The Northern Mockingbird is our Florida State Bird and Floridians love hearing its rich repertoire of calls and songs. A UF researcher is studying this bird right here in our Northwest Gainesville neighborhoods! Is there more song diversity in urban or rural Mockingbirds? What has been learned?
Please note that due to Millhopper Library having changed their evening hours, our programs will now start at 6:30pm, and socializing will begin at 6:00pm.
Meet trip leaders Adam and Gina Kent to explore this Gainesville city park created to improve water quality in Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer. Now a draw to a large variety of birds, with 237 species reported to eBird so far. We’ll look for ducks, American Bitterns, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, and other wetland birds.
The park is on Williston Road just east of its intersection with Main Street. Bring sunscreen and water. Entry fee $5.00 per vehicle.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Meet trip leader Steven Goodman at 7 a.m. at Hitchcock’s Market (15560 NW US-441 in the town of Alachua) to caravan to the spray fields near Cross City where Steven discovered a small population of Horned Larks in 2017. Afterwards we’ll continue to another Dixie County birding site – to be determined by Steven’s scouting in the week or two before the trip – and spend the rest of the morning there. Bring sunscreen and water.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Please contact Christina Opett at (585) 507-1567 for more info.
Meet trip leader Debbie Segal in the Target parking lot at Archer Road and I-75 to carpool to Ocala’s new treatment wetland park. Construction is not yet complete, but the City of Ocala is graciously allowing Alachua Audubon to tour the new park and bird at the wetlands. There is no telling what we’ll see but if there’s water in the wetland cells we can expect to find ducks, waders, and perhaps even a few wintering shorebirds.
Since the site is not yet open to the public, the gate will be closed after we enter. If you wish to meet us at the site, please be at 2105 NW 21st Street, Ocala, at 9 a.m. sharp. Please contact Debbie first for directions and instructions.
Bring sunscreen and water.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Register for this kid oriented event through the Friends of Paynes Prairie website by following this link.
We welcome you the first Saturday of each month October through April, to join us for a hike on La Chua Trail and learn about birds. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. Meet us in the La Chua Trail parking lot; the north entrance to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, by 9:00 a.m.
Hikes are limited to 20 people. Reserve your spot by following the link above.
Hikes are free, but regular park admission fees apply. Park admission at La Chua Trail is $4.00 per vehicle, cash only, or free with a Florida State Parks Annual Pass.
Binoculars are available for loan during the hike, but supplies are limited and preference given first to those with reservations.
No pets permitted.
This program is supported by Paynes Prairie and Alachua Audubon volunteers.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE ALACHUA AUDUBON BACKYARD BIRDING TOUR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 from 9 AM – 3 PM
Explore several of Gainesville’s premier backyard birding habitats on a self-guided tour
Learn how to attract a diverse group of birds to your own backyard
Discover what types of vegetation to plant and where to plant it in your own yard to attract more species of birds
Learn how water features can be effective bird attractants
Educational displays and bird experts will be at each tour stop to answer your questions
Tickets are $15.00 and available at Wild Birds Unlimited, 4212 NW 16th Boulevard Call the store at 352-381-1997 for more details or email GainesvilleWBU@hotmail.com.
Tickets will also be available to purchase on the day of the tour at each tour location.
Meet trip leader Andy Kratter in the Boulware Springs bike trailhead parking lot. Going south on SE 15th Street, make a right turn into the driveway immediately after you pass SE 32nd Place on your left. This 80-acre tract, formerly overgrown with brush, is being restored to longleaf pine sandhill, and in its current condition has shown itself to be particularly attractive to sparrows. They will be our primary quarry, but Red-headed Woodpecker, American Kestrel, and a variety of other winter species are possible.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Saving Wildlife – Serving Community: Injured, orphaned, displaced wildlife
are only part of our mission. Equally important are human interactions and
conservation efforts.
Note: This talk precedes an Alachua Audubon field trip to look for birds on
the grounds of Sunrise Wildlife Rehabilitation in High Springs the following
Saturday, February 22. Public welcome.
Please note that due to Millhopper Library having changed their evening hours, our programs will now start at 6:30pm, and socializing will begin at 6:00pm.
Sunrise Wildlife Rehabilitation, located on 20 acres in the heart of High Springs, is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured, displaced, or orphaned wildlife. They are well known for educational programs designed to instill in their audience an appreciation and love for wild animals. The programs feature their “wildlife ambassadors,” including a Barred Owl, a Great Horned Owl, a few Eastern Screech-Owls, and a Virginia Opossum.
We will tour the flight cages and get up close to the owls and opossum. We will also walk the trails around the property in search of warblers, bluebirds, and woodpeckers.
Directions:
Trip leader Jerry Krummrich will lead us along the wooded berm around this marshy 338-acre lake in Columbia County looking for waterfowl, wading birds, and woodland species. This site has often produced unusual birds.
Meet at the Tag Agency, 5801 NW 34th St. Gainesville to car-pool.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Nordmann’s Greenshank is one of the most endangered shorebirds on our
planet. Listen to Philipp Maleko tell of his adventures in Eastern Russia
working with Russian ornithologist wading through bog and forest to study
this rare animal.
Please note that due to Millhopper Library having changed their evening hours, our programs will now start at 6:30pm, and socializing will begin at 6:00pm.
Austin Cary is the University of Florida’s teaching and research forest, 2080 acres of pine flatwoods, cypress wetlands, and fire-maintained longleaf pine and wiregrass habitat.
We will drive the dirt road and then hike through the forest in search of Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and other pinewoods species.
Meet trip leader Debbie Segal at the entrance to the forest located at 10625 NE Waldo Rd. Gainesville.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain and/or walking distances one to two miles).
Meet trip leader Felicia Lee at the trailhead on Camp Ranch Rd. La Chua is one of the best spots for close study of a variety of sparrows and other brush-loving birds. Entry fee $4 per vehicle.
Entry fee for the State Park is $4 per vehicle.
Difficulty: 2. (may involve uneven terrain one to two miles).
Meet trip leader Anne Barkdoll of the Alachua Conservation Trust at the parking corral on the north side of State Road 20 1.75 miles east of US-301. This will be our second visit to this 2,868-acre Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) property, which opened to the public in January 2017. Migratory birds should be present in good numbers along the 2-mile trail that parallels the marshy creek. Wear rubber boots or old shoes you don’t mind getting wet, as the trail can be soggy in places.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).
*The Conservation Lands Educational Program (CLEP) is designed to bring attention to local land conservation efforts. These trips are conducted on properties purchased to protect natural resources and will be led by a representative of the agency in charge, who will discuss ecological features and history. CLEP trips will be educational experiences, so the emphasis will be on much more than birding.
You’ll need to bring your own canoe or kayak for this trip.
Join Matt Bruce for an exploration of the river that connects Newnans Lake and Paynes Prairie with Orange Lake.
We’ll take a short way upstream through cypress swamp then south through a network of narrow waterways that traverse the marsh dominating the northern arm of Orange Lake.
American White Pelican, several duck species, and Prothonotary Warbler are possible.
Get navigation from the link above or follow these directions: Take US 441 south from Gainesville to a mile south of the flashing light in Micanopy. Turn left onto County Road 346 and go 2.8 miles to the small bridge (Cross Creek Bridge on Google Maps) over River Styx. Park on the shoulder beyond the bridge. Bring sunscreen and water.
Note: this trip is subject to last-minute cancellation due to inclement weather or adverse river conditions.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).
Meet trip leader Rex Rowan in the Target parking lot on Archer Rd. at I-75. The emphasis on this trip will be spring migrants – mainly warblers and shorebirds. We’ll also look for some uncommon and/or coastal-nesting species: Gray Kingbird, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Short-tailed Hawk. Some people stick around after the trip for lunch.
Difficulty: 1 (trip within easy access to vehicle and/or level terrain one mile or less).
Meet county biologist Steve Hofstetter in the preserve parking lot (see map above for navigation) on County Road 236 three tenths mile west of its junction with County Road 241. From US-441 in Alachua go north on State Road 241 (keeping left when 235 splits off) six miles to County Road 236.
This was the first purchase of the Alachua County Forever program, 1,190 acres of deep hardwood forest containing the southernmost stand of beech trees in North America. We’ll walk through this beautiful and ecologically valuable tract of conservation land, enjoying its flora and fauna.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).
*The Conservation Lands Educational Program (CLEP) is designed to bring attention to local land conservation efforts. These trips are conducted on properties purchased to protect natural resources and will be led by a representative of the agency in charge, who will discuss ecological features and history. CLEP trips will be educational experiences, so the emphasis will be on much more than birding.
Meet trip leader Bubba Scales at the Trailhead parking lot on Millhopper Road for a walk on the trail less traveled by recent AAS field trips. We’ll amble through shady hammocks, pinelands, and sandhills looking for migrating warblers, thrushes, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Scarlet Tanagers.
Entry fee $4 per vehicle.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).
Trip leader Jonathan Mays will lead us along a 2.5-mile trail through a variety of habitats that include pinewoods, open oak woodlands, wetlands, and a bit of lakeshore. Plenty of migrant warblers and thrushes should be around.
Meet in the parking corral for the Pithlachocco Trails, directly across the road from the NFETC sign on State Road 26, three-quarters of a mile north of the junction with County Road 329B.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).