Trip Date: January 2018 | Location: Florida
The Lake Apopka Birding Festival, held from January 18–21, 2018, felt like a flashback to our 2015 “Big Year.” We arrived in Tampa on a Thursday, 10:00 p.m. flight from Newark, then drove an hour closer to our first destination: Ferndale Preserve.
Ferndale Preserve: Sparrows and Buntings
Our morning trip to the preserve was led by Gallus Quigley (Florida Ornithological Society) and Rebecca Anthony (Oklawaha Valley Audubon). The “sparrow of the day” was the Chipping Sparrow, which we counted in numbers exceeding 40. We also spotted Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows. In total, we recorded 43 species, with highlights including numerous Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Painted Buntings, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Seminole State Forest: Florida Scrub-Jays
Friday afternoon took us to the Seminole State Forest to search for the endemic Florida Scrub-Jay. Our leaders, Ralph Risch (Florida Division of Forestry) and Rebecca Anthony, were excellent. Ralph was wildly entertaining and provided great insight into the plight of the Scrub-Jay and the ongoing efforts to bolster the population.
This was an alternating driving and walking tour covering about six miles. While we observed 30 species, the Scrub-Jay was undoubtedly the highlight. A second target bird, the Brown-headed Nuthatch, was spotted by Ralph in the parking lot trees—unfortunately, after most of the group had already departed.
Mount Dora
We spent Friday night in the charming town of Mount Dora at the Farnsworth House B&B. They were kind enough to provide a breakfast-to-go for our early morning excursion.. We walked into town for a fantastic dinner at 1921 – By Norman Van Aken, a chef-owned restaurant. The Kimchi Fried Rice with Royal Red Shrimp was superb. We were lucky enough to find a roadside stand nearby selling the shrimp, and we bought five pounds of Royal Reds to take home!
Ocala National Forest: Woodpecker Extravaganza
Saturday morning, we joined the Ocala National Forest Woodpecker Extravaganza at the Clearwater Lake Recreation Area. Our 5:30 a.m. start began in the dark as we searched for owls with Gallus and Rebecca. The walk proved productive, yielding five woodpecker species: Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy, Red-cockaded, and Pileated.
Seeing the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers requires being on-site at dawn, as they leave their nest holes early and don’t return until dusk. One sharp-eyed birder spotted a Great Horned Owl roughly 100 yards away—a fantastic find! During the trip, we were so impressed by the photos Rebecca took with her new Panasonic/Leica camera that we have since purchased one for ourselves. Although we missed the Bachman’s Sparrow—which would have been a life bird—we still tallied 33 species, including some great looks at Pine and Yellow-throated Warblers.
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
After the festival tours concluded, we took the Wildlife Drive on our own and recorded 34 species. We enjoyed a nice flyover of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, alongside the usual herons and egrets. We were surprised to see a typically skulky Sora out in the open, as well as a Great Blue Heron wrestling with what we believe to be an invasive Asian swamp eel. If any readers can confirm the identity of that eel, please let us know!
We truly love this festival, expertly organized by Deborah Green, and hope it continues for years to come. The final tally for the 2018 Lake Apopka Birding Festival was an impressive 128 species. Our personal list included 79, many of which we are unlikely to see again this year.
Quick Tips for Lake Apopka Birding
- Best Time to Visit: The festival typically takes place in January.
- Target Species: Florida Scrub-Jay, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, and various wintering sparrows.
- Where to Stay: We recommend the historic town of Mount Dora for easy access to regional preserves.
- Must-Do: The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is a self-guided highlight—perfect for spotting raptors and shorebirds.
See more of our Florida adventures on our Florida Birding Hub.
Trip Summary:
Trip Totals: 79 species • 0 life birds
Next up: Grand Bahama Birding – Taking the fast ferry to the underrated Grand Bahama Island.
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