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Date:
February 17, 2007
Time:
8AM - 1pm with picnic at Magnolia
Park
Meeting Place:
Lake Apopka Field Station
What to Bring:
Binoculars, spotting scope
(if desired), picnic lunch, snacks,
water or beverages, a hat,
sunglasses, and appropriate gear for
the forecasted weather (coat, rain
gear, sun block etc.). Restrooms are
located at the Field Station and at
the picnic area (Magnolia Park).
Trip
Difficulty Level: Easy -
mostly driving through the area with
stops for birding.
Directions:
Approximately 2 hour drive
from St. Augustine. Interstate 95
South to Interstate 4 West. Exit at
SR 46 (Mount Dora) and continue west
to HWY 441 South. Take 441 South to Jones
Avenue in Zellwood (traffic light).
Turn west (right) on Jones Avenue
and continue until is ends at CR
448A. Turn left on CR 448A (south)
and go for approximately one mile (about
1/2 mile past the intersection
with CR 48). Field Station is located on the
west side (right side) of the road.
Look for St Johns River Water
Management District sign at the
driveway of fenced property where
there are modular offices. The
office closest to the driveway is
where we will start our field trip.
Itinerary:
The field trip will begin at the
Lake Apopka Field Station where Pam
Bowen, an Environmental Scientist
with St. Johns River Water
Management District, will give the
group an overview of the work being
done to improve water quality on
Lake Apopka and to restore wetland
habitat in the North Shore
Restoration Area. Following this
overview, the group will tour the
North Shore Restoration Area in
their personal vehicles with Ms.
Bowen leading the group. While
touring the property, the group can
expect to see a number of diverse
habitats including recently restored
wetlands, former farm fields, edge
habitat, and the lake.
Waterbirds, including herons,
egrets, ibis, ducks, rails,
moorhens, and coots, can be seen in
the recently restored wetlands. The
former farm fields provide an
excellent area to view raptors such
as the Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk,
and Northern Harrier. Many of the
edge habitats surrounding the
property provide views of various
flycatcher species, buntings, and
other songbirds. The tour will
conclude with a picnic lunch
overlooking Lake Apopka at Magnolia
Park.
Journal Entry:
Four of us took the long drive down
to the Apopka Field Station for a
very interesting birding day. Pam
Bowen was gracious enough to allow
us access onto this private property
for a field trip to explain the
habit restoration program, and of
course, to check out the birds! We
drove down long and bumpy roads and
found birds that are usually hard to
find locally, but tend to be common
in the Apopka area. We watched the
antics of several peacocks as we
enjoyed our picnic lunch. Some of us
returned to Lust Road after lunch
and found the blue grosbeak and
painted bunting.
Questions?
Call Diane Reed @ 904-829-9854. Cell
phone on day of trip 904-540-2030
An overview of
Lake Apopka can be found at
http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/acq_restoration/s_water/lapopka/overview.html |
1. Pied-billed grebe
2. American white pelican
3. Double-crested cormorant
4. Great Blue heron
5. Great Egret
6. Snowy egret
7. Little blue heron
8. Tri-colored heron
9. Cattle egret
10. Green heron
11. Black-crowned night heron
12. White ibis
13. Glossy ibis
14. Wood stork
15. Green-winged teal
16. Mottled duck |
17. Northern pintail
18. Blue-winged teal
19. Northern shoveler
20. Ring-necked duck
21. Hooded merganser
22. Black vulture
23. Turkey vulture
24. Osprey
25. Bald eagle
26. Northern harrier
27. Red-shouldered Red-tailed hawk
28. KRIDER’S red-tailed hawk
29. American kestrel
30. PURPLE GALLINULE
31. Common moorhen
32. American coot |
33. Greater yellowlegs
34. Ring-billed gull
35. Forster’s tern
36. BARN OWL (in nest box)
37. Belted kingfisher
38. Eastern phoebe
39. Palm warbler
40. WESTERN KINGBIRD
41. Fish crow
42. Gray catbird
43. Yellow-rumped warbler
44. Northern waterthrush
45. Blue grosbeak
46. Painted bunting
47. Swamp sparrow
48. Savannah sparrow |
