ORANGE AUDUBON SOCIETY’S North Florida Birding Weekend & Seacrest Wolf Preserve Private Tour December 4–8, 2019 A private, hands-on tour at Seacrest Wolf Preserve kicks off Orange Audubon Society’s (OAS) weekend trip to the Florida Panhandle. Birding includes field trips at Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS) in the area’s Red Hills Region—recognized as one of America’s “last great places” by The Nature Conservancy—where our guide will be TTRS’ own Jim Cox, biologist and director of vertebrate ecology research. Birding also includes a trip to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge with Jeff O’Connell, a field trips leader for Apalachee Audubon Society. An American Flamingo over-wintered at St. Marks last year, moving from one spot to another. Some believe that the American Flamingo recently seen at the refugee is the same bird. Think pink! Weekend participants should arrive in Tallahassee Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019. Seacrest-only participants should meet at Seacrest on Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 for early lunch (time TBA). Trips are summarized below. Final details provided after you register. • Wednesday, Dec 4: Check-in at TTRS’ Walter Lodge (Tallahassee) or the hotel of your choice. • Thursday, Dec 5: Seacrest Wolf Preserve (Chipley) private tour with ambassador Arctic, British Columbian and Gray wolves, plus smaller animals like Arctic Fox, Coyote, Raccoons and Skunks • Friday, Dec 6: Birding the Red Hills Region with Jim Cox (Tallahassee and maybe Thomasville) Pictured at right, Brook Rohman awaits her turn as Lori Mathis gets a muzzle greeting from one of Seacrest’s North American Gray Wolves. Photo from OAS’ Dec 2016 trip. See more Seacrest photos on page 3. Become part of the pack. Join us on December 5, 2019 at Seacrest!
Transcript
ORANGE AUDUBON SOCIETY’S
North Florida Birding Weekend & Seacrest Wolf Preserve Private Tour
December 4–8, 2019
A private, hands-on tour at Seacrest Wolf Preserve kicks off Orange Audubon Society’s (OAS) weekend trip to the Florida Panhandle. Birding includes field trips at Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS) in the area’s Red Hills Region—recognized as one of America’s “last great places” by The Nature Conservancy—where our guide will be TTRS’ own Jim Cox, biologist and director of vertebrate ecology research. Birding also includes a trip to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
with Jeff O’Connell, a field trips leader for Apalachee Audubon Society. An American Flamingo
over-wintered at St. Marks last year, moving from one spot to another. Some believe that the
American Flamingo recently seen at the refugee is the same bird. Think pink!
Weekend participants should arrive in Tallahassee Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019. Seacrest-only participants should meet at Seacrest on Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 for early lunch (time TBA). Trips are summarized below. Final details provided after you register.
• Wednesday, Dec 4: Check-in at TTRS’ Walter Lodge (Tallahassee) or the hotel of your choice.
• Thursday, Dec 5: Seacrest Wolf Preserve (Chipley) private tour with ambassador Arctic, British Columbian and Gray wolves, plus smaller animals like Arctic Fox, Coyote, Raccoons and Skunks
• Friday, Dec 6: Birding the Red Hills Region with Jim Cox (Tallahassee and maybe Thomasville)
Pictured at right, Brook Rohman awaits her turn as Lori Mathis gets a muzzle greeting from one of Seacrest’s North American Gray Wolves. Photo from OAS’ Dec 2016 trip. See more Seacrest photos on page 3.
Become part of the pack. Join us on December 5, 2019 at Seacrest!
• Saturday, Dec 7: Carpool to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for birding and other coastal encounters with guide Jeff O’Connell. Targets: wintering shorebirds,
ducks and rarities. In 2018 an American Flamingo overwintered (~196 days); another was recently seen! Waterfowl populations reach peaks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The refuge has 275+ bird species plus mammals: black bear, bobcat, coyote, fox, otter and raccoon; and alligators and other reptiles. Think pink!
• Sunday, Dec 8: Depart for home after optional early morning birding at Tall Timbers. • Registration for the entire trip is $100 Audubon members and students/$115 non- members and includes local expert guides, private tour admission to Seacrest, three lunches and a casual grill night dinner at TTRS. The Seacrest-only private tour is $45/$55 and includes private tour admission and lunch. Any profits will benefit OAS’ Nature and Environmental Education Center Fund and related programs. Participants are responsible for transportation, lodging, other meals and incidentals.
• Lodging is first come, first served at TTRS’ Walter Lodge, with 8 private bedrooms, 5 shared bathrooms and large open living, dining and kitchen areas. The kitchen is furnished with refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave oven, large griddle and plenty of counter and cabinet space. It’s a little off the beaten path so do bring breakfast, snack foods and beverages if you prefer eating in. Thursday and Saturday nights the group can stop for dinner after Seacrest and St. Marks trips, respectively (Dutch treat).
The lodge is offered for $70 double occupancy/$50 single occupancy per room per night plus tax. Priority will be given to weekend participants, first come, first served. Rustic camping is available at TTRS at no charge. Or you may make your own hotel reservation. Recommended areas are at I-10/Thomasville Rd (Tallahassee) for weekend participants and for Seacrest-only participants, the Chipley or Bonifay areas.
REGISTRATION: (407) 718-1977 cell OR [email protected] Contact Teresa to reserve field trip spots, a room at Walter Lodge or a spot on the grounds of TTRS for camping under the stars and big trees.
Join the pack! Pictured below, left to right from top: Terry Piper and flirtatious Gray Wolf; Lisa Baggett and two of The Brat Pack, Susan Kirby and howl-pal; Bonnie Little and Sue Lamont getting muzzle greetings, Teresa Williams
getting photo tips, Teresa with Arctic Wolves (Yeti, alpha female on left) and Faith Hoogs getting a muzzle greeting.
