 |
Nikon and The Brevard Nature Alliance present Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 16 - 20, 2005 in Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
 |
2005 FIELD TRIPS
Festival field trips are designed to showcase the best regional wildlife sites as well as the exceptional research and preservation work being conducted in this area. Unless otherwise noted, all trips depart from the traffic circle in front of the Gymnatorium at Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus. Due to the importance of arriving at designated sites by certain times, vehicles will leave promptly when indicated. Please arrive 15 minutes early. NOTE: Central Florida is very "birdy" and many will be seen en route. Stay alert and be prepared to look quickly when someone calls out a passing bird.
| HomePage | Keynotes | Articles | Field Trips | Workshops | Seminars | Photography | Kayaking | Biographies |
| Daily Trip Schedule |
Specialty Tours
Bird Banding Demo
Richard Poole and Bob Wheeler
Join Master Bird Bander, Richard Poole, Sub-permittee Bob Wheeler, and their banding crew in the high sandhill scrub habitat of beautiful Rock Springs Run State Reserve where Richard will have a series of mist nets positioned near shrubs and fields. During three days of banding that coincided with last year's festival, a total of 88 birds representing 14 species were captured, mainly Common Yellowthroats and Gray Catbirds. Other species banded at that time included Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Ovenbird. Past highlights include Sharp-shinned Hawk, Painted Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Tennessee Warbler, and Swainson's Warbler.
Cardinal BandingPark at the horse barn where someone from the banding station will meet you and give you a ride to the banding station. Someone will be at the horse barn all the time from 6:30am to 8:30am each morning except for when they are giving someone a ride. Longest wait at the barn should be less than 12 minutes. People will be shuttled back to their cars anytime they want to leave. Richard estimates that they will band until 10:30am, maybe longer depending on the birds and the weather. It's OK to just show up. If you would like to contact Richard to let him know you're coming or to ask questions (Call anytime if weather is IFFY - he does not band in the rain.) you can e-mail him at Catbird@cfl.rr.com or call 407-774-9501. Bob Wheeler's cell phone # is 407-739-0333.
home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband, www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl, www.pronetisp.net/~bpbird
Directions: From BCC Titusville, go north on US 1 to SR 46 in Mims. Go west (left) on SR 46 to Highway 17-92 in Sanford. Turn right and go north 1.7 miles to SR 46 West. Turn left and go west 11.1 miles to the entrance to Rock Springs Run State Reserve on the left. You'll go under the I-4 overpass as you travel west. >From I-4 and SR 46 (Exit101C), go west toward Mt. Dora. After 5 miles, you'll go over the Wekiva River Bridge and enter Lake County. At 7.2 miles, you'll go over the black bear overpass. The gate for Rock Springs State Reserve is on the left at 7.4 miles. Go through the gate and travel 0.2 miles and take the first left turn on the gravel road. There will be a sign that says "Horse Barn and Primitive Camping." Go 1.4 miles to the horse barn and park. Restroom facilities are across the road. Drive time from BCC: approximately 1 hr 15 min.
Nov 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, 6:30am-10:30am; Free
Wild Side of the Kennedy Space Center
This trip is sponsored by the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex
Trip Leaders: Dr. Ross Hinkle and Sarah Linney
Join Dynamac Corporation Chief Scientist, Dr. Ross Hinkle, for a 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 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
Departs ONLY from KSC Visitors Complex (GATE 3) Pre-registration is a must!
Nov 20, 9:30am-12:30pm: Limited to 45 registrants; $35.00/personAudubon Center for Birds of Prey
Trip Leader: Lynda White
Join Lynda White, State Coordinator for Audubon's Eagle Watch Program, for a "Behind the Scenes" tour of Florida Audubon's Center for Birds of Prey (ACBOP). This beautiful nature center is located on the shores of Lake Sybelia in Maitland, Florida. The largest raptor rehabilitation facility east of the Mississippi, the ACBOP specializes in the rescue, medical care, rehabilitation and release of more than 600 sick, injured and orphaned raptors each year, including Bald Eagles, hawks, owls, kites, falcons and vultures. Recognized nationally as one of the premier facilities for Bald Eagle care, the center has rehabilitated and released 289 eagles back to the Florida skies since opening in 1979. Many of the non-releasable birds are housed at the center in large aviaries or in the open air "bird garden", where the glove-trained education birds spend their days.This state of the art facility includes a lab and x-ray equipment to aid in diagnosing and treating patients, a clinic equipped with indoor caging to accommodate raptors of all sizes, rehabilitation mews and three flight barns. In addition, there is extensive native landscaping and a butterfly garden to enjoy. A gazebo on the lake offers views of native wildlife, including shorebirds, osprey, the occasional Bald Eagle and otters. Education is an important mission of all Audubon Centers. Guided tours and offsite programs are offered at ACBOP, ensuring that participants learn about the role of raptors in the environment, and ways they can help to conserve and protect these "hunters of the sky". Take advantage of an opportunity to get up close and personal with our nation's symbol, the majestic Bald Eagle, or to marvel at the remarkable ears of a Barred Owl...this is nature and nurture at its best.
www.audubonofflorida.org/conservation/cbop
Nov 17 and Nov 20, 8:00am-12:30pm: Limited to 20 registrants; $30.00/personAncient and Modern Mariners of the Deep
Sponsored by Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
Trip Leaders: Dr. Duane DeFreese and David Hartgrove
Join Hubbs Sea World VP of Research, Dr. Duane DeFreese, for a look at some of the world's oldest and more recent mariners. Inhabiting earth for 150 million years, sea turtles have long intrigued people, figuring prominently in the mythology and folklore of many cultures. This fascinating trip will visit two sites. The Marine Science Center is a rehabilitation center for injured marine turtles, as well as an important environmental education center. It includes turtle tanks; a 5,000-gallon artificial reef and aquarium; manatee, whale and fish exhibits; a wet/dry lab; nature trails through maritime hammock and boardwalks over coastal dunes; as well as a brand new seabird rehabilitation sanctuary. 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 Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is a National Historic Landmark. At 175 feet, it is the second tallest lighthouse in the U.S. and the tallest open to the public. A climb to the top reveals a breathtaking view of inlet, estuary and beaches. With a glorious beacon shining over 16 nautical miles, maritime museum and lens restoration shop featuring the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse first order Fresnel lens, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse offers a tremendous opportunity to learn of our great maritime heritage.
Price includes lunch at the beautiful Inlet Harbor Seafood Restaurant.
www.hswri.org, www.cccturtle.org, www.marinesciencecenter.com, www.ponceinlet.org.
Nov 18, 7:30am-4:15pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $60.00/personHaulover Canal Fish Communications Boat Tour
Sponsor: Space Coast Nature Tours
Trip Leaders: Dr. Grant Gilmore and Captain Doug Floyd
Dr. Grant Gilmore is considered to be one of the world's leading fish ecologists. One of his 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. Watch the sun set over Mullethead Island wading bird rookery then cruise into the sheltered waters of the canal 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 another with rhythmic robust sounds that are so loud that sometimes vibrations can be felt reverberating through the bottom of the boat. The speaker volume must be turned down in order to protect participant's ears. Other animals that might be heard include manatees, dolphins, and shrimp, which sound like castanets. A veteran of fish communications studies throughout the world, Dr. Gilmore states that this region of the Indian River Lagoon system has one of the greatest diversities of species of all of the locations in which he has performed studies. This is perhaps the most unique tour of the entire festival. Don't miss this rare opportunity to spend time with Dr. Gilmore and listen to his vocalizing fish.
Price includes dinner from Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant.
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/islands01/log/sep1/sep1.html, www.spacecoastnaturetours.com, http://web.mit.edu/seagrant/aqua/cfer/acoustics/exsum/gilmore/extended.html
Directions: Meet at Bair's Cove Boat Launch on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge at 4:45pm. Cross the Titusville Bridge and follow signs to the Black Point Wildlife Drive. Go past the Drive to the stop sign at SR 3. Turn left and go approx. 4.5 miles north. Look for the brown boat launch sign on the left just before the bridge. Turn left and follow the road around to the parking area. Drive time is about 20 minutes.
Nov 18, 5:00pm-8:00pm, Limited to 34 registrants; $25.00/personHistorical Sights of Canaveral National Seashore
Trip Leaders: John Stiner, Tom Penders and Sarah Linney
With Special Thanks to the Indian River Anthropological Society
When European explorers touched the shores of the New World in the late 15th century, the northern areas of the Space Coast had been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples who were called the Timucua. They left behind a wealth of archaeological sites and resources, many of which have yet to be discovered. Among these resources are some of the largest and most extensive prehistoric shell mounds in the nation. Many were so high they were used as major navigational landmarks during early colonial times. More than 100 Pre-Columbian mounds lie within the boundaries of Canaveral National Seashore. This field trip visits three of them and the El Dora Statehouse. One of the oldest archaeological sites in Florida, Seminole Rest is a 4,000-year-old Timucuan shell midden located on the Oak Hill waterfront. Named for its resemblance to a giant turtle and used as a navigational aid for centuries, Turtle Mound shows up on Spanish maps as early as the 16th century. A climb to the top reveals a scenic panorama of ocean, estuary and beaches.Castle Windy is a smaller mound that lies in the shadows of thick coastal maritime hammock right along the edge of Mosquito Lagoon. Birding can sometimes be quite good along the trail to and on the mound as middens provide resting space and feeding areas for Neo-tropical migratory songbirds. The El Dora State house is a beautifully restored 1800's pioneer home that stands as the last remnant of an old Florida waterway community. You will enjoy investigating the lives of Native Americans that once lived here and hardy settlers who braved the wilds of Florida. This is a great trip combining historical sights and coastal birds.
Price of tour includes lunch at rustic JB'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.nbbd.com/npr/archaeology-iras, www.nps.gov/cana,
Nov 18, 8:30am-4:30pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $50.00/personPine Island Conservation Area Archaeological Project (Sams Site)
Trip Leader: Thomas Penders
With Special Thanks to the Indian River Anthropological Society
This trip will take participants through 2000 years of history. Visitors will get to see two houses associated with one of the prominent pioneer families in Brevard County History. One home is among the oldest in the county. Participants will also get to see members of the Indian River Anthropological Society work on the ongoing excavations of a 2000 year old occupation site associated with the Malabar culture. Visitors will be able to look in the screens as the soil is sifted by the archaeologists and see artifacts exposed for the first time in 2000 years. Artifacts can tell how people made a living, what they ate, where they came from or traveled to, if they traded with other people, etc. Malabar was first defined by Irving Rouse in 1951 as a unique culture located within the confines of the Indian River, beginning at the northern headwaters of the coastal Indian River lagoon and extending to its southern opening at the St. Lucie Inlet. It can be described as a transition zone between the Glades culture to the south and St. Johns culture to the north. Characteristics of the culture included the absence of corn agriculture, and differences in language, religion and social organization. Note: There are no bathroom facilities on site and the terrain can be rough so wear comfortable shoes. There will be NO access to the fossil site due to safety concerns.
www.nbbd.com/npr/archaeology-iras
November 20, 8am-12:30pm: Limited to 21 registrants; $30.00/person
Butterflies, Wildflowers, and Plants
Plants (and other things) of the North Brevard Area
Trip Leaders, Jim Stahl and Jay Barnhart
The diverse habitats in and around Brevard County include mature deciduous/semi-tropical forests, pine flatwoods, oak-palm hammocks, cypress swamps, freshwater marshes, brackish lagoons, lakes, scrub, sedge meadows, coastal dunes, and ruderal (disturbed). With so many habitats, the region supports many plant species - majestic trees, shrubs, beautiful wildflowers, grasses and sedges, and ferns. On this trip we will observe and discuss many species of plants and their habitats, plus anything else (birds, reptiles, butterflies and other insects) that we might come across. The sites we will visit will be selected during scouting trips just prior to the field trip so that areas with the best blooming plants will be on the itinerary. We will carpool from the campus gymnasium and a moderate amount of walking on dry trails will be required.
Meet in front of the BCC Gymnatorium at 9:30AM to organize the carpool. A Wildflowers Seminar will precede the field trip, 8:00am-9:15am in Gymnatorium Room 119. Bring money for lunch at one of Titusville's fine dining establishments.
Nov 16, 9:30am-3:45pm: Carpool; FreeButterflies of Tosohatchee
Trip Leaders: Buck Cooper, Linda Cooper and Jim Stahl
Tosohatchee's mixture of pine flatwoods, swamps and hammocks makes an ideal setting for an enjoyable look at butterflies. The diversity of habitat ensures a wide variety of species. With a moderate amount of walking, we should easily see Monarchs, Zebra Longwings, Eastern Tiger, Black and Giant Swallowtails, White Peacocks, Queens, Cloudless Sulphurs, Red-banded Hairstreaks, Painted Ladies, Gulf Fritillarys, Viceroys, Common Buckeyes, and a variety of skippers. Participants spotted 33 species on this trip in 2004.
No food will be provided on this trip. Please eat lunch before leaving and bring snacks.
Nov 18, 11:00am-5:00pm: Limited to 18 Registrants; $35.00/personButterflies of North Brevard
Trip leaders: Buck Cooper, Linda Cooper and Marc Minno
Beautiful fall wildflowers and a great diversity of habitats provide a cornucopia for a wide range of butterflies, including Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Zebra Longwings, White Peacocks, buckeyes, sulphurs, hairstreaks, viceroys, queens, numerous swallowtails, skippers, and more. Tour the backyard gardens, coastal areas, and weedy roadsides of North Brevard County in search of butterflies and wildflowers. Butterflies of interest include the Mangrove Buckeye, Salt Marsh Skipper, and Eastern Pygmy Blue. Participants spotted 35 species in 2003. Butterfly author, Marc Minno works to preserve rare habitats, and on conservation of threatened animals and plants, with a special emphasis on butterflies. Naturalists extraordinaire, Buck and Linda Cooper have given their time unselfishly for many years, introducing countless people to the wonders of natural Florida.
No food will be provided on this trip. Please eat lunch before leaving and bring snacks.
Nov 19, 11:00am-5:00pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/personWalk the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
Hosted by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program
Trip Leaders: Brad Manley and Jim Stahl
Titusville's 423-acre Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is the flagship property 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. In one of the few places in Brevard County where subtropical and temperate plant species are found together, visitors can also see the exposed layers of coquina rock that form the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Your guides for this easy hike will be the EEL Program's North Area Assistant Land Manager, Brad Manley, and biologist, Jim Stahl.
www.eelbrevard.com, www.nbbd.com/godo/ef
Meet at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary at 9:00 am.
Directions: Go south on US 1 through Titusville. About a mile south of town, go west on SR 407. The entrance to the Forest is just on the right, about 1/3 miles west of US 1.
Nov 20, 9:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 30 registrants; Free
Birding and Wildlife Tours
CANCELLED - Small Craft Warnings - High Seas
Pelagic Birding Offshore Cape CanaveralSponsored By Brunton Optics
Trip Leaders: Jim Danzenbaker, Andy Bankert, Wes Biggs, Jeff Bouton, Murray Gardler, Eugene Stoccardo, Adam Kent, Larry Manfredi, David Simpson and Bob Wallace
Pelagic Birds are species that are usually not seen close to land.
Long time birders know that a pelagic trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and offshore pelagic trips in Florida offer a new frontier. Join us onboard the 85-foot fishing boat, Miss Cape Canaveral, as we steam out of Port Canaveral to look for some of the most sought after species in Florida. Great views of the launch pads at Kennedy Space Center highlight the beginning and end of this trip. Something new was added last year when staff from the Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Center (located at the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet) released some birds and turtles that had been injured and disoriented during previous hurricanes. Everyone cheered as two Cory's Shearwaters and a Northern Gannet happily left the boat and our little sea turtles settled right into a patch of floating Sargasso seaweed. Seabirds will be released again this year if any are ready at the time of the trip.
Our destination is an undersea formation known as "The Steeples," a productive location of underwater cliffs and seamounts that cause upwellings and current edges, especially along western edge of the Gulf Stream. Among our targets will be Northern Gannet; Greater. Manx, Cory's, Sooty and Audubon's Shearwater; Red and Red-necked Phalarope; all three jaegers; Wilson's, Leach's and Band-rumped Storm Petrel; Sooty and Bridled Tern; and Black-legged Kittiwake. Seabirds seen on previous festival trips include Northern Gannet; Bridled Tern; Magnificent Frigatebird; Greater, Manx, Cory's and Audubon's shearwater; Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger; Brown and Masked Booby; Red and Red-necked Phalarope; and Sabine's Gull (nearly unheard of for Florida). Bottlenosed dolphins and loggerhead sea turtles are commonly seen. The endangered northern right whale is a possibility as the destination is within their wintertime calving grounds. There is always the chance of adding a new species to your Florida list.
Price includes lunch.
Larry Manfredi's Pelagic Birding Flyer
www.misscape.com, www.portcanaveral.org, www.marinesciencecenter.com, www.brunton.com
Directions: The bus leaves from Brevard Community College Titusville Campus at 6:00 AM, or you may drive yourself. Go south on US1 or I-95 (Exit 205) to SR 528. Go east on 528 and follow the signs for the South Dock. Exit from SR 528 for the South Dock, turn left and go under the overpass. Take the first left onto Dave Nisbett Drive. Go about 0.25 miles and turn right on Glen Cheek Drive. The Miss Cape Canaveral will be at the first dock, near Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar. Drive time from Titusville is about 30 minutes. You need to be at the boat by 6:30am.
Nov16, 6:00am-5:00pm: Limited to 80 Registrants; $85.00/person- CANCELLEDBoat Trip To Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Trip Leaders: PINWR Rangers Joanna Taylor & Takako Hashimoto and Betty McKeown
Birding with BJ, Inlet Marina
Enjoy a sunset cruise onboard the touring vessel, Inlet Explorer. Follow the shoreline to the Sebastian Inlet State Park, where you might see dolphins frolicking and green and loggerhead sea turtles feeding on sea grasses in the shallow, crystal-blue water. Next stop is Pelican Island, America's first National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands of birds including Brown and White Pelicans, Wood Storks, all the egret and heron species, Roseate Spoonbills, Cormorants and various shorebirds all use the island for resting, feeding and nesting. Learn first hand how this tiny island, Brown Pelicans and one man inspired our nation's wildlife conservation movement one hundred years ago, how the community has fought for its protection from various threats, and the conservation challenges it faces as we move into the twenty first century.
Price includes food from Dixie Crossroads Seafood Reataurant.
http://www.sebastianinlet.com/homepage.htm, www.fws.gov/pelicanisland, www.nbbd.com/npr/pips
Nov 17, 1:15pm-7:30pm, limited to 32 registrants; $55.00/personIndian River and Mosquito Lagoon Boat Trip
Trip Leaders: Anne Birch, Bob Day & Sharon Tyson
Vessel: The Skimmer, Space Coast nature Tours
Florida's Indian River Lagoon system is an estuary of national significance and is regarded as the most biologically diverse estuary in North America. The lagoon is home to more than 3,000 known species of plants and animals. Comprised of three major water bodies, the Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon and the Banana River Lagoon, it stretches for 156 miles along Florida's east coast. Overlapping the temperate and sub-tropical climatic zones, the lagoon's wetlands, freshwater habitats, and near shore marine conditions have blended to create an extraordinary estuarine system. In addition to estuarine waters, important lagoon habitats include mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, fringing wetlands and salt marshes, and islands created from dredge spoils. The lagoon and its coastal waters support populations of manatees, bottlenosed dolphins, American alligators, sea turtles, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, herons and egrets. Redfish, spotted sea trout, snook, tarpon, and hundreds of other fish species utilize the lagoon for spawning activities, nurseries, feeding, migration and protection. Thousands of additional plants and animals, many found only in Florida, use the lagoon. It is an important over wintering area for migratory birds - a link along the Atlantic Coastal Flyway. Within the lagoon's watershed you will find three National Wildlife Refuges, a National Seashore and numerous state and local public conservation lands distributed throughout its entire length. Without these conservation areas, the lagoon's natural wealth would just be a sliver of what we have today, for undoubtedly these areas would be developed.
Take a leisurely cruise through historic Haulover Canal to explore the waters of Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon. The deeper waters of the canal offer shelter for manatees and they can frequently be found there. Dolphins are often seen frolicking in the shallow waters near the canal's approaches. Numerous birds will be seen at Mullethead Island, one of Florida's premier bird rookery islands. This area is one of the most dynamic places to explore this area's unique association of nature and space as Space Shuttle launch pads and the massive Vehicle Assembly Building stand out as distinct landmarks in the wilderness at the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon. The trip leaders offer a variety of perspectives and knowledge about the lagoon system and together represent more than 60 years of experience on its waters. Bob Day is the Environmental Specialist with the Indian River Lagoon Program National Estuary Program. Sharon Tyson is the Environmental Specialist for the State's Coastal & Aquatic Managed Areas - East Central Florida Aquatic Preserves. Anne Birch is the Director of The Nature Conservancy's Indian River Lagoon Program. Join them to hear about their work to conserve this national and global treasure called the Indian River Lagoon.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/indianrivernorth/info.htm, http://sjrwmd.com/programs/outreach/irlnep/, www.nature.org, www.spacecoastnaturetours.com
Meet at Bair's Cove Boat Launch Area on the southwest side of Haulover Canal on the Merritt Island NWR. Please arrive early as the boat can only pull up to the dock for just enough time to load and unload passengers.
Directions: Cross the Titusville Bridge. Go about two miles. At the big curve, bear left and follow signs to Black Point Wildlife Drive. Go past the BPW Drive to the stop sign at SR 3. Turn left and go 4.25 miles north. The road to Bair's Cove is on the left before you cross the bridge over the canal. Follow the road around to the parking lot.
Nov 19, 9:00am-11:30am: Limited to 42 Registrants; $15.00/personSt Johns River Airboat Tour
Trip Leader: Captain Rick Thrift
Explore one of the most beautiful areas of the St. Johns River -- Lake Poinsett and the cypress swamps of Tosohatchee State Reserve. See some of the plant communities unique to the area, as well as a Pre-Columbian Native American shell midden, Mulberry Mound. Middens often provide resting space and feeding areas for Neotropical migrant songbirds. What will be seen will depend largely on the water levels, but alligators, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, White Pelicans, Purple Gallinules, Mottled Ducks, Blue and Green-winged Teal, Wood Storks, Sandhill Cranes, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and most of the common wading birds are likely. Roseate Spoonbills, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, Crested Caracara, Wild Turkeys, Black Skimmers, Long-billed Dowitchers, Limpkins, Sora, King Rails, and Marsh and Sedge Wrens are a possibility. Ear coverings are provided on this 1 1/2 hour trip.
Captain Rick is giving a $5.00 discount to festival attendees who register with him for this trip.
Call 321-631-2990 for times and reservations. Captain Rick assumes the sole responsibility for scheduling.
www.airboatecotours.com, www.floridariver.org
Directions: Meet in front of the Lake Poinsett Bar & Grill. From US 1 or I-95 (Exit 201), go west on SR 520. Turn left on Lake Poinsett Road, _ mile west of I-95, and go to the end of the road.Kayak the Lake Monroe Conservation Area
Trip Sponsors: A Day Away Kayak Tours, Brunton
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo, Mike Mahan, Maria Zondervan, Jim Danzenbaker
Join St. Johns River Water Management District biologists Lorne Malo and Maria Zondervan for a birding adventure by water. Meet at Cameron Wright Park before dawn as wading birds begin to rise from their roosts and fly overhead in route to their feeding areas. From there we'll paddle northward on the St. Johns River to Thornhill Lake and Brickyard Slough within the Lake Monroe CA. This 6-mile trip is recommended for beginning and experienced paddlers in good physical shape. Numerous wading birds and raptors are expected. American Bittern, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Stork, Bald Eagle, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, and Short-tailed Hawks, Crested Caracara, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Barred and Barn Owl, Purple Gallinule, King and Virginia Rail and Sandhill Crane are possible. 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 on a 6-mile walk through fields, marshes, hammocks, flatwoods and scrub; some of which may pass through mud and standing water. Please bring water and snacks. Thanks to Festival Sponsor, Pepsi/Aquafina, there's a big stack of water in the Gymnatorium Lobby. Help yourself.
Directions: Meet at Seminole County's Cameron Wight Park at 5:45am at SR 46 and the Lake Jesup Bridge. From I-95 and SR 46, go west on SR 46 for 21.7 miles. The park is on the northwest side of the bridge. Drive time is about 30 minutes from BCC Titusville.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide, www.nbbd.com/kayaknaturetours, www.brunton.com
Nov 18, 6:15am-12:00pm: Limited to 20 registrants; $30.00/person, Bring your own boat; $15.00/personSunset Hayride
Sponsored by the Ace of Hearts Ranch
Trip Leaders: Dorn Whitmore, and Sandra and Ed Vann
Watch the sunset bird show from an ideal vantage point! Join Dorn Whitmore, Merritt Island NWR Chief Ranger, and ranch owners, Sandra and Ed Vann for a slow ride through a Florida paradise on this hayride around Black Point Wildlife Drive.
www.fws.gov/merrittisland, www.aceofheartsranch.com
Meet at the entrance to the Black Point Wildlife Drive on MINWR. Park on the grass along the roadside - make sure your car is off the road. The hay-wagons will return to the departure point. Dress warmly!
Nov 19, 4:00pm-6:30pm: Limited to 28 registrants; $15.00/personFlorida Scrub-Jays and Plant Ecology of the Scrub
Sponsored by NASA and Dynamac International, Inc.
Trip Leaders: Dave Breininger and Dr. Paul Schmalzer
Scrub habitat evolved when North America was much drier, and desert animals from Texas and Mexico colonized Florida. When the oceans rose, the plants and animals remained, and evolved into an eco-system unlike any other in the world. Florida's desert-like prehistoric sand ridges are home to wondrous animals such as gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, scrub lizards, Crested Caracaras and Burrowing Owls. Dozens of plants and animals living in Florida scrub are found nowhere else in the world. One of these animals is the Florida Scrub-Jay, which lives among the low growing scrub oaks, eating and "stashing" its acorns. Join Dynamac's wildlife ecologist, Dave Breininger, and plant ecologist, Dr. Paul Schmalzer, on a NASA tour bus through restricted access areas of the Kennedy Space Center to a scrub research site where participants can view several Scrub-Jay families and their interactions. Along the way, Paul will give emphasis to some of the rare plants, including grasses that are found in scrub habitat.
www.usgs.gov search Florida Scrub-Jay, www.archbold-station.org, www.dynamac.com
A free seminar at 8:00am precedes the field trip. The seminar will be held at, and the field trip will leave from the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center.
Nov 18 & 19, 9:30am-12:30pm: Limited to 42 registrants; FreeBlack Rails and the St Johns National Wildlife Refuge
Trip leaders: Mike Legare and Murray Gardler
Join Mike Legare, US Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Manager, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, on a sunset hayride through the pristine salt marsh habitat of the restricted St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge. While riding through the marsh, Mike will talk about Black Rails, their secretive habits, salt marsh habitat and the research he conducted on these elusive marsh birds. The marshes of the St Johns River west and northwest of Titusville are the only marshes along the St Johns where Black Rails are found. That's because 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 NWR. As the sun sets on the marsh horizon, Mike will stop at different places and play tapes to try to entice Black Rails to call.
Parking at the site is a challenge. Please meet in front of the Gymnatorium at 4:15pm to compress into a car pool that utilizes as few cars as possible. Wear long pants, old shoes and bring water and mosquito repellant.
Nov 17 & 18, 4:15pm- 6:45pm: Limited to 30 registrants; $25.00/personHike Lyonia Preserve
Trip Leader: Candy Hill
Florida Trail Association
Join Florida Trail Association activity leader Candy Hill, a certified Florida Master Naturalist, for an exploration of Volusia County's premier scrub conservation area, Lyonia Preserve in Deltona. Best known for its dense population of Florida Scrub-Jays, it is the top location in Central Florida to observe this endemic species up close, with more than 10% of Florida's total population of Scrub-Jays concentrated in this 300 acre preserve. Great photo opportunities! The 2.1-mile loop also passes over the highest accessible point in Volusia County at 50 feet above sea level, overlooking a vast wetlands area where Sandhill Cranes are often seen. www.floridatrail.org
Directions: Meet at the Deltona Public Library at 9:00am. From Mims, follow SR 46 west to Sanford to reach I-4. From Sanford, follow I-4 east to exit 114, Orange City. Turn right off the exit ramp and follow SR 472 east into Deltona for 2.5 miles to Providence Blvd. Turn right. Turn right after 0.7 mile on Eustace Ave. The entrance is immediately on the left at a big scrub jay sign for the Deltona Public Library. The trailhead is on the right side of the library. Drive time from Sanford is 20 minutes, drive time from Titusville, 1.5 hours.
Nov 17, 9:00am-11:30pm: Limited to 25 registrants; FreeDicerandra Scrub Sanctuary Walk
Trip Leaders: Brad Manley, Suzanne Kennedy, Dr. Ray Ashton, Jay Barnhart, and Dean Pettit
This Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands property consists mostly of scrubby flatwoods, and a large depression marsh. It is adjacent to the Titusville Wellfield, which also supports scrub, extending the protection area and enhancing the Sanctuary. Protected plant and wildlife species documented on site include Scrub-Jays, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, and Dicerandra thinicola, a rare scrub mint known only to occur in the northern region of Brevard County. Your guides for this hike will be plant ecologist, Suzanne Kennedy of Floravista, Inc., an ecological landscaping, restoration, and consulting company; gopher tortoise expert, Dr Ray Ashton of Ashton Biodiversity Research & Preservation Institute, Inc. in Newberry FL; avid wild mushroom hobbyist, Dr. Jay Barnhart; Brad Manley, North Region Land Manager for the EELs Program; and Dean Pettit, Chair of the Titusville Environmental Commission, who spear-headed the establishment of a multi-use recreational trail through the classic scrub habitat at the wellfield.
www.eelbrevard.com, www.ashtonbiodiversity.org, www.fnps.org, www.fnai.org/descriptions.cfm , www.floravista.net
Directions: From I-95 take SR-50 Exit 215 east 3 miles. Turn right on Key Largo Drive, go 0.4 miles and turn right on Karen Drive. Go less than 0.1 mile, turn right and go to the end of Melissa Drive. Enter on foot. From US-Hwy 1 go west 0.7 miles on SR-50. Turn left on Key Largo Drive-follow directions above.
Nov 18, 9:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 30 registrants; FreeHike Lake Proctor Wilderness Area
Trip Leader: Tony Flohre
Florida Trail Association
Join Florida Trail Association member Tony Flore, an informative activity leader from the Indian River Chapter, for a morning walk through the diverse habitats of the Lake Proctor Wilderness Area in Geneva. The outer loop of the 6 mile trail system leads several miles through this 475 acre tract, where you'll experience a little bit of every Central Florida ecosystem, from sand pine scrub and bayhead to sandhills, pine flatwoods, and wetlands. Birding is excellent along the flatwoods ponds on the west side of the loop. Wildlife is abundant in this preserve. Watch for Sandhill Cranes, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Wood Ducks; you may even encounter white-tailed deer. This trip will require a fair amount of walking, some in hilly areas. www.floridatrail.org
Directions: Meet at the parking lot for Lake Proctor Wilderness Area at 8:00am. From Sanford, go east on SR 46 through Geneva. Just beyond the intersection of SR 426 and SR 46, keep alert for the trailhead parking area on the left. From Mims, go west on SR 46 almost to the traffic light in Geneva. Parking area will be on the right. If you reach the stoplight, you went too far. Bring water and snacks. Drive time from Mims is approximately 25 minutes.
Nov 19, 8:00am-11:30m: Limited to 25 registrants; FreeLake Monroe Conservation Area
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo, Maria Zondervan, Carlos Bethancourt and Faustino Sanchez
Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory
St Johns River Water Management District biologist, Lorne Malo, will lead this walk into the Lake Monroe CA. This conservation area contains 90% of the floodplain of Lake Monroe and covers more than 3 miles of St Johns River and Lake Monroe shoreline. Wetlands make up 94% of the conservation area. The fields, marshes, hammocks, flatwoods and scrub at this site are good for marsh birds, warblers and sparrows. Numerous wading birds and raptors are expected along with deer and alligators. Wild Turkey, Florida Scrub-Jay, Bachman's, Vesper, and Grasshopper Sparrows, American Bittern, Wood Stork, Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Bald Eagle, Short-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Crested Caracara, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Virginia Rail, Limpkin, and Sandhill Crane have all been recorded here. This is a five-mile walk; some of which may pass through mud and standing water.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide, www.canopytower.com
Nov 16, 5:30am-12:15pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/personLittle-Big Econ State Forest
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo, Jim Danzenbaker and Alexander Dzib
Ecoparaiso Hotel Xixim, Brunton
St Johns River Water Management District biologist, Lorne Malo, will lead this trip to visit two sections of the State Forest, starting at the Barr St. entrance of the Demetree Tract with a hike through open fields and riparian woodlands to the Econlockhatchee River. Here Sedge Wren, Hermit Thrush, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Headed Vireo, Northern Parula, Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green Warbler, and Northern Oriole might be found. Next we'll visit the Kilbee Tract portion of the State Forest along the St. Johns River in search of raptors, marsh birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and songbirds. Approximately 160 species of birds have been recorded at the Little Big Econ State Forest. Walking distance for combined sites will be 5 to 6 miles; some of which may pass through mud and standing water.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide www.ecoparaiso.com, www.brunton.com
Nov 17, 5:30am-12:15pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/personNorth Brevard Hotspots
Trip Leaders:
Nov 17: Doug Stuckey, Andy Bankert and Sarah Linney - FILLED
Nov 18, Doug Stuckey, Bob Paxson and Michael Feiberg - Nikon
Nov 19, Doug Stuckey, Bob Paxson and Andy Bankert
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 productive, yet lesser-known areas -- Seminole Ranch, Hatbill Park, Salt Lake, Buck Lake, Scottsmoor Landing, Hog Valley, Hammock Road, and others. Along with the usual wading birds, shorebirds and waterfowl, these areas might produce tantalizing species like Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman's Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, and Painted Bunting. Carolina Chickadee, various woodpeckers, Loggerhead Shrike, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, Florida Scrub-Jay and Sandhill Crane are possible. 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. This trip had the highest species count of any festival field trip, with 104 species accumulated on the three field trips in 2004. Specific sites to be visited will be determined during pre-festival scouting trips. This field trip requires a moderate amount of walking.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide, www.nikonsportoptics.com
Nov17,18 & 19, 6:00am-12:15pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/person
November 17 field trip is filled.Tosohatchee State Reserve & Orlando Wetlands Park
Trip Leaders: Phyllis Mansfield, Victor Emanuel and Barry Lyons
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
Shaped by alternating cycles of fire and flood, Tosohatchee State Reserve is a mosaic of marshes, swamps, pine flatwoods and hammocks that support wading birds, marsh birds, waterfowl, raptors and pineland specialties such as Bachman's Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, and Red-headed Woodpecker. Some of the threatened and endangered species found here include Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, and, on rare occasions, the Florida panther. At Orlando Wetlands Park, Manager, Mark Sees, will join the group to lead a tour of nearly 1200 acres of beautiful created wetlands that include cattail and bulrush marshes, mixed and open marshes, hardwood swamps and a lake. Numerous wading birds and wintering ducks, and often Purple Gallinules, Least and American Bitterns, Limpkins and King Rails can be found foraging in the marshes.
www.floridastateparks.org, search Tosohatchee, www.cityoforlando.net, search parks, www.ventbird.com
Nov. 17 & 18, 6:00am-12:15pm, Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/personCentral Florida Specialties
Trip Leaders: Wes Biggs, Dave Goodwin and Eugene Stoccardo
Florida Nature Tours
The extensive wetland and prairie complexes of Central Florida host a variety of wading and waterbirds including almost all of Florida's herons and egrets, least and American Bitterns, Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Storks, Limpkins, King Rails, Anhingas, Grebes, shorebirds and various ducks as well as a unique suite of birds that includes the Florida Sandhill Crane, Crested Caracara, Burrowing Owl, Mottled Duck and Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. This tour will start at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area in the early morning hours to try to catch a glimpse of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Other pineland species expected at Three Lakes include Bachman's Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pine Warbler and Eastern Bluebird. White-tailed Kite is a possibility. Next stop is Overstreet Landing on Lake Kissimmee to look for Whooping Cranes that have been reintroduced to the Kissimmee River prairie. Whooping Cranes have long inspired the human imagination with their tall and elegant stature, longevity and complex mating and courtship behaviors. Their bugling or rattling calls are haunting and beautiful. FWCC wildlife biologist, Marty Folk, will meet the group to demonstrate tracking equipment used on Whooping Cranes on Nov 17. Marty has practically been living with the cranes since the first birds were reintroduced to the region in 1993. FWCC wildlife biologist, Jeannette Parker, will do the demonstration on Nov 19. Overstreet Landing is a good place to look for Snail Kites, Bald Eagles and various raptors; Mottled Ducks and other waterfowl; shorebirds, such as Long-billed Dowitcher;; Purple Gallinules; and wading birds, including Limpkins. Crested Caracara, Eastern Bluebird, American kestrel, Sandhill Crane and Wild Turkey are usually seen along the road into the Landing. Following lunch, a trip to Lake Lizzie Park will hopefully produce Red-headed Woodpecker and Florida Scrub-Jay. If time allows, other possible sites to be visited include Whaley's Landing, Cypress Lake and Lake Kissimmi.
Price includes lunch at Forever Florida Wilderness Preserve.
www.floridaconservation.org, www.whoopingcrane.com, www.bringbackthecranes.org, www.floridaeco-safaris.com/
Nov 17 & 19, 5:00am-5:00pm: Limited to 28 registrants; $60.00/personSouth Brevard and North Indian River County - FILLED
Trip leaders: David Simpson, Andy Bankert and Kevin Karlson
Birding With David Simpson, Jaeger Tours
This field trip will leave early in order to observe red-cockeaded woodpeckers leaving their nest cavities at sunrise. First stop is the St. Sebastian River Buffer Preserve State Park. This 22,000-acre site serves as a home to many of the sought after pine woods specialties. Six families of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers call the preserve their home. Bachman's Sparrows are abundant, though difficult to see in the winter months. Brown-headed nuthatches are often encountered among the mixed species feeding flocks. There will be a hay ride through the interior of the preserve where David, who works at the preserve, will give you the inside scoop on how the preserve is managed for these special birds and their habitats. Next stop will be the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management area. This area was part of the St. John's River until it was drained and converted to agriculture in the early part of last century. Recently, this section was diked and flooded in order to maintain waterfowl habitat. Many species of ducks can be seen including Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Marsh birds such as Purple Gallinules are usually in attendance. This site may require some walking to get to where the birds are. After lunch we will head to historic Jungle Trail where we will take a look at Pelican Island NWR, America's first wildlife refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided us with a scenic boardwalk overlook of the island where it all began. Painted and Indigo Buntings are often seen in the old orange groves along the road and near the boardwalk. Our last stop will be at Sebastian Inlet State Park. The beaches and tidal pools host many gulls, terns, and shorebirds. Buntings and sparrows can be found in the weedy edges near the dunes. Gannets and jaegers stream by on the ocean when winds are conducive to migration. http://homepage.mac.com/simpsondavid/index.html, www.jaegertours.net
Lunch is served at Marsh Landing in Fellsmere. Enjoy some down home southern cooking while learning a bit about the history of this interesting area in the former Fellsmere Estates building. This was one of the hubs of the Great Florida Land Boom of the 1920's. Lunch is included in field trip price.
Nov 18, 4:30am-5:00pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $60.00/person
This field trip is filled.Zellwood/Lake Apopka
Trip Leaders: Dr. Gian Basili, Wes Biggs, Dave Goodwin and Eugene Stoccardo
Florida Nature Tours
Despite its long history of great birding, this area may well be one of the very best, but least- known birding areas on the entire Eastern Seaboard. Thousands of acres of marshes on the north shore of Lake Apopka were drained back in the 1930s, creating huge muck farms. A series of dikes and canals were created, and the farms fed millions for three quarters of a century. Common farming practices required that the fields be flooded each summer to kill nematodes. Over a period of several weeks the water was drained back into the lake, creating an ideal habitat for migrating shorebirds at exactly the right time. By the early 1950s birders began to visit the areas and always received great cooperation and understanding from the land owners, from the early farmers to the St. Johns River Water Management District which purchased the farmlands in the late 1990s in order to restore the area to its historic marshes.
The summer of 1998 was the last time that the farm fields were flooded, and many of them were not drained. By that fall a unique habitat consisting of impoundments of varying depths and fields of mud and weeds was created. Shorebirds that would have left in previous years remained into winter and were joined by unprecedented numbers of waterfowl and, in the fields of weeds, large numbers of sparrows, flycatchers and other passerines. Foreseeing the possibilities, Wes Biggs assembled a team of birders, and the first Zellwood/Apopka Christmas Bird Count tallied an amazing 174 species with another 10 seen during count week; a new North American high count for an inland location. As the winter progressed, however, a major bird die-off took place. Apparently years of farming polluted the fish living primarily in the canals, and fish-eating birds such as American White Pelicans that, in previous years would not have been, there began dying off. Flooded areas were drained, the contaminated soil removed and the area closed to the public. Years of testing indicate that the contaminants are now gone, and the area should be open to the general public in the next few years. Despite the closure, the SJRWMD has been very supportive of the birding community, allowing continued access under special circumstances. For example, they encourage people to participate in their monthly bird surveys, and provide a great deal of help each year with the Christmas Bird Count which still records 150 or more species each year. Highlights in past years include as many as 13 species of sparrows, including rarities such as LeConte's and Clay-colored, and large numbers of flycatchers. More than 100 Western Kingbirds and up to a dozen Scissor-tailed Flycatchers have been seen at a huge winter kingbird roost. In recent years Cassin's, Tropical and Gray Kingbirds have shown up as well as numbers of Ash-throated Flycatchers
SJRWMD staff has also made special accommodations for viewing rare birds when they are found. The first state records of Rough-legged Hawk and Eurasian Kestrel are the best examples. The first state record of Ferruginous Hawk, second state record of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, White-cheeked Pintail and Ross' Goose are among some of the other rarities that have been found there over the years. Bring money as the bus will stop at a carry-out restaurant before the return trip. Don't eat too much if you're planning on attending the Sunday Social at the Ace of Hearts Ranch.
Bring money. The bus will stop at a carry-out restaurant before the return trip. Don't eat a lot if you plan to attend the Sunday Social at the Ace of Hearts Ranch.
Nov 18 & 20, 5:00am-1:30pm: Limited to 28 registrants; $45.00/personViera Wetlands
Leaders: Larry Manfredi, Dave Freeland, and Betty Mckeown
Larry Manfredi Birding Tours, Birding With BJ
Viera Wetlands is a series of connected ponds created to treat wastewater from the Central Brevard area. Since opening in 2001, this site has rapidly gained recognition as a premier birding destination. During fall and winter, a remarkable diversity of bird species uses these wetlands and nearby prairie hammocks and cabbage palm savannahs. An active Bald Eagle nest is visible from the dike road, a family of Crested Caracaras maintains a territory around the wetlands, and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are regularly seen. Thousands of wintering ducks concentrate here, including green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mottled Duck, Mallard, Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead and Ruddy Duck. Ponds on the north side of the complex are productive for shorebirds when water levels are low, especially during migration. Since opening in 2000,Viera Wetlands has been visited by several rarities, including the first US record Mangrove Swallow.
www.spacecoastbirding.com/articles/FirstMangroveSwallow.pdf, www.southfloridabirding.com
Nov19,& 20, 6:00am-12:15pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/person
The Saturday Field Trip is FILLEDHal Scott Regional Preserve
Trip Leaders:
Lorne Malo, Alex Vinokur and
Nov 19, Kurt Beate, Nomadtrek and Tapir Lodge,
Nov 20, Xavier Munoz, Neblina Forest Birding Tours
Join St. Johns River Water Management District biologist Lorne Malo in pursuit of some of east Orange County's resident birds and pineland specialties. 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 the river. The trip leaves early to start at an active Red-cockaded Woodpecker colony as the birds awaken from their roost. From there the group will explore pine flatwoods and the Econlockhatchee River swamp in search of other common resident species, including Eastern Bluebird, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman's Sparrow, Wood Duck, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle and Barred Owl. With some luck, visitors may find Wild Turkey, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed, Hairy and Pileated Woodpecker (8 WP species on 2003 festival field trip), Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Sedge and Marsh Wren, King Rail and Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawk. In addition to many bird species, alligators, deer, gopher tortoises, otters, bobcats and indigo snakes may also be found. This is a 4-mile walk; some of which may pass through mud and standing water.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide, www.nomadtrek.com, www.neblinaforest.com
Nov 19 & 20, 5:15am-12:30pm: Limited to18 registrants; $35.00/personCanaveral Marshes and Blue Heron Created Wetlands
Trip Leaders: Judy Dryja, Dan Click and Matt and Lora Heyden
Explore the engineered wetlands of Blue Heron, an outstanding birding site and magnet for wildlife, and the neighboring fresh-water floodplain habitats of Canaveral Marshes. American Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Hairy Woodpecker, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-crowned Night-Heron, black-necked stilt, Gadwall, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Bobolink and Gull-billed Tern are just a few of well over 100 bird species sighted at Blue Heron. Canaveral Marshes' upland hammocks will be visited, one of which sits atop a Native American shell midden. Volunteers who conducted monthly surveys in 2001 and 2002 recorded approximately 154 species of birds on this property, including American Bittern, Fulvous Whistling-duck, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Long-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Crested Caracara, King and Virginia rails, American Pipit, Wilson's Snipe, Sedge and Marsh Wren, and Peregrine Falcon. Birders may get their feet wet on the moderate hike at Canaveral Marshes and see alligators, sometimes lots of them, at Blue Heron.
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/outreach/pubs/recguide
Nov 20, 6:00am-12:30pm: Limited to 18 registrants; $35.00/person
Click here to send eMail inquiries about the Festival or Contest.
