Dori Eldridge and Sheila Klink will lead a guided bird walk at the St. George Island State Park Youth Camp. Registration is limited to 15 participants. $6 per vehicle state park admission fee or State Park Annual Pass. Carpooling is encouraged. It will start at 8:30 AM in front of the restrooms and will end at about 10:30 AM.

To register, click this email link, apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com, and please include your email and mobile phone number, and the names and contact information for any other people you are registering.

Banner photo: American Redstart by Bonnie Samuelsen

This outing is fully booked , but if you would like to have your name added to the waiting list or if you have any questions, click this email link, apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com , and please include your email and mobile phone number, and the names and contact information for any other people you are registering.

This outing is fully booked , but if you would like to have your name added to the waiting list or if you have any questions, click this email link, apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com, and please include your email and mobile phone number, and the names and contact information for any other people you are registering.

Opened to the public on October 18, 2023, Debbie Lightsey Nature Park and Golden Aster Trail is the newest addition to Tallahassee's nationally-recognized assortment of parks, green space and nature trails. It is located in Southwest Tallahassee on Capital Circle SW, along the Bradford Chain of Lakes.

The Park is filled with beautiful vegetation and wildlife species that can be spotted year-round, such as Great Blue Herons, Great White Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Wood Storks, Ospreys, Anhingas, monarch butterflies, buttonbush and cypress, red maple and black gum trees.

The park is accessible by car and is connected to a multi-use, asphalt pathway that runs along Capital Circle.

Trip leader: Don Morrow

Location: St. Marks NWR Visitor Center

Description:

Limited to 20 Participants.

This outing is fully booked , but if you would like to have your name added to the waiting list or if you have any questions, click this link email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com and be sure to include your mobile phone number and those for any for whom you are signing up.

December is prime duck time at St. Marks. Based on current conditions, we will be trying to maximize sightings of duck species, while also including other wintering birds. Expect to see between 50 and 75 species during the course of the field trip.

We will drive the thirteen-mile round trip from the Visitor Center to the Lighthouse, making several stops based on then-current conditions. One stop may include a 1.75-mile hike. The remaining stops should have minimal walking.

After meeting up at 8:00 AM, we will be carpooling from the visitor's center in order to reduce our carbon footprint. We’ll break briefly for lunch. The 2:00 pm end time is aspirational and I plan to continue birding after the field trip. Anyone can join me, but everyone is free to leave after 2:00 pm.

Mid-December weather can be freezing to warm, often during the same day. Dress in layers. Bring optics, lunch, water, sunscreen and a joyful attitude. This will be a good day of birding.

We have some loaner binoculars, so please let us know if you need to borrow a pair for this trip.

Banner photo by: Bill Everitt

See our group photo and eBird list below!

Trip leader: Kristan Godbeer

Location: Lafayette Heritage Trail Park

Description:

We will meet at 7:15 AM in the parking lot at the end of Heritage Park Blvd, near the restroom building to sign the liability waiver. The trail is about 3 miles and will provide opportunities to see and hear Ospreys and Bald Eagles, woodland birds, as well as aquatic and wading birds on Lake Piney Z and Lower Lake Lafayette. This is an easy hike, but on natural terrain, and good hiking shoes are recommended. Be sure to bring water with you and bug spray is recommended.

We have loaner binoculars if you do not have a pair of your own. Please let us know that you will need a pair when you register for the trip.

This outing is fully booked. If you would like to have your name added to the waiting list or if you have any questions, click this link apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your mobile phone number.

Kristan Godbeer originally hails from the United Kingdom, where he caught the bird bug early, having grown up surrounded by birds and bird enthusiasts. He and his wife Hiliary are recent arrivals to Florida. They fell in love with the Tallahassee area while exploring the Southeast and decided to move here in November 2022. Kristan can be found birding at Audubon events, St. Marks NWR, and the many other parks in and around Tallahassee. Read more about Kristan, who is also serving on the Apalachee Audubon Board of Directors.

Lafayette Heritage Trail Park eBird List

Nov 11, 2023, 7:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.98 miles
225 Minutes
43 species

4 Wood Duck

8 Pied-billed Grebe

6 Common Gallinule

1 American Coot

5 Anhinga

31 Double-crested Cormorant

1 Little Blue Heron

1 Western Cattle Egret

7 Great Egret

2 Great Blue Heron

2 White Ibis

2 Osprey

2 Bald Eagle

1 Red-shouldered Hawk

1 Red-tailed Hawk

3 Belted Kingfisher

4 Red-bellied Woodpecker

1 Downy Woodpecker

3 Pileated Woodpecker

2 Northern Flicker

5 Eastern Phoebe

2 White-eyed Vireo

4 Blue Jay

1 American Crow

2 Fish Crow

9 Carolina Chickadee

4 Tufted Titmouse

5 Tree Swallow

1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- Description: Swallow. Tail not forked. Drab brown above, dusky throat, pale belly, white undertail coverts. Observed by more than one member of the group.

8 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

3 House Wren

6 Carolina Wren

2 Northern Mockingbird

4 Eastern Bluebird

2 Hermit Thrush

1 House Finch

1 Swamp Sparrow

22 Red-winged Blackbird

2 Common Yellowthroat

10 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Yellow-throated Warbler

11 Northern Cardinal

See our group photo and eBird list below!

Juli deGrummond will be leading this walk. Michael Dayton, the original trip leader, had to cancel.

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park is a great spot for migrating birds. We will be looking for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, thrushes like Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked, and Warblers like Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, and Chestnut-sided.

We will meet bright and early — 7:00 AM—at Phipps Park Gate B where we will sign waivers and listen for birds. This is just up the street from the soccer field complex parking lot. We will walk approximately 3-4 miles. The trails are relatively easy, but do have some topography and occur on natural terrain. This trip will be limited to 15 people.

We have loaner binoculars if you do not have a pair of your own. Please let us know that you will need a pair when you register for the trip.

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park eBird List

Oct 14, 2023 7:19 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.95 miles
141 minutes
28 species

duck sp. 7 Quick fly over probably Wood, Ducks or Blue-wing Teal.

Chimney Swift 10

White Ibis 3

Great Horned Owl 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker 3

Downy Woodpecker 2

Pileated Woodpecker 1

Eastern Phoebe 2

Blue Jay 10

American Crow 2

Carolina Chickadee 3

Tufted Titmouse 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2

White-breasted Nuthatch 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3

House Wren 1

Carolina Wren 9

Gray Catbird 11

Brown Thrasher 1

Eastern Bluebird 7

Wood Thrush 1

Eastern Towhee 4

Red-winged Blackbird 15

Black-and-white Warbler 2

Common Yellowthroat 1

Palm Warbler 12

Pine Warbler 1

Scarlet Tanager 1

Northern Cardinal 16

This will be a single day, caravan road trip. For those who do not wish to drive please let us know that you would like to ride with one of the driving participants. For those who want to, or are willing to drive please let us know if you have space in your car for any participants who would like to be a passenger.

We will meet up between 7-7:15 AM in Village Commons (where Fresh Market is located). We will meet in the parking lot in front of Newk's and Village Pizza in the lot near the electric car charging stations. We will aim to hit the road at 7:30 AM This will be a full day of birding and traveling. Please bring a packed lunch, snacks, and plenty of water! Also bug spray and sun protection is recommended.

Our first stop will be Rest Stop 265 in Madison County. This is about an hour's drive from Tallahassee. At this rest stop we will take a break from being in the car and do a little birding. This is a known location for White-winged Dove, which is considered a rarity in this county.

Next we will head to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park's main entrance. This is a state park and there is a fee to enter the park unless you have a state park pass. We will enter and head to the visitor center and then for those who wish to we will go up the observation tower. Here we can hope to see the visiting Whooping Crane, Sandhill Cranes, lots of egrets, herons, ibis, and possibly wild horses and bison. Depending on what is being seen at the time we may go for a walk on either the Wachoota Trail or the Cones Dikes Trail. Both trails are pretty well developed but may have some rough surfaces and/or mud. Good hiking shoes are recommended.

After spending some time in the main park we will make a short drive to the Paynes Prairie Ecopass which has a nice boardwalk which is great for seeing Snail Kites, Limpkins, and lots of waders. Depending on time and what is being seen in the area from here we will go to La Chua Trail or Bolen Bluff Trail. Both of these are well developed trails with parts that are in the open sun. Sun hats and/or sun block are suggested for these areas.

We will aim to get back on the road to Tallahassee by 3:30-4:00 PM putting us back in town around 5:30-6:00 PM.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com, and please include your mobile phone number.

Bring the kids and join us for a family-friendly Birding Social at the Joe Budd Youth Conservation Center at the Joe Budd WMA. We will start out at the center where Assistant Director Patti Brown will show us their wildlife exhibits and talk about their activities. JBYCC’s conservation education programs are designed to give kids and families positive, memorable experiences in the outdoors. Then we will explore the bluebird nest box trail, about a 1.5 mile loop, where AAS intern Cierra Nelson and volunteers from the FAMU Outdoors Club installed 8 nest boxes in 2022. Christian Watson-Kerr, our current intern has been monitoring the nest boxes this spring.

This is an easy hike across natural terrain. Wear sturdy shoes or boots, dress for the weather, and bring insect repellent, water, and snacks.

Open fields surrounded by wooded areas can make for interesting birding. Afterwards, we might bird along the roads at the WMA. 

Sign up for this trip

NOTE: This trip was originally scheduled for April 8, but due to inclement weather, we have rescheduled it for April 22.

Location: 8125 Pat Thomas Pkwy., Quincy, FL 32351

Description: The Bear Creek Educational Forest is a 492-acre tract of Lake Talquin State Forest. We will hike the Bear Creek Trail (2.2 miles) and potentially some of the other short loop trails if time allows. Please meet in the parking lot at 8:15 AMto sign waivers. Bring sunscreen if necessary, plenty of water, and snacks. Because the weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, dress in layers. This is a birding social not a guided trip. We will meet up and bird together without a designated guide.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com, and please include your mobile phone number.

Our scenic trek will span diverse wooded habitats and features a stream complete with waterfalls, babbling brook, and lagoon. We’ll begin at the Redbug trailhead and decline steadily until reaching the stream where we’ll follow it for approximately a mile. This stream is a reliable spot for migrating Waterthrushes and mixed species flocks are often found flitting around, actively foraging in its vicinity. We’ll be keying in on these flocks in search of migrants like Hooded, Prairie, and Prothonotary Warblers, and American Redstarts, as well as Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, and Summer Tanagers. 

Once we stray from the stream and begin our loop back to the ballpark, we could find migrant species like Worm-eating and Kentucky Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewees, and possibly some thrushes. If we’re really lucky we could even see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak or Scarlet Tanager on the latter half of our trip. 

Phipps Park is located in the Red Hills region and our walk will reflect this. Expect moderate elevation changes (by Florida standards), and hard clay trails characterized by trip hazards. 

Overall the walk will be about four miles, and we’ll plan to spend an hour birding each one. Bring plenty of bug spray and water.

10 people max, 4 hours, 4 miles

Trip Leader: Julie deGrummond

Fees: Applicable park entrance fee ($6/vehicle or park pass) 

This trip will feature a guided walk with Juli along park trails. The planned Jungle Boat Tour Cruise has been canceled. For those who are interested, lunch at the lodge afterwards. Park admission is required and if you don’t already have a park pass you can buy a day pass online ahead of time, or pay when you arrive at the park’s entry booth.

We will start out at 8:30 AM, birding the area around the parking lot, and wrap up around 10:30 AM.  The walk will be approximately 1.5-2 miles and fairly easy for much of it, but there will be some trails with roots and/or sand.  We will also stroll down to the spring-head and look across from the dock there. We will see lots of vultures, a variety of egrets and herons, White Ibis, Double-crested Cormorants, Pied-billed Grebes, Common Gallinules, and Osprey. 

In the wooded areas, anticipate seeing a variety of passerines such as Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, etc… We also should find Red-bellied, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers. Mid March should be an interesting time and we will be keeping an eye out for early spring migrants.

CANCELED due to overbooking: Jungle Cruise Boat Tour. This will be an add-on opportunity and not an official part of the field trip. It will be lead by Wakulla Springs personnel. Juli will do her best to add bird information for anyone who comes along on this ride. We want to encourage anyone who is interested to join this cruise.  Reservations for the Jungle Cruise Tour should be made prior to arriving at the park. Call the lodge to order tickets (855) 632-4559 or book your tickets online.

Join us Saturday for a casual walk at Lake Elberta and bring along your young ones! We will check out the Chimney Swift tower, bluebird nest box, and bat house, and look for spring migrating birds. Register by sending an email to ApalacheeAudubon@gmail.com, and be sure to include your mobile phone number.

When you register for this gathering, let us know if you need binoculars. We have a limited number of loaners and we will also bring a spotting scope to take a closer look at birds and other wildlife at the park.

We’ll meet up at 8:45 AM at the gazebo by the parking lot on Lake Bradford Rd to sign liability waivers.

There is limited parking at the park, but there is parking available along FAMU Way and you can enter the park from Stearns St.

12 people enjoyed a sunny, if chilly, day of paddling and birding the Aucilla River. Two eBird lists were submitted. The Suwannee River Water Management District's Cuba Bay Tract in Madison County (14 Species observed | 29 individuals) and a stretch of the Aucilla River in Jefferson County (23 Species observed | 77 individuals). Enjoy these photos from the trip.

Join Tall Timbers' conservation coordinator and AAS board member Peter Kleinhenz for a remote and enchanting trip down a rarely-paddled section of the Aucilla River. This route will begin at the Suwannee River Water Management District's Cuba Bay Tract and end at the Highway 19/27 bridge just outside of Lamont. The total distance will be approximately 5.5 river miles. Along the way, you will pass by some of the largest bald cypress trees that exist in North Florida, intact bottomland hardwood forest, and will experience one of Florida's wildest rivers at its wildest. 

The trip will be limited to 10 attendees and boats will not be provided. Depending on water levels there may be as many as 5 log crossings or times when paddlers must leave their boats. 

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

CANCELED DUE TO BAD WEATHER.
We plan to reschedule this for April, date TBD.

Birding Social at Bear Creek Educational Forest
Location: 8125 Pat Thomas Pkwy., Quincy, FL 32351

Description: The Bear Creek Educational Forest is a 492-acre tract of Lake Talquin State Forest. We will hike the Bear Creek Trail (2.2 miles) and potentially some of the other short loop trails if time allows. Please meet in the parking lot at 8:15 AMto sign waivers. Bring sunscreen if necessary, plenty of water, and snacks. Because the weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, dress in layers. This is a birding social not a guided trip. We will meet up and bird together without a designated guide.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

Trip leader: Michael Dayton

Location: 4000 N Meridian Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32312

Description: Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park is a great overwintering spot for birds. We will target Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-headed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, and American Goldfinch. We will meet at Phipps Park Gate B at 7:30 to sign waivers. This is just up the street from the soccer field complex parking lot. We will walk approximately 3-4 miles. The trails are relatively easy, but do have some topography and occur on natural terrain. This trip will be limited to 15 people.

 To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

Location: Garden of Eden Rd, Bristol, FL 32321

Description: The Garden of Eden Trail passes through longleaf pine wiregrass uplands and descends into beautiful steephead ravines and slope forests. This hike is famously known for its incredible view of the Apalachicola River from 135 feet above. Please meet in the parking lot at 7:45 to sign waivers. The trail is 3.75 miles round trip, and the hike is quite steep and arduous. Hiking/trekking poles are recommended. Please bring sunscreen, plenty of water, and snacks. Because the weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, dress in layers. This is a birding social not a guided trip. We will meet up and bird together without a designated guide.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

Trip leader: Don Morrow

Location: St. Marks NWR Visitor Center

Description:

NOTE: We are holding our December outings a week early.)

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

December is prime duck time at St. Marks. Based on current conditions, we will be trying to maximize sightings of duck species, while also including other wintering birds. Expect to see between 50 and 75 species during the course of the field trip. We will drive the thirteen-mile round trip from the Visitor Center to the Lighthouse, making several stops based on then-current conditions. One stop may include a 1.75-mile hike. The remaining stops should have minimal walking. We will be carpooling from the visitors center in order to limit our carbon footprint. We’ll break briefly for lunch. The 2:00 PM end time is aspirational.

Plans are to continue birding after the field trip. Anyone is welcome to join in, but feel free to leave at that time. Mid-December weather can be freezing to warm, often during the same day. Dress in layers. Bring optics, lunch, water, sunscreen and a joyful attitude.This will be a good day of birding.

Banner photo by: Bill Everitt

Start/end time: 8:00 AM 11:00 AM

Location: 4900 Heritage Park Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32311

Estimate walking length: 3 miles

Description:

NOTE: We are holding our December outings a week early.

To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

Meet in the parking lot at the end of Heritage Park Blvd at 7:45 AM to sign the liability waiver. The trail is about 3 miles and will provide opportunities to see and hear woodland birds as well as aquatic and wading birds on Lake Piney Z and Lower Lake Lafayette, and Ospreys and Bald Eagles. This is an easy hike, but on natural terrain.

This is a birding social not a guided trip. We will meet up and bird together without a designated guide.

Sparrow Birding & Banding Field Trip at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy

Trip leader: Jim Cox

Location: Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy - 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee FL 32312

Estimate walking length: We will mostly be traveling by wagon, with some walking during stops

Description: We will be limiting this trip to 20 people, so please email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com to reserve a spot.

What better way than to identify those difficult overwintering sparrows than by seeing them in the hand? Join Jim Cox, head of the Stoddard Bird Lab at Tall Timbers, for a sparrow-focused field trip and banding demonstration. Tall Timbers is a national hub for prescribed fire science, rare and endemic species research, and has a renowned land trust that has put nearly 150,000 acres under conservation easement in North Florida and South Georgia.

Please meet in the parking lot by the Wade Center at 8:00 AM. The dirt driveway up to the station will split and the Wade Center parking lot is on the left side. We will load up in the wagon and head onto the property to bird, band, and learn about the ecology of the pinelands in the Red Hills. Please bring binoculars, sunscreen, water, snacks, a camera if you'd like, and dress layers in case it is chilly. If you cannot make it for whatever reason, please let us know as soon as possible so we can give your spot to someone else.

Due to park closure because of Tropical Storm Nicole, this trip has been cancelled. We will reschedule this for another month.

Location: 429 State Park Road, Sopchoppy Hwy, Sopchoppy, FL 32358
Estimated walking length: ~3 miles, easy flat walking

Description: Ochlockonee River State Park features hundreds of acres of intact upland pine forest containing Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and Bachman’s Sparrows. We will walk the pine flatwoods loop around the park (approximately 3 miles).

Please meet in the main parking lot by the Dead River at 8:30 to sign the liability waiver. Bring water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, a camera if you’d like, and dress in layers as it may be chilly. We’ll plan to bird for 2-3 hours, depending on our pace. NOTE: This is a birding social not a guided trip. We will meet up and bird together. To sign up for this trip, or if you have any questions, email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

Trip Leader: Juli DeGrummond

Location: Faulk Drive Landing, Tallahassee, Florida 32303

Start/end time: 7:45-10:30 AM

Estimated walking length: 1 mile

Accessibility: Trail is a fairly flat dirt path, but can be shrubby and quite muddy at times. There are no restrooms on site.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Please note that we are limiting this field trip to 15 participants. To reserve a space, please email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

If you sign up and are unable to make the trip, please let us know as soon as possible so we can give your spot to someone else.

Description: Juli DeGrummond, who presented during our September monthly program, will lead a field trip to one of her favorite Tallahassee birding spots! Over the past several weeks, Faulk Drive Landing on Lake Jackson has been a hotspot for many uncommon migratory passerines. Please meet in the parking lot at 7:45 AM to fill out a waiver form. The walk will start at 8:00 AM and last approximately 2.5 hours. The trail at Faulk Drive Landing is flat and easy to walk, but can be quite shrubby and muddy at times so you may want to wear waterproof shoes. You may also want to bring bug spray, sunscreen, water, snacks, and a camera.

Join local birder Juli DeGrummond for a 1.75 mile walk at J.R. Alford Greenway for a chance to see species such as Orchard Oriole, Northern Bobwhite, and Black-bellied Whistling Duck. Click here to check out the eBird hotspot page.

No registration necessary, but please arrive before 8 AM to sign up. We will meet in the parking lot at 8:00 AM and walk about 2.5 hours round trip at a leisurely pace. The trail covers grassy, somewhat uneven terrain, but is suitable for beginner hikers. Please bring water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, binoculars, a hat, and a camera if you'd like. Sun protective clothing is highly recommended as a portion of the hike will be in exposed fields.

When you get to the park, you will need to check in with an Audubon representative to sign a liability waiver. We ask that you not attend if you have had any symptoms associated with COVID-19 two weeks before the field trip, or have been in direct contact with anyone who has had any symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Please arrive by 7:45 AM to sign in so the walk can start on time.

The warmer weather brings along spring migrants. We'll bird one of the best migratory hotspots in the county to search visually and aurally for vibrant warblers, vireos, and thrushes. We'll also appreciate our feathered friends who are already well into breeding season and those that will be starting toward the end of spring.

Meet in the trailhead parking for Millers Landing by the soccer/athletic complex at 8:00 AM EDT. Field trip leaders will be Melissa Forehand and Kim Forehand-van Der Linde. If you have any questions, please email ApalacheeAudubon@gmail.com.

This WMA is in Taylor County, about an hour’s drive from Tallahassee. Directions and a map link are below. No reservations are required, but if you have any questions please email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!

Join Heather Levy and Peter Kleinhenz as they welcome the first leg of spring migration at the Hickory Mound Unit of Big Bend Wildlife Management Area. We will caravan along the levees to bird the impoundment and hike along the freshwater marshes of Bat House Road (ca. ~1 mile out and back).

Please meet us at the check station on Cow Creek Grade at 8:30 AM and expect to bird for about 3 hours. At the check station there will be a Florida Fish and Wildlife sign when you’ve entered the unit. Bring binoculars, a camera and a scope if you’d like, sunscreen, snacks, and water. There are several picnic areas that are great spots for migrants, so we’ll stop along the way to snack and bird while we drive the impoundment. Many of these roads are also great for cruising snakes, so we will spend some time learning about snake identification and conservation.

Directions: If you are coming from Tallahassee, take I-10 E and take exit 217 towards Lloyd, turning south on 59. Turn left onto US 98E, continue for ~ 13 miles and then turn right onto Cow Creek Grade Rd. Continue down Cow Creek Grade for ~ 6 miles until you see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Sign. Alternatively, you can take HWY 27 E instead of I-10 and take 59 south towards Wacissa.
Or use this link with your smart phone or tablet.

For the past half a year, the Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve at Faulk Drive Landing has become a popular spot to view the impressive sinkhole. It has also quickly risen to the top eBird hotspot in the county for its amazing rarities, especially this winter. We’ll meet in the parking lot at 9 AM and bird for about 2 hours along the trails and the area around the sinkhole. Please bring binoculars, a camera and a scope if you’d like, sunscreen, snacks, and water. As a reminder, birding socials do not have a distinguished trip leader, but are instead an opportunity for folks to socialize and bird at a leisurely pace. No reservations are required, but please email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com with any questions. We hope to see you there!

THIS FIELD TRIP IS FILLED. There are several people on the waiting list, but if you want to add your name, feel free to email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com.

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Join Peter Kleinhenz, Partnership Programs Coordinator for Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, for a hike to Horn Springs. This third-magnitude spring, and the associated Little Horn Spring, is one of the more remote spring complexes in North Florida, and exists in a property that was only acquired by the state in 2017. Peter led a field trip here in 2018, so this will be a way to see how species have responded to the land management activities that have taken place since.
The hike to the spring is approximately 6 miles round trip, and there is now an established hiking trail to follow. We will bird along the way, while also keeping an eye out for plants, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and large trees.
Address: Meet at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park - 7502 Natural Bridge Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32305
Please RSVP to apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Join us Saturday for a casual walk at Lake Elberta and invite any young ones that might be interested! We will check out the new Chimney Swift tower, scope out wintering ducks, and welcome back Purple Martins that nest there every year. We will meet at 9:00 AM in the gazebo by the parking lot. There is limited parking at the park, but there is parking available along FAMU way and you can enter the park from Stearns St. Please email apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com for more information.
Address: Lake Elberta Park - 594 N Lake Bradford Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32304