Birding the Bay Festival

Join us for a day-long birding event on the Forgotten Coast for birders of all levels, from advanced to beginners. Professionally-led tours will focus on shorebirds, migratory birds, and/or woodland species. See colorful song birds like Indigo Buntings and Summer Tanagers on St. George Island on their migratory stop over, view shorebirds in the shallow waters around St. George Island State Park, visit the pine woodlands where the Red Cockaded Woodpecker thrives, or learn the basics of birding with Audubon at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR).

After a morning in the field, participants will return to the ANERR Nature Center for lunch and a lecture by Budd Titlow, award-winning nature photographer and author, professional Wildlife biologist and wetlands scientist (Emeritus). The afternoon will also feature educational booths including the University of Massachusetts with a migratory mist net and bird banding demonstration, birds of prey information, Florida Audubon and representatives with the Florida Wild Mammal Association.

Visitors not registered for the tours are welcome to go birding along the ANERR boardwalks and beach, or attend the afternoon lecture. There will also be bird videos playing at the Nature Center throughout the day. The Jackson Childs “Gulf Crossing: Story of Spring” documentary will be shown at 10:00am in the Multipurpose Room. The educational booths will be staffed from 10am-2pm and include children’s activities and birding info. A silent auction open to all rounds out the afternoon.

Tours are for intermediate to experienced birders and are most appropriate for those 8 years and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For beginner birding, sign up for the Birding 101 class. Tours are not strenuous. Seats are limited and available first come, first serve; participants must register and pay in advance.
$45.00 ticket includes: Guided tour, roundtrip transportation to and from ANERR to the birding tour sites, lunch, a Sibley’s birding book, commemorative t-shirt and a reusable tote bag filled goodies.
Participants choose from one of three options:
-Tour 1: St. George Island migratory songbirds, shorebirds, woodland birds
-Tour 2: Red Cockaded Woodpecker tour
-Tour 3: Birding 101 Guided tour for beginner birders. Learn birding basics, and see shorebirds and woodland species at ANERR.

Want to go birding on your own? Limited packages without tours are available. Package includes lunch, the lecture, a t-shirt, Sibley birding book and tote bag for $35.00.

Attendance for the movie, information booths, and silent auction activities are free and open to the public. ANERR’s nature center is free and open to the public Tuesday-Saturday 9am-4pm.

To register, visit birdingthebay.eventbrite.com. For more information, call 850-670-7700. Full refund available until April 3rd. Tours will happen rain or shine. If there is lightning, we will delay the tours until danger has past, then continue.