EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK,
SOUTH FLORIDA, DRY TORTUGAS & THE KEYS
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Dates:
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Saturday, 21 April through Sunday, 29 April 2007: 9 days and 8 nights.
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We'll visit:
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Everglades National Park, the 'River of Grass', from the
Anhinga Trail to Flamingo and many of the beautiful
spots along the way.
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The entire length of the Florida Keys, including Key
Largo, Big Pine Key and Key West, with a special day
at Fort Jefferson on the world-famous Dry Tortugas.
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Areas in and around South Miami and Kendall for
established exotics, and Loxahatchee NWR and the
Wikodahatchee Wetlands near West Palm Beach.
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Many beautiful areas on the Gulf Coast including Marco
Island, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Sanibel Island,
and Ding Darling NWR.
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Areas near Lake Okeechobee for sandhill/piney woods specialties
such as Sandhill Crane, Short-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara,
Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman's Sparrow.
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South Florida, Dry Tortugas & The Florida Keys
21-29 April 2007
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Day |
Agenda
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1
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The tour begins in Fort Lauderdale; plan to arrive by late morning or
noon. There is often a nearby rarity to go after: one year we found a
Key West Quail-Dove in the first hour of the tour! Recently it
was a Smooth-billed Ani. Our visit to Loxahatchee NWR may yield
Limpkin and Purple Gallinule. Least Bittern,
Sora, and many additional aquatic species are easily
observed at the nearby Wikodahatchee Wetlands, where the baby coots
and moorhens are perennial favorites. Overnight in West Palm
Beach.
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2
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Today we'll be in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee, as far north and
west as Lake Placid. This is the sandhill region on the prairies with
lots of ponds for waterfowl and shorebirds. There is an
excellent chance for Mottled Duck, Sandhill Crane,
Swallow-tailed Kite, Crested Caracara, Short-tailed
Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Florida Scrub-Jay.
Overnight near Lake Placid.
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3
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We'll start the day in the Venus Flatwoods area for Red-headed
Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, and Short-tailed
Hawk, then head for the Gulf Coast. Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel
Island is host to Anhinga, Roseate Spoonbill, Brown
Pelican, and flocks of egrets and ibis. We'll make
our first attempt for Mangrove Cuckoo at Sanibel. Tigertail
Beach often yields Piping, Wilson's, and Snowy
Plovers, plus lots of other shorebirds and terns. Overnight near
Naples.
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4
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Red-shouldered Hawk
--Bob Schutsky
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Birding begins on the boardwalk at National Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp
Sanctuary to look for Barred Owl, Swallow-tailed Kite,
Painted Bunting, and baby American Alligators. The
Tamiami Trail will take us east across Big Cypress Swamp and the
Everglades. The Miccosukee Restaurant is a prime location for Snail
Kite, Wood Stork, and the pale South Florida race of
Red-shouldered Hawk. While checking out alligators,
turtles, snakes, and gar in the roadside canals
we'll watch for rails and bitterns. Overnight in
Florida City, with displaying Common Nighthawks and the
ever-increasing Common Mynas.
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5
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Homestead is a good area to look for White-winged Dove,
Common Ground-Dove, Painted Bunting, Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, and sometimes White-tailed
Kite. Everglades National Park has some incredible birding areas
such as the Anhinga Trail for aquatic species and EcoPond for
long-legged waders. There is an excellent chance of seeing
White-crowned Pigeon, Gray Kingbird, Black-whiskered
Vireo, and American White Pelican. Even Mangrove
Cuckoo, Shiny Cowbird, Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow,
and Greater Flamingo are possible. After dinner we'll look for
Chuck-will's widow and Barn Owl. A second night in
Florida City.
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6
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We'll take as much time as we need near Florida City to seek out any
species that we may have missed. As we head south through the Keys
we'll watch for Gray Kingbird, 'Great White' Heron, and
Magnificent Frigatebird. There will be excellent chances for
Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo, and Painted
Bunting. We'll look for Burrowing Owl at Key Colony Beach.
One year they had two babies that were simply adorable! Overnight
near Marathon.
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What a great perch!
--Bob Schutsky
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7
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Our tour continues west across the Seven Mile Bridge, from Marathon to
Key West. We'll look for migrant warblers, Reddish
Egret, White-crowned Pigeon, and scan the beautiful
offshore waters for pelagic species. We'll see Key
Deer, look for the Cuban form of Yellow Warbler on
Big Pine Key, and listen and watch for Antillean Nighthawk at
the Marathon Airport. There is sometimes a really incredible bird
around like Bananaquit, La Sagra's Flycatcher,
Western Spindalis, or Fork-tailed Flycatcher. A second
night at the same motel in Marathon.
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8
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We'll make the drive to Key West and board the Fast Cat for the
70-mile, 2.5-hour journey to the world-famous Dry Tortugas. En route
we'll watch for Northern Gannet, Audubon's Shearwater,
Brown Booby, Roseate Tern, and perhaps White-tailed
Tropicbird. Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Noddy,
and Sooty Tern will be abundant as we approach Fort Jefferson.
Our search for migrants in and around the fort may yield a wide
variety of warblers, vireos, tanagers,
thrushes, buntings, and grosbeaks, plus a few
Merlins, Peregrines, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds,
and often a Chuck-will's-widow. We'll return to Key West at
about 5 PM and work our way back to Marathon for the night.
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9
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Our final morning will give us a chance for all of the exotics in the
Miami area, including Hill Myna, Spot-breasted Oriole,
Red-whiskered Bulbul, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet,
White-winged Parakeet, and Monk Parakeet. There is also
a chance for a few other non-established parrots and macaws. The
South Florida Tour ends early in the afternoon at Fort Lauderdale
International Airport.
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Leader:
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The South Florida Tour will be led by John Puschock.
John has led this tour in previous years and has birded this area many
times.
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Price:
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$2095 per person based upon double occupancy. Single accommodations
are available at an extra charge of $485.
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Includes:
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Expert guide service, ALL meals, all ground transportation
within Florida, entrance fees, and lodging for 8 nights. ALL
tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything that
you may wish to give to your tour leader(s).
Does not include cost of airfare to and from Fort Lauderdale. Upon
request,
BIRD TREKS
will help you obtain the best possible airfare.
Also not included are the cost of alcoholic beverages and items of a
personal nature.
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Deposit:
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A $500 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. The balance of the tour fee is payable 15 February 2007.
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Extra
Services:
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We offer the services of our exclusive
BIRD TREKS travel agent,
Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 21 years
of experience in the travel industry and is a veteran birder. Contact
her through Bailey Travel at 1-800-224-5399, or you can e-mail
lori@baileytravel.com.
By dealing with Lori you have the security of a 24-hour toll-free
telephone number in case of any travel emergency. She can also assist
you with all pre- and post-tour travel plans.
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Refund &
Cancellation
Policy:
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With written notice more than 60 days prior to the first day of the
tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $75 service fee.
With 30-60 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost
of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You
will receive a full refund if you provide replacement for your spot on
the tour.
No partial refund can be given once a tour begins.
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip
cancellation insurance to protect your investment in case of injury or
illness to you or your family prior to or during a tour. Click on the
following link to Access America or contact
BIRD TREKS for information
on obtaining this coverage.
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Robert M. Schutsky
216 Spring Lane
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
Phone: 717-548-3303
Fax: 717-548-3327
e-mail: info@birdtreks.com
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