| Detailed Itinerary |
| Photo by John Drummond |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker (above and including the banner photo). |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by John Drummond |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by John Drummond |
| For more information or to register for this trip, call Charles at 888-203-7464 or Charles directly at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com. |
| Day 1: Arrival Fly into Miami by 12:00 (noon). We will meet the full group at the airport at 12:30 PM and then proceed to Fort Meyers with several key birding stops on the way. Day 2: Port Charlotte and Babcock-Webb WMA Early departure to Port Charlotte and Babcock-Webb WMA for Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bachman’s Sparrow. This is an area of pinewoods and marsh, and we should find Sandhill Cranes, King Rail and Limpkin. Florida Scrub-Jays are present around Punta Gorda. Returning to Fort Myers, there is a good chance to see Snail Kites and Swallow-tailed Kites. Overnight Fort Myers. Day 3: Corkscrew Swamp Early departure to Corkscrew Swamp, a National Audubon Society sanctuary with a boardwalk through baldcypress and sawgrass marsh. Expect Wood Storks, Swallow-tailed Kites and a wide variety of wading birds. We'll see many migrating warblers including the Yellow-throated. After a picnic lunch, we’ll drive to Florida City through the northern part of the Everglades National Park looking for Snail Kites and wading birds. Overnight Florida City. Day 4: Everglades National Park & Key West Drive to Flamingo, the terminus of the Everglades National Park main road stopping at Anhinga Trail. Then bird the Mahogany Hammock Trail looking for migrant warblers and wading birds. Scanning the mudflats at Flamingo will reveal many shorebirds and terns including Gull-billed Tern. Roseate Spoonbill and White Ibis will be present too. Returning to Florida City around midday, we will drive the 120 miles to Key West arriving late afternoon. After dinner, we will look for Antillean Nighthawk. Overnight Key West. Day 5: Keys (Tortugas) All day boat trip to Tortugas leaving Key West at 7:30 AM. We will have about four hours to watch the Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy colony and thoroughly search Fort Jefferson for migrants. Thrushes, buntings, orioles and up to 20 species of warbler may be seen on a good day and very close views are often possible. Returning to Key West mid afternoon Masked Booby, Roseate Tern and Band- rumped Storm-Petrel are possible on the voyage. Overnight Key West. Day 8: Along the Keys and Miami Leisurely drive along the Keys to Miami looking for the Lower Keys specialties of White-crowned Pigeon, Black- whiskered Vireo, “Golden Yellow Warbler” and the scarce and inconspicuous Mangrove Cuckoo. We will stop along the Keys at shorebird roosts or migrant traps and arrive in Miami late afternoon in time to watch the parrots fly in to roost. Overnight Miami. Day 7: Loxahatchee National Wildlife Flexible day to catch up on missed species or to chase rarities. Possibly visit Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge for Purple Gallinule, and local Miami areas for the established exotics and countable Red-whiskered Bulbuls and Spot-breasted Oriole. In the late afternoon, we will head towards Wakodahatchee wetlands to bird off their excellent board walks. These plans may change to provide opportunities to find any local rarities reported. Overnight Miami. Day 8: Departure In the morning, we will bird until about 10 AM trying for any species we may have missed in the area. Tour concludes with flights home from Miami after 2 PM. |
Birding in Florida, USA
| Florida and the Keys |