North Shore Birding Festival

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, December 5, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Date: December 5 - 9, 2024