this wetland system.
Brian Toland www.tolandenvironmental.com, Larry Manfredi www.southfloridabirding.com
Nov 14 & Nov 17, 6:00am-12:30pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $35.00/person
Geneva Wilderness by Horseback
Trip Leader: Sandra Vann, Ace of Hearts Ranch
The Geneva Wilderness Area is a 180 acre site that adjoins the Little Big Econ Stae Forest in the southeast corner of Seminole County. The area contains an array of native Florida plant communities from mixed hardwood swamp and mesic hammocks to xeric oak, all supporting an equally diverse collection of wildlife. A hike through these habitats may reward visitors with sightings of Gopher Tortoise, Armadillo, White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Cranes, Wood Ducks and Grey Fox. The Ed Yarborough Nature Center features exhibits and activities such as living terrariums set up as native habitats, a bird viewing station, microscopes at the pond life station AND restrooms.
Visit www.co.seminole.fl.us/natland and www.aceofheartsranch.com
STRICTLY LIMITED TO FOUR RIDERS PER TOUR!
Please register DIRECTLY with Sandra Vann at Ace of Hearts Ranch: 321-638-0104.
Meet at the Geneva Wilderness Area entrance.
Nov 14, Nov 15 and Nov 16, 9:00am -10:30am, 11:00am -12:30pm, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, 3:00pm - 4:30pm; 4 riders per tour; $25.00/person
St. Johns River Airboat Tour
Trip Leaders: Maria Zondervan, Shane Belson and Captain Rick Thrift
St Johns River Water Management District biologist, Maria Zondervan, guides an exciting tour of one of the most beautiful, interesting and inaccessible areas of the St. Johns River. We’ll be travelling to Lake Poinsett and the cypress swamps of the Tossahatchee State Reserve. We will look at some of the plant communities unique to the area, as well as a Native American shell midden. Middens are often good stops for migrating songbirds. Where we go and what we find will depend largely on the water levels.
We should see Alligators, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, White Pelicans, Purple Gallinules, Mottled Ducks, Blue and Green-winged Teal, Wood Storls, Sandhill Cranes, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons and most of the common wading birds. Roseate Spoonbills, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, Wild Turkeys, Black Skimmers, Long-billed Dowitchers, Limpkins, Sora, King Rails, and Marsh and Sedge Wrens are a possibility.
Captain Rick's boat is a new, state of the art 12-passenger airboat with below water exhaust. We will be stopping often for optimum wildlife viewing. Lunch is an old-fashioned Florida Cracker affair at Lone Cabbage Fish Camp featuring fried Gator Tail, Catfish and Frog Legs (other choices available – vegetarian meal must be indicated).
www.airboatecotours.com www.floridariver.com
Nov 14, 15 & 16, 9:00am -1:00pm, 11:00am - 3:00pm;
Limited to 10 registrants; $50.00/person (includes lunch).
SORRY FOLKS - all these trips are FULL
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| Fish & Wildlife Service |
Board the Harbor Princess and journey from the Indian River Lagoon into the Sebastion River, a remarkably pristine system with a number of rare plants and animal species. You may see manatees, alligators, river otters, bald eagles and more. Then travel across the lagoon to the Sebastion Inlet State Recreation Area, where you might see dolphins frolicking and Green and Loggerhead Sea Turtles feeding on sea grass in the shallow water. As the sun sets on the lagoon, travel back in time to Pelican Island to see America’s first National Wildlife Refuge and its birds, including Brown and White Pelicans, Wood Storks, several egret and heron species, Roseate Spoonbills, cormorants and various shorebirds.
Learn first hand how this tiny island inspired the nation’s wildlife conservation movement and where we are 100 years later as we approach the Centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System in March 2003.
pelicanisland.fws.gov www.nbbd.com/npr/pips
Nov 14 & 16, 2:00pm - 8:00pm (includes bus travel time):
Limited to 36 registrants; $50.00/person (includes meal and beverage on boat)
Indian River Lagoon Fish Communications Boat Tour
Trip Leaders Dr. Grant Gilmore and Captain Ron Thorstad
One of Dr. Gilmore’s primary research objectives at the Kennedy Space Center is to understand the life history and ecology of marine and estuarine communities in this region of Florida so that human interactions with marine animals and plants can be managed to conserve and promote these wonderful and diverse living ecosystems. One way to do this is with newly developed technologies, in this case passive acoustic (listening) technology using underwater microphones (hydrophones). The aquatic environment is extremely noisy, particularly at night. Sound carries 5 times faster in water than in air and many fish use sound to communicate, mostly for reproduction.
Captain Ron of Space Coast Nature Tours will cruise the Intracoastal Waterway from Titusville, stopping at various locations to listen for the sounds of the Red and Black Drum as they call their mates to spawn. The Black Drum male and female talk to one with rhythmic robust sounds that are so loud that sometimes we must turn the speaker down to protect our ears. We may also hear other animals in the lagoon including Manatee, Dolphins, other fish and even Shrimp, which sound like castanets. To add to your enjoyment, the moon will be nearly full.
www.dynamac.com www.hswri.org www.spacecoastnaturetours.com
www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov click on Explorations, then click on Islands in the Stream
Nov 14 & Nov 15, 6:00pm- 9:00pm, Limited to 32 registrants; $35.00/person
Meet at Titusville Marina at 5:45pm. Includes meal from Dixie Crossroads & Fat Boys BBQ
Kayak Lake Monroe Conservation Area
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo, Jeff Bouton, Roger Grimshaw, Dick Niovier and Rick Shafer
Join biologist Lorne Malo for a half-day kayak adventure, courtesy of A Day Away Kayak Tours at the Lake Monroe Conservation Area. We will embark on the St. Johns River east of Sanford at the old S.R. 415 bridge on the north side of the river. We will take a loop route, by paddling downstream in the old river channel to Lake Monroe, encircling a large island, and returning back to the S.R. 415 bridge via the Government Cut canal going upstream. This will be an approximately 10-mile trip and it is only recommended for experienced paddlers in good physical shape.
Numerous wading birds and raptors are expected here. We may see American Bittern, Wood Stork, Short-tailed Hawk, Crested Cara Cara, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Limpkin or Sandhill Crane. Alligators are a common sight here.
If the weather is too rough for kayaking, we will hike instead on higher ground in search of raptors, Wild Turkey, marsh birds, Florida Scrub Jays, warblers, and sparrows. This will entail a moderately difficult 5 to 6-mile walk through fields, marshes, hammocks, flatwoods and scrub; some of it through mud and standing water, and ample mosquitoes. So be prepared for a wet and wild adventure!
www.kayaknaturetours.com sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide
Nov 15, 5:30am - 12:30pm: Limited to 16 Kayaks, some boats are doubles; $20 for a single, $30.00 for a double.
Carpool to the site. Meet in front of BCC Gymnatorium at 5:30am.
Tour of Seminole County Natural Lands
Trip Leaders: Jim Duby with Wes Biggs and Eugene Stoccardo
Jim Duby, Priciple Coordinator for Seminole County’s Natural Lands Program will lead this trip to properties in East Seminole County. Chuluota Wilderness area contains a variety of natural systems such as mesic hammock, pond pine flatwoods, hardwood swamp, sand pine and xeric oak scrub, which provide shelter for an equally diverse population of wildlife, which includes White-tailed Deer, Gopher Tortoise, Sherman’s Fox Squirrel and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. The scrub habitat and an ephemeral pond are good places to view the local bird life, which may include Eastern Towhee, White-eyed Vireo, Wild Turkey and Red-shouldered Hawk.
The Geneva Wilderness Area site contains an array of native Florida plant communities from mixed hardwood swamp and mesic hammocks to xeric oak, all supporting an equally diverse collection of wildlife. A hike through these habitats may produce sightings of Gopher Tortoise, White-tailed Deer, Wood Ducks and Grey Fox. Time permitting, a visit to the Lake Proctor Wilderness Area will take you through such habitats as sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, sandhill and bayhead swamp. Wildlife observed on this site includes the Wood Duck, Sandhill Cranes, Gray Fox and Florida Worm Lizard. This trip will require a fair amount of walking.
www.co.seminole.fl.us/natland
Nov 15, 6:00am - 12:30pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $35.00/person
North Brevard Hotspots
Trip Leaders: Doug Stuckey and Warren Frost
Northern Brevard County has much to offer in well-known birding sites like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore. We also have our share of productive less known areas too – places like Seminole Ranch, Hatbill Park, Salt Lake, Buck Lake, Scottsmoore Landing, Hog Valley and Hammock Road. Along with the usual wading birds, shorebirds and waterfowl, these areas might produce tantalizing species like Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Painted Bunting, various woodpeckers, Loggerhead Shrike, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, Florida Scrub Jay and Sandhill Crane.
Hop on the bus for a trip through the pines and palmettos of North Brevard’s scrublands and wetlands to learn about some of our favorite, not so famous hotspots. Sites visited on this trip will determined during pre-festival scouting trips. This field trip requires a moderate amount of walking.
sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide
Nov 15 & 16, 6:00am - 12:30pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $35.00/person
Florida Scrub Jays and Plant Ecology of the Scrub
Trip Leaders: Dave Breininger and Dr. Paul Schmalzer
*The location of this field trip depends on the Space Shuttle Launch Schedule at the Kennedy Space Center.
This is a car pool trip into a restricted access area of the Kennedy Space Center called Tel-4, where many Florida Scrub Jay territories have been established. Participants will walk along a firebreak road through several jay territories to view scrub jay families and their interactions. Along the way, Paul will give emphasis to some of the rare plants, grasses and a rare spikemoss that is more common to this site than anywhere else in the state. In the event that security measures eliminate access to the Tel-4 site, the group will visit the Space Coast Regional Airport where numerous scrub jay families are found.
The next stop will be the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands property, Dicerandra Scrub, where an extremely rare scrub mint dicerandra thinicola should be blooming spectacularly.
www.archbold-station.org www.usgs.gov Search for Florida Scrub Jay
Nov 15 & Nov 16, 9:00am - 12:30pm: Limited to 40 registrants; FREE
Free Seminar at 8:00am precedes the field trip
Ancient and Modern Mariners of the Deep
Trip Leaders: Larry Harvey and Dave Goodwin
Sea turtles have long fascinated people and have figured prominently in the mythology and folklore of many cultures. The earliest known sea turtle fossils are about 150 million years old. In groups too numerous to count, they once navigated throughout the world’s oceans. But in just the past 100 years, demands for turtle meat, eggs, skin and their colorful shells have desecrated their populations. Destruction of feeding and nesting habitats and pollution of the world’s oceans are all taking a serious toll on remaining sea turtle populations. Many breeding populations have already become extinct, and entire species are being wiped out. Millions of sea turtles once roamed the world’s oceans, but now only a fraction of their number remains. There could be a time in the near future when sea turtles are just an oddity found only in aquariums and natural history museums.
Join Hubbs Sea World Special Projects Coordinator, Larry Harvey, for a look at some of the world’s oldest and more recent mariners. The newly opened Marine Science Science Center in Volusia County’s beautiful Lighthouse Point Park is a rehabilitation center for injured marine turtles, as well as an important environmental education center with a focus on five of the elements that influence the region’s marine environment. Featured are estuarine and intracoastal ecosystems, the Ponce Inlet waterway, offshore natural and artificial reefs, coastal dune habitat and endangered and threatened sea turtles. The center includes sea turtle rehabilitation tanks, a 5,000-gallon artificial reef and aquarium, manatee, whale and fish exhibits, a wet/dry lab, tidal pool, nature trails through maritime hammock and boardwalks over coastal dunes.
Nearby, the days of the blue uniformed lighthouse keeper – checking his oil supply, slowly climbing the tower to clean the lens – have passed forever, yet his lighthouse remains. Built of bricks to serve as a warning device to mariners and possessing a very special beauty noted by seamen and landlubbers alike, the "Light Station at Mosquito Inlet" stands today in an area still dreaded by mariners. Completed in 1887, the old Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse, now known as the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, is a National Historic Landmark. At 175 feet, it is the second tallest lighthouse in the U.S. and the tallest lighthouse open to the public. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is one of only a handful of light stations in the U.S. which have all of the original buildings still standing. A climb to the top of the lighthouse reveals a breathtaking view of the inlet, the estuary and the beaches. With a glorious beacon shining over 16 nautical miles, maritime museums and the lens restoration shop with its huge, beautifully restored Cape Canaveral first order Fresnel lens, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse offers a tremendous opportunity to learn of our great maritime heritage.
Price includes lunch at the beautiful Inlet Harbor Seafood Restaurant where you can sit on the outside deck and watch the birds and boats go by.
www.hswri.org www.cccturtle.org www.marinesciencecenter.com www.ponceinlet.org.
Nov 15, 9:00am - 5:00pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $50.00/person.
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| Kevin Karlson |
This field trip visits several archaeological sites and the El Dora Statehouse, one of the last remnants of an 1800’s Florida Waterway community. Exhibits in the newly restored Statehouse depict life at El Dora in an earlier era. Archaeological sites to be visited include Turtle Mound, Seminole Rest and Castle Windy. Turtle Mound is one of Florida’s best known archaeological sites. It served as an important navigation point for Spanish Sailors and was included on some of the earliest maps of Florida. Seminole Rest is one of the oldest shell middens in the area, saved from destruction by a protective landowner when all the others were hauled away for road fill in the early 1900’s. The landowner’s house still stands vigil over this ancient site. You will enjoy investigating the lives of Native Americans that once lived here and hardy settlers who braved the wilds of Florida before the creation of air conditioning and mosquito control. Along with the historical sights, there’s a good possibility of seeing lots of coastal birds. Lunch is at BJ's Fish Camp on Mosquito Lagoon.
*John Stiner’s services, as well as entrance to the Canaveral National Seashore, are provided at no charge by the National Park Service.
www.nbbd.com/godo/cns www.nps.gov/cana
Nov 15, 9:00am - 5:00pm: Limited to 22 registrants; $45.00/person.
Butterflies Field Trip
Trip leaders: Buck and Linda Cooper (with Mike Hannisian, Nov 15)
On Florida’s Space Coast, beautiful fall wildflowers provide a cornucopia for a wide range of butterflies, including monarchs, fritillaries, zebra longwings, white peacocks, buckeyes, sulphers, hairstreaks, viceroys, queens, giant swallowtails, skippers, and more. Come ride with Buck and Linda as they tour the rural areas of North Brevard County in search of butterflies and wildflowers. There’s also usually a lot of dragonflies zooming about at this time of the year. Last year’s participants spotted 35 species, including the mangrove buckeye, salt marsh skipper, and eastern pygmy blue.
Nov 15, 11:30am- 4:00pm: limited to 21 registrants, $25.00/person
Nov 17, 8:30am - 1:00pm: limited to 21 registrants, $25.00/person
Orlando Wetlands Park Nighttime Spotlight Wildlife Drive
Trip Leader: Mark Sees
The City of Orlando invites you to experience a unique opportunity for the whole family. Watch thousands of birds as they move from daytime feeding areas to their nightly roosting areas. Many different species of wading birds along with hawks and ducks will be seen! And then, after the sun goes down, hop on a hay-covered trailer to ride over nine miles of trails looking for wildlife using high powered spotlights. White-tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, armadillos and barred owls may be spotted on this incredible journey. Bring bug spray, camera and other essentials for this exciting evening outdoor excursion!
Nov 15, 5:00pm-9:00pm: Limited to 40 participants; $15.00/person
Meet at Orlando Wetlands Park Directions: Go west on S.R. 50 to Christmas, Fl. Turn north (right) on Fort Christmas Road and travel 2.3 miles, then east (right) onto Wheeler Road and travel 1.5 miles. Parking Area will be on your left.
Hal Scott Regional Preserve & Park
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo and Jeff Bouton, with Roger Grimshaw on Nov 17
This is a half-day adventure in pursuit of some of East Orange County’s resident birds. We will start out by visiting an active red-cockaded woodpecker colony as the birds awaken from their roost. From there we will explore the pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and the Econlockhatchee River swamp in search of such common inhabitants as the Eastern Bluebird, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s Sparrow, Wood Duck, Florida Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle, and Barred Owl. With some luck we may find wild turkey, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Sedge Wren, Marsh Wren, King Rail, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Cooper’s Hawk. Alligators, river otters, and bobcats are also good possibilities. Wild flowers and butterflies are prolific at this site.
This will likely be a moderately difficult 4-mile walk through a lot of mud and standing water, and ample mosquitoes. Be prepared for a wet and wild adventure!
sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide
Nov 16 & 17, 5:15am - 12:30pm: Limited to 12 registrants; $35.00/person
Kayak Rock Springs/Wekiva River
Trip Leader: Leslie Sickler, Natural Adventures Kayak Tours
Florida's special geology boasts over 300 clear springs - more than anywhere else in the world. Paddle with a real Anthropologist along one of the state's most spectacular spring runs, Central Florida's Rock Springs/Wekiva river system. North of Apopka, Rock Springs Run winds through various habitats, including sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, bayheads, hammocks and riverine swamps, to join the Wekiva River on its way to the St Johns. At times wide, with braided channels meandering lazily through sunny open areas filled with lily pads and reeds, the river can quickly change personalities, funneling into a swift moving, narrow serpentine passageway under dense shaded canopies which, during spring and fall, can be filled with the movement and song of thousands of migrant birds. Raptors circle lazily in afternoon thermals, while Ospreys hunt diligently for fish in the crysyal clear waters.
In late fall and early winter, the spectacular changing leaf colors are reminiscent of displays seen much further north. Many Indian mounds exist along Rock Springs Run and the Wekiva River, paying silient tribute to the ancient civilizations who onced lived here. Arguably the best place in Central Florida to view the elusive Limpkin, this area is home to alligators and turtles, numerous wading birds, river otters, deer and the Florida Black Bear.
For more information visit www.naturaladventuresinc.com, www.floridastateparks.org, www.wekivawilderness.org and www.paddlefl.com, click on destinations.
CANCELLED due to anticipated bad weather - see "last minute notes"
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| Sandhill cranes - Ed King |
This tour will visit Overstreet Landing on Lake Kissimmi to look for members of the second largest flock of the most endangered crane in the world. The Landing is a good place to look for Snail Kites, Bald Eagles and various raptors, Mottled Ducks and other waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds in addition to sandhill and Whooping Cranes. Crested Cara Cara, Eastern Bluebird, American Kestrel and wild turkey are usually seen along the road to the landing.
The tour will then go to Forever Florida, a 4300 acre wilderness preserve near Kenansville. After lunch, participants will board custom made, photographer friendly swamp buggies for a tour through wet prairie, cypress swamps, grasslands, pine woods, creeks and dense oak hammocks. Thanks to years of prescribed burning, the native wildflowers and grasses at Forever Florida have been restored to their original splendor. The tour will also visit the Crescent J Ranch, where descendents of the original horses and cattle brought to Florida by Spanish explorers more than 400 years ago are found. You’ll learn about the pioneer cattle and turpentine industries, railroading and the heroic efforts of Dr. William and Margaret Broussard, who have dedicated considerable time and money to obtain as much land surrounding the ranch as they possibly can to preserve it forever.
www.foreverflorida.org www.floridaconservation.org
Nov 16, 6:00am - 5:00pm: Limited to 50 registrants; $55.00/person (includes meal)
Kayak Haulover Canal
Trip Leader: Rick Thrift, A Day Away Kayak Tours
A large rookery island and surrounding grass flats provide an excellent opportunity to view wading birds from the water’s level. Sandbars around the island are usually covered with various shorebirds, gulls and terns, Brown and White Pelicans, and Double-crested Cormorants. Roseate Spoonbills and Reddish Egrets are a common sight. Beautiful mangroves line the shorelines and seagrass beds are clearly visible in one of the most pristine areas of the Indian River Lagoon System.
The deep waters of the canal provide shelter for Manatee and Dolpin are often seen frolicking in the approaches to the canal, which connects the Indian River with Mosquito Lagoon. Kayak instruction and equipment provided.
www.nbbd.com/outthere www.kayaknaturetours.com www.AboutTitusville.com/outdoors
Nov 16, 8:30am - 12:30pm: Limited to 20 Kayaks, some boats are doubles; $15.00/single, $25.00/double.
Meet at the northwest corner of Haulover Canal on Merritt Island NWR.
Haulover Canal Boat Tour
Trip Leaders: Captain Ron Thorstad and Mike and Joanne Ramer
Join Captain Ron and members of the North Brevard Historical Society for a leisurely ride through historic Haulover Canal to the pristine waters of Mosquito Lagoon. Here, lush beds of seagrass support vast quantities of fish, shrimp, clams and oysters, providing food for larger gamefish and waterfowl. Dolphins are often seen frolicking in the shallow waters near the canal’s approaches. Shuttle launch pads stand out as distinct landmarks near the southern end of the lagoon. The deep waters of the canal provide shelter for manatees, and they frequently can be found there.
Mullethead Island, a large spoil island west of the canal, is one of Florida’s premier rookery islands. Look for wading birds, shorebirds, gulls and terns, and lots of pelicans and cormorants around it. There’s a good chance you’ll see roseate spoonbills and reddish egrets. American white pelicans, common loons, and horned grebes may also be seen.
www.nbbd.com/outthere www.spacecoastnaturetours.com
Nov 16, 9:00am - 10:45am and 10:45am - 12:30pm; Limited to 36 registrants per trip; $15.00/person
Meet at Bair's Cove Boat Launch Area at Haulover Canal on the Merrit Island NWR
Natural History Walk at Canaveral National Seashores
Leader: Deborah Green
Central Florida environmental educator and natural history writer, Deborah Green, author of Paradise Preserved: Natural History of Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, an 120-page illustrated, information-packed natural history guidebook, will take participants on a transect of habitats at Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda District. Meet at Eddy Creek parking lot, for an easy walk across the barrier island, from Mosquito Lagoon to the beach. There will be plenty of stops to identify plants and animals and discuss interactions. Well-behaved children accompanied by adults are welcome.
www.sabalpress.com www.nbbd.com/godo/cns www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr
Nov 16, 10:30am - 12:00pm: Limited to 50 registrants, There is no charge for this guided walk, however, if you have not paid for a Festival registration, there will be a $5.00 fee to access the Seashore.
Meet at the Eddy Creek parking lot (between lots #7 & #8) at Canaveral National Seashore at 10:30am.
Sebastian Inlet and Port Canaveral Jetty Maritime Park
Trip Leaders: Mike Hannisian, Murray Gardler, and Eugene Stoccardo
Put your new knowledge of Gull and Tern identification to work. With 190 species possible throughout the year, Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area is the best birding location on Brevard’s south beaches. A large tidal pool on the north side is a feeding ground for shorebirds, wading birds and gulls and terns at low tide. Purple Sandpipers are a possibility in the rocky area leading from the tidal pool to the jetty, as well as on the jetty itself. Sandwich terns frequent the area in winter and, on northeast and east winds, jaegers, gannets and scoters may be seen. Frigatebirds and Tropicbirds are a possibility.
Another fine site is Jetty Maritime Park at Port Canaveral. The beach can be good for Black Skimmers and Royal Terns, especially in the early morning when large flocks roost just above the high tide line. Look for Sanderlings, Willets, Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Great & Lesser Black-backed, and Sabine’s Gulls, and Caspian, Royal, Sandwich, Common, Forster’s and Least Terns. Over and in the water, look for Common Loons, Brown Pelicans, Black Skimmers, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Northern Gannets and jaegers.
www.floridastateparks.org search Sebastion Inlet
Nov 17, 6:00am - 1:00pm: Limited to 21 registrants, $35.00/person
Blue Heron Created Wetlands
Trip Leaders, Judy Dryja, Dick Novier and Dan Click
The City of Titusville’s 292 acre site, situated midway between the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River, contains seven cells, or ponds, that are rich in wildlife. Deer, Wild Hogs, Bobcat, Alligators, birds, turtles and frogs prowl the dikes. Presently the plant community includes about 65 species. Over the years, this number should increase to about 150 species as workers encourage the historic vegetative cover and elimnate exotic or nuisance plants.
Local birders are flocking to the Blue Heron Wetlands. American and Least Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Hairy Woodpecker, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-necked Stilt, Bald Eagle, Bobolink and Gull-billed Tern are just a few of the 110 bird species sighted here. Frequent stops along the berm will give participants an opportunity to hike along the berm.
Nov 17, 8:00am - 12:00pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $25.00/person
Enchanted Forest & Dicerandra Scrub
Trip Leaders: Tami Robinson and Suzanne Kennedy
Host: Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program
Titusville’s 393 acre Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is the flagship sanctuary for the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. Blessed with incredible diversity of natural resources, the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary preserves a significant sample of the natural communities that were originally found in this region, including xeric oak scrub, mature hardwood forests, wetlands and pine flatwoods. The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is one of the few places in Brevard County where subtropical and temperate plant species are found together. Visitors can see the exposed layers of coquina rock that form the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary has been identified as a Management and Education Center within the North Regional Management Area, serving as a hub to implement the conservation, education, and recreation goals of the EEL Program. The Education Center showcases universal design, providing accessibility to outdoor natural areas for all people regardless of age or ability.
Your guides for this 1/2 day easy hike will be the EEL Program’s North Region Land Manager and a Natural Resources Management Office Environmental Scientist. The guides will help you with plant identification and discuss the challenges faced in management of public lands like the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary.
Visit www.brevardparks.com/eel
Nov 17, 9:00am - 12:00pm: Free
Meet at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary at 9:00am.
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