The tour begins at the Fort Lauderdale Airport; 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 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.

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.

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.

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 lead 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 population of Common Mynas.

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.

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.

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. From the boat 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.

Our birding 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 third night at the same motel in Marathon.

Our final morning will give us a chance to look 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.

The South Florida Tour will be led by John Puschock. John has birded South Florida many times and knows its birds and habitats very well.

$2275 per person based upon double occupancy. Single accommodations are available for an extra charge of $485.

Expert guide service, ALL meals, all ground transportation within Florida, boat to the Dry Tortugas, entrance fees, and lodging for eight nights. ALL tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything extra that you may wish to give to your tour leader(s) and boat crew.
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.

A $500 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. The balance of the tour fee is payable 15 February 2008.

We offer the services of our exclusive BIRD TREKS travel agent, Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 22 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.

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 a 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.