Florida Scrub Jay Walk
2022-11-02 09:00 - 11:00, 2022-12-07 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-01-04 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-02-01 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Johnathan Dickinson State Park, 16450 S.E. Federal hwy, Hobe Sound, Florida, 33455
Enjoy a short walk as you witness the behavior of these endemic birds.

About this event

Through a partnership with Johnathan Dickinson State Park, we are promoting their Florida Scrub Jay Walk.

The Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is one of the species of scrub jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and one of only 15 species endemic to the continental United States.

There is no water or restrooms right there, and the walk can get hot quickly – even in January. The path is a well-documented spot where scrub jays have congregated for years, and the federally-threatened birds are seen on most outings but not assured – they are wild animals. Any lightning close enough to hear thunder will cause immediate cancellation of the tour. Your guide, Jim Howe, will also accentuate the Florida scrub ecosystem itself and why fire is essential, while pointing out gopher tortoise burrows and unique plants found only at JDSP.

Walk meets less than 1/4 mile from the park entrance, along the road to the Pine Grove Campground. We will take a once well-paved road, that is now for foot and bicycle traffic only. The walk is between 1/4 and 1/2 mile in length, on gently rolling, open scrub terrain.

From the check in station, take a left turn less than 1/4 mile from the park entrance. There will be a parking lot on the right-hand side.

You will see an information sign Camp Murphy Off Road Bridge trail.

Entrance Fee is $ 6.00 per vehicle.

I would appreciate anyone that completes this walk to share their eBird list with me at Paula@ Auduboneverglades.org. Thank you.

Restrooms are located at the following locations: (bear Right from entrance)

The bicycling staging area at the Railroad Track Crossing. (porta-potty)

The Visitors Center at the back of the property, about 4 miles in.

This is a monthly event, the first Wednesday of the month.

Tall Cypress Natural Area
2022-11-06 08:00 - 10:00, 2022-12-04 08:00 - 10:00, 2023-02-05 08:00 - 10:00, 2023-03-05 08:00 - 10:00, 2023-05-07 08:00 - 10:00 | Tall Cypress Natural Area, 3700 Turtle Run Boulevard, Coral Springs, Florida, 33065, United States
Join Bruce Pickholtz along this elevated boardwalk.

About this event

Join Bruce Pickholtz looking for birds amongst the continuous canopy of tall Cypress trees at this beautiful Broward County Park. Please meet at the parking lot. Bathrooms are available here.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Anyone that birds with Bruce, please share your eBird list with Paula@Auduboneverglades.org.

Please make every effort to be on time. If you are unfamiliar with the area, allow travel time for misdirection’s by GPS and traffic.

Paula Gatrell Field Trip Coordinator 561-248-9089

Audubon Bird Walk
2022-11-08 12:00 - 12:45 | Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum, 5353 Parkside Dr., Jupiter, Florida, 33458
Field Guide: Tuly Datena and Alana Edwards

Join us at 12pm for an Audubon Bird walk. The arboretum is a birding hotspot and it’s a great place to learn about a common local bird species.

Please make sure to register to receive more information and detailed directions ti the tour.

Meet at the Arboretum.

Riverbend Park
2022-11-12 08:00 - 10:00, 2023-02-25 08:00 - 10:00 | Riverbend Park, 9060 West Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL, 33478, United States
Join Ed Kawecki and enjoy the beauty of this park along the Loxahatchee River.

About this event

Join Ed Kawecki and enjoy the beauty of this park along the Loxahatchee River as he spots birds for us. As you enter the park, turn left and meet in front of the main building and restrooms.

All ages and abilities welcome. The park is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Green Cay Wetlands
2022-11-13 16:00 - 18:00 | Green Cay Wetland, 12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, Florida, 33437
Enjoy an afternoon with Valleri Brauer along this birding hotspot

About this event

Take  a afternoon walk with Valleri Brauer on the elevated boardwalks of this beautiful, created wetland and have an up-close experience with our resident birds and migratory visitors at a Delray Beach birding hotspot.

Meet by the visitors center.

Restrooms are available in the Visitors Center.

Anyone that birds with Valleri, please share your eBird list with Paula@Auduboneverglades.org.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-cay-wetlands-tickets-378848675587

Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum at FAU Jupiter Campus
2022-11-17 12:00 - 12:45 | Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum, 5353 Parkside Dr., Jupiter, Florida, 33458
Field Guide: Tuly Datena and Alana Edwards

Visit this native garden nestled within the FAU Jupiter campus, which showcases various South Florida ecosystems and is a favorite stopover for migratory birds. This will be a combination butterfly and birds walk. Due to the cancellation of our last event due to high winds.

Learn about the native plants and the birds and pollinators that frequent the area. Please meet at Gazebo in Arboretum.

Registration is required through FAU https://forms.gle/2Jugm6LXYn6oTDVA9

P﻿lease complete the Audubon Everglades registration also, so our Liability Release is signed.

Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee NWR
2022-11-19 08:00 - 10:00, 2023-01-21 08:00 - 10:00 | Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL, 33473, United States
Join Clive Pinnock as we traverse the Marsh Trail

About this event

Join Clive Pinnock to see resident birds and migratory visitors as you explore the Marsh Trail berms at one of the largest National Wildlife Refuges in the contiguous United States.

Entry fee of $10 per vehicle, unless you have a  park  pass.

No need to print your ticket.

Please meet in the Marsh Trail Parking lot.

Restrooms are available in the Visitors Center which opens at 0900.

All ages and abilities welcome. The park is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Please make every effort to be on time. Allow for traffic and GPS misdirection’s.

T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area
2022-12-02 05:30 - 15:45 | T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area Florida Bird Viewing Trail, Melbourne, Florida, 32904
Join David Simpson as we look for migrating waterfowl and other local birds.

About this event

We will meet at the following location: Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Headquarters 405 Pike Road West Palm Beach. As you enter the property, park in the lot on the right hand side, near the back.

We will then drive to Fellsmere Recreation Area.

Registration and carpooling is mandatory.

Please register as the driver and all passengers as 1. Please 4 people per vehicle or passengers will be assigned.

Directions: 405 Pike Rd West Palm Beach, FL 33411 Get on Florida’s Turnpike 4 min (1.5 mi) Follow Florida’s Turnpike and I-95 N to Co Rd 512 in Indian River County. Take exit 156 From I-95 N, 1 hr 19 min (83.5 mi) Follow Co Rd 512, Co Rd 507 and Fellsmere Grade Rd to your destination in Brevard County 23 min (13.5 mi)

Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area, Melbourne, FL 32904

We will make a 10 minute stop at Fort Drum Service Plaza for refreshments, restrooms and gas.

Fort Drum Service Plaza, 184 Florida Turnpike, Okeechobee , FL

The restrooms at Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area are not reliable. There are viable restrooms along the road at the boat ramp on the right about a mile off Babcock and at the big boat ramp on the left at Fellsmere Headwaters Lake on the left about 5 miles in.

Please bring hydration, lunch, sunblock, bug spray, hat, binoculars or camera.

For those that wish to contribute, Paula will collect cash contribution as a thank you to David.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/t-m-goodwin-waterfowl-management-area-tickets-381656784717

Wellington Environmental Preserve
2022-12-10 08:00 - 10:00 | Wellington Environmental Preserve, 3491 Flying Cow Ranch Road, Wellington, FL, 33470, United States
Join Clive Pinnock as we traverse this nature preserve.

About this event

Join Clive for a walk along the paved path of this nature preserve where 182 species of birds of been recorded. We hope to catch sightings of some migratory birds such as Savanah & Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, along with our usual local birds.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Meet in the parking lot.

Restrooms are available here.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands
2022-12-17 15:00 - 17:00, 2023-03-17 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-04-08 08:00 - 10:00 | Wakodahatchee, 13270 Jog Rd, Delray, Fl, 33484
Take a walk with Valleri Brauer around this birding hotspot.

About this event

Take a walk with Valleri Brauer on the elevated boardwalks of a beautiful, created wetland and see resident birds and migratory visitors at this Boynton Beach birding hotspot.

Meet at the top of the ramp.

Restrooms are available here.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Anyone that birds with Valleri, please share your eBird list with Paula@Auduboneverglades.org.

Wellington Environmental Preserve
2023-01-07 07:00 - 10:00 | Wellington Environmental Preserve, 3491 Flying Cow Ranch Road, Wellington, FL, 33470, United States
Join Mary Dunning as we traverse this nature preserve.

About this event

Join Mary for a walk along the paved path of this nature preserve where 182 species of birds of been recorded. We hope to catch sightings of some migratory birds such as Lincoln’s Sparrow, Savanah & Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, along with our usual local birds.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Meet in the parking lot.

Mary is walking us from the parking lot to the tower. This is an 2.8 mile loop.

Please make every effort to be on time. Allow for travel and GPS misdirection’s.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
2023-01-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 Northwest 192nd Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida, 34972
Join Dr. Paul Gray as we explore this Prairie Preserve.

About this event

Effort/Distance: Moderate/short, family friendly.

Registration is required.

Audubon’s Dr. Paul Gray, who has worked on the prairies for almost three decades will lead and narrate the trip through this region of rich natural and human history.

This tour of Florida’s endemic Dry Prairie ecosystem will be mostly from our cars with periodic stops to look around and take a couple of 100-yard hikes into the prairie where it will be weedy with some uneven ground. We’ll also take one quarter mile hike on a shell road to a slough. Those who have mobility issues to any of these places can wait in their cars.

The dry prairie has more plant species per acre than any ecosystem in the United States. The Preserve also has the longest butterfly list in the state, due to myriad plants. The most endangered bird in the continental US, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, is barely hanging on here (we probably won’t see one). Despite being only knee-high in stature, the prairie is an old growth ecosystem with some plants probably more than 5000 years old.

Meet at Cracker Trail Store 18084 US-98 Okeechobee, FL 34972 in Bassinger, FL.

We will car caravan from a meeting place in West Palm Beach (TBD).

Belle Glades Marina & Torrey Island
2023-01-28 07:30 - 10:00 | Belle Glades Marina & Torrey Island, Torrey Island Road, Belle Glade
Join Chuck Weber as we travel the lake trail path.

About this event

Join Chuck to see resident birds and migratory visitors as you explore this recreational walking nature trail. It is any easy walk on a firm surface. An observation tower is available that will allow you to obtain a better view of the lake, wildlife and surrounding areas.

Meet at the trail beside the amphitheater.

There are restrooms available here.

All ages and abilities welcome. The trail is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Directions from Palm Beach International Airport

Get on FL-80 W/US-98/Southern Blvd from James L Turnage Blvd and Australian Ave, 5 min (2.6 mi)

Follow US-98 to Hooker Hwy, 41 min (36.9 mi)

Continue straight onto Hooker Hwy, 8 min (2.3 mi)

Arrive at Torrey Island

Seacrest Scrub Natural Area
2023-01-29 07:30 - 09:30 | Seacrest Scrub Natural Area, 3400 S Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach, 33435
Join Beto Matheus as we look for migratory birds and our local residents.

About this event

Join Beto Matheus as we traverse this sandy trail. While not very big, it’s a pocket of green in the middle of an otherwise urban area and gets a good variety of songbirds in migration and winter. Over 125 species have been recorded at the site including Great Horned Owls, Pileated Woodpeckers, Common Nighthawks, and Loggerhead Shrikes.

There are no restrooms available here. The closest restroom is located at the Shell Station at 111 E Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33435.

All ages and abilities welcome. The trail is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area
2023-02-04 08:00 - 11:45 | Lakeside Ranch STA, 7250 SW Conners Hwy, Okeechobee, Fl, 34974
This is a self-driving tour, there is no field guide.

About this event

GPS N 27’07’09.43″ W 080’40″22.37

7250 SW Conners Hwy, Okeechobee, FL 34974, USA

Through cooperation with Audubon of Martin County and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) we have been granted access to this STA.

Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) is a 2,700-acre wetland in western Martin County. These wetlands treat Stormwater runoff from the Taylor Creek and Nubbin Slough basins before that water enters Lake Okeechobee; these basins have the highest phosphorus loads going to the lake.

Please register your ticket as one vehicle as we are restricted to the number that can travel this.

There are bathrooms available at the entrance.

Registration is required

*******All participants must have a signed SFWMD Liability Release to include your address. Audubon Everglades Home page-> Program & Events->Field Trips-> Liability Release. https://www.auduboneverglades.org/field-trips

Directions: From I-95, take Route 714 west, turn right on Route 710, go 1/4 mile and turn left turn on Route 15B. Follow until you reach 98 and make a left, drive for approximately 2.4 miles. The new Lakeside Ranch STA entrance is on your left.

What to bring: Binoculars, camera, spotting scopes, sun block, reference books, water and snacks, insect repellent.

DuPuis Wildlife and Environmental Area
2023-02-18 06:30 | DuPuis Management Area, 23500 Southwest Kanner Highway, Canal Point, FL, 33438, United States
Join Chuck Weber in this wetland and environmental area.

About this event

This trip will be a combination of walking and driving.

There are no restrooms here, unless put up for hunting season.

Registration is required for this event.

This is a carpool driving tour with 4 people per vehicle. We are allowed 8 vehicles within the property. Please park at the entrance gate if riding as a passenger with one of the designated vehicles. Unless you arrive with 4 registered trip participants in your vehicle, you should be prepared to take additional people in your vehicle, or join others in another vehicle.

Note: It is up to the driver’s discretion if they require masks inside their vehicle.

Meet at Gate 1.

GPS Coordinates to Gate 1:

N 27 00 53.79

W 080 32 11.85

Please make every effort to be on time. Allow for traffic and GPS misdirection’s.

Cypress Creek Natural Area
2023-03-15 07:30 - 09:30 | Tall Cypress Natural Area, 3700 Turtle Run Boulevard, Coral Springs, FL, 33065, United States
Join Bob & Lorraine Morecraft on this leisurely stroll on a grassy path.

About this event

Spanning both sides of Indiantown Road, over 2,000 acres of mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, hydric hammock, wet prairie, depression marsh, dome swamp, and blackwater stream provide a home to over 500 species of plants and 217 species of animals. This site preserves an area of high quality wetlands and streams, including Cypress Creek, a blackwater stream, that buffers the northwest fork of the federally-designated Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River. Historical resources have been found including Native American middens, an area where the Loxahatchee River Battle took place, remnants of the Rood Settlement dating back to the early 1900s, and a segment of the historic Jupiter-Indiantown Road.

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

There are no restrooms here. There are businesses close by.

Frenchman's Forest Natural Area
2023-05-06 08:00 - 11:00 | Frenchman’s Forest, 12201 Prosperity Farms Rd, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 33410
Join Steve & Melanie Garcia as we travel through this unique ecosystem.

About this event

Frenchman’s Forest Natural Area is a 158-acre protected area of pine flatwoods, strand swamp, scrubby flatwoods, hydric hammock tidal swamp, and wet flatwoods in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

On this trip last year we had 30 species of birds including a Nashville Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, and a Summer Tanager.

There are no restrooms here. The closest restroom is about 1 mile away at the 7-Eleven located at 2490 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens .

All ages and abilities welcome. The boardwalk is accessible to those with wheelchairs and assistive walking devices.

Florida Scrub Jay Walk
2024-02-21 09:00 - 11:00 | Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 16450 Southeast Federal Highway, Hobe Sound, FL, 33455, United States
Enjoy a short walk as you witness the behavior of these endemic birds.

In collaboration with Johnathan Dickinson State Park, we are thrilled to promote the Florida Scrub Jay Walk, an opportunity to explore the unique habitat of the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). This bird species is native to North America and holds the distinction of being the only bird endemic to the state of Florida, as well as one of just 15 species exclusive to the continental United States.
Important details for your participation:
Environmental Conditions: Please note that there are no water sources or restroom facilities nearby. Be prepared for potentially hot conditions, even in January. This walk takes place in a well-documented area where scrub jays have gathered over the years. While sightings are common, they are not guaranteed as these are wild birds. In the interest of safety, any nearby lightning that results in audible thunder will lead to an immediate cancellation of the tour.
Guided Experience: Your guide, Jim Howe, will provide valuable insights into the Florida scrub ecosystem and emphasize the significance of controlled fires. During the walk, you’ll have the chance to spot gopher tortoise burrows and unique plant species found exclusively at Johnathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP).
Meeting Point: We’ll gather less than 1/4 mile from the park entrance, along the road leading to the Pine Grove Campground. The route follows a once-paved road, now designated for pedestrian and bicycle traffic only. The walk covers a distance between 1/4 and 1/2 mile, over gently rolling open scrub terrain.
Entrance Fee: Please be aware that there is a $6.00 entrance fee per vehicle.
eBird Observations: For those who complete the walk and wish to share their eBird list, please send it to Paula at Paula@auduboneverglades.org. Your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Restroom Facilities: Restrooms are available at two locations: the bicycling staging area at the Railroad Track Crossing (porta-potty) and the Visitors Center, which is approximately 4 miles into the park (restrooms are available here).
Event Schedule: This event is held monthly on the first Wednesday of each month.
Cancellation Policy: If you register but find that you are unable to attend, we kindly request that you cancel your ticket. This opens up the opportunity for others to join. Your consideration is highly appreciated.
We look forward to sharing this educational and enriching experience with you as we delve into the fascinating world of the Florida scrub jay and the unique ecosystem of Johnathan Dickinson State Park.
Photographs are a wonderful way to capture the beauty and fun of our birding adventures. We encourage photographers to take photos for their personal use and enjoyment and to share them on social media. By signing the AE consent, you agree to having your photo taken and used on our social media page.
