Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

McKethan Lake Day Use Recreation Area

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Make reservations with: Claudia

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

McKethan Lake Day Use Recreation Area is on U.S. 41, 0.5 mile north of Lake Lindsey Road (County Road 476), north of Brooksville. At 8 a.m. meet in the parking lot on the left, just inside the entrance.

There is a $2 per person park fee. The trip leader will collect the $2 fee from participants and pay Forestry a lump sum. Please bring exact cash.

McKethan Lake Day Use Recreation Area habitat includes a hardwood hammock, a marsh, and a wetland prairie as well as open water on the lake itself. This provides an opportunity to view a variety of birds including waterfowl, herons, egrets, songbirds, and raptors. We will walk on a trail through the hardwood hammock and observe the lake, marsh, and wetland prairie. Total walking distance will be approximately 1.5 miles. There are restrooms and drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Beginning Birding

Friday, September 26, 2025

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them.

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup

Saturday, September 27, 2025

To volunteer: Steve.Smetko@frontier.com or 352-247-9793

Hernando Audubon Society participates in Hernando County’s Adopt-A-Road program by doing a 1.25 mile cleanup on Northcliffe Boulevard between U.S. 19 and Deltona Boulevard three times a year. Garbage bags and safety vests will be provided. Expect this task to take 2 hours.

High school students will receive credit hours for helping in this community service.

Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot of Good Shepherds Plaza, 8417 Northcliffe Blvd., on the north side of Northcliffe Blvd, just east of U.S. 19, in Spring Hill.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome. All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Aripeka Sandhills Preserve

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Make reservations with: Claudia

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Aripeka Sandhills Preserves protects important habitat communities such as dense hardwood swamps and pine-covered sandhills. Aripeka Sandhills Preserve was acquired as part of the Weekiwachee Preserve on November 8, 2007. This is a joint acquisition with Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pasco County. Funding was provided by Penny for Pasco.

Over 200 species of birds have been reported to eBird. Along the two-mile woodland trail, we hope to see fall migrants as well as many resident songbirds.

The parking lot is a half mile west of US-19 on the north side of Aripeka Road. There is no drinking water or restroom.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Fort Cooper State Park

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Make reservations with: Bev 

bevalhansen@gmail.com or 352-686-0460 (Cell phone on the day of the trip: 352-442-5598.)

Meet at 8 a.m. at parking lot #2. After scoping the lake, we will walk a mile on a trail. There is a $3 park fee. Please bring exact change. Restrooms and drinking water are available. There will be an optional trip extension to look for birds at the nearby Inverness Waste Water plant and Airport Road.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Weekiwachee Preserve

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Make reservations with: Ken 

klarsson55@gmail.com or 352-346-4132.

Meet at the entrance gate one mile west of U. S. 19 on Osowaw Blvd., north side of the road. We will look for birds along trails for about 2 miles.

When a limerock mine closed in coastal Hernando County, the area now known as Weekiwachee Preserve was slated to become a housing development. After a large public outcry in opposition, Southwest Florida Water Management District began purchasing the property in 1993. Subsequent acquisitions have increased the size to 11,206 acres. The main section of this property is a mix of xeric scrub, sandhill, and pine flatwood communities surrounding several deep lakes that were dug during limerock mining.

After the property was opened for public access, 260 species of birds have been sighted on the preserve, as well as 74 species of butterflies, in addition to larger animals such as black bear, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and rabbits, as well as gopher tortoises, a variety of snakes and other critters. Bird rarities include the third state record of a Hooded Oriole seen by scores of birders in December 2019.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Beginning Birding

Friday, October 24, 2025

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Ernie Wever Youth Park

Friday, October 31, 2025

Make reservations with: Bonnie

compassrose360@gmail.com or 719-930-1856

Ernie Wever Youth Park, a 113-acre park, is a surprisingly birdy place, with 72 species reported to eBird, and is definitely under-birded! This park is the largest sports complex in Hernando County. The fields can harbor Eastern Bluebirds and Killdeer, while a variety of herons and egrets can be found in the stream. An abundance of trees provides food and cover for woodpeckers, warblers, and many other songbirds. There are restrooms and drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Birding and Biking the Withlacoochee State Trail

Saturday, November 1, 2025

The trip size is limited so please reserve your spot with: Claudia 

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Meet at Lake Townsen Preserve Park, 28011 Lake Lindsey Road (County Road 476).

We will ride a total of about 8 miles: 4 miles south from the park and then return.

This is a beautiful section of the state trail that passes through forests and fields. We will stop periodically to look for birds and other wildlife. This is a no-stress, no-rush ride.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Crews Lake Wilderness Park

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Make reservations with Bonnie: 

compassrose360@gmail.com or 719-930-1856

Crews Lake Wilderness Park is a 113-acre park with 2.5 miles of walking trails, as well as a long sightseeing/fishing pier and a tall observation tower. We’ll walk about 1.5 miles on the pier, on the trail along the lake shore, and then a wooded trail. We expect to see the resident Sandhill Cranes, wading birds, woodpeckers, and songbirds.

This park in north central Pasco County is approximately 5.7 miles south of County Line Road. When driving south on Shady Hills Road, after crossing under the Suncoast Parkway, turn left on Lenway Road, and right on Crews Lake Drive. Follow the signs to the pier. Park in the pier parking lot near the lake.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Big Pine Tract

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Make reservations with: Ken

klarsson55@gmail.com or 352-346-4132

The entrance to the Big Pine Tract, at 12060 Old Crystal River Road, is 1 mile north of where Old Crystal River Road intersects with U.S. 41, just north of Brooksville. Meet in the parking lot, which is on the east side of the road. 

We will walk the upland trail through longleaf pine habitat. The trail eventually leads down to the lowlands and into a lovely oak hammock. There is a forty-foot change in elevation making for a variety of vegetation and birds. Expect to see many woodpeckers, hawks and other birds. The walk is about 2 miles. There is a restroom, but no drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Perry Oldenburg Wildlife and Environmental Area

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Make reservations with: Claudia

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Along the 1.5-mile trail through sandhill and hardwood hammock and a powerline right-of-way, expect to see American Kestrel, Eastern Bluebird, hawks, woodpeckers, other woodland bird species.

Directions: From U. S. 41, turn east on Deer Run Road. At the intersection with Government Road, go straight in the right lane. (Don’t depend on your GPS; it might lead you to the wrong entrance.) There is no restroom or drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Beginning Birding

Friday, November 28, 2025

 Make reservations with: Linda 

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Brooksville Wetlands

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Meet at 8 a.m. at the southwest retention pond at Walmart, 7305 Broad Street, Brooksville (the intersection of U. S. 41 and Wiscon Road), Hernando County. From there we will drive to look for ducks, waders, and songbirds at various wetlands near Brooksville.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Hunters Lake

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Make reservations with: Clay

cjbird@bellsouth.net or 352-592-4949.

Meet in the boat ramp parking lot at Hunters Lake in Spring Hill. To reach the boat ramp, from the intersection of Kenlake Avenue and Applegate Drive, go south on Kenlake Avenue, and immediately turn left.

We expect to see herons and egrets, resident songbirds, and perhaps some early arriving ducks. The section of the trail approaching the lake may be muddy, so wear appropriate shoes. We’ll walk about 1.5 miles. 

Brooksville Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Help count all the birds in a 7.5-mile-radius circle around Bystre Lake.

To be assigned to a team, contact: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629  

ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

Excerpted from the National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count Website.
From December 14, 2025, through January 5, 2026, tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas will take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. This will be the 126th count!  Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission -- often before dawn. For more than a century, the desire both to make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.

Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations -- and to help guide conservation action.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Cooter Pond Park

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Make reservations with: Clay 

cjbird@bellsouth.net or 352-592-4949

At 8 a.m. meet in the parking lot at 101 North Mill Ave, behind the Sheriff’s office, for a 1.5 mile walk around Cooter Pond. The first section of the walk is on a boardwalk crossing the middle of Cooter Pond. The second section of the walk is on the paved Florida Trail. We will make a side trip to Henderson Lake before returning to the parking lot. Expect to see water birds in the pond and forest birds along the trail. 

On the way home, we will stop by the Inverness Airport Wastewater Plant and scan the sewage ponds and spray fields. Expect to see water birds, grassland birds, and raptors.

Aripeka-Bayport Christmas Bird Count

Monday, December 29, 2025

The time listed may NOT be the time frame you are given. 

Help count all the birds in a circle that extends from Pine Island to Crews Lake. 

To be assigned to a team, contact Bev: bevalhansen@gmail.com or 352-686-0460

ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Excerpted from the National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count Website.

From December 14, 2025 through January 5, 2026, tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas will take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. This will be the 126th count! Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission -- often before dawn. For more than a century, the desire both to make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.

Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations -- and to help guide conservation action.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Circle B Bar Reserve

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Make reservations with: Wally

idocvb@gmail.com or 757-636-6229.

Meet in the parking lot at the end of the Reserve road at 9 a.m.

This 1,267-acre former ranch was acquired jointly in 2000 by Southwest Florida Water Management District and Polk County Environmental Lands Program. The former pastureland was restored to a marsh system, which has attracted a variety of wading birds and waterfowl, as well as Ospreys and Bald Eagles. 239 species of birds have been identified here. 

Walking trails pass through freshwater marshes, oak hammocks, hardwood swamps, and along the shore of Lake Hancock. There are nine wide interconnecting trails on the property, covering more than six miles. It is flat, easy walking, affording great views of marshland with many varieties of birds. There should be plenty of photo opportunities. Admission is free. Bring your own lunch and beverages. You can walk any distance you are comfortable with, as there are many options for trails. Stay for more birding after lunch if you like.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Delta Woods Park

Saturday, January 10, 2026

 Make reservations with: Bonnie

compassrose360@gmail.com or 719-930-1856

Twenty-acre Delta Woods Park borders the prairie lake called Lake Teresa. 114 species of birds have been reported to eBird from this small park. We will walk the 0.6 mile loop trail to the lake edge where we expect to see some wintering ducks and various wading birds. In the Live Oak trees at the beginning and end of the trail, we hope to see a variety of songbirds. 

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Pine Island and Bayport Parks

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

 Make reservations with: Bev

bevalhansen@gmail.com or 352-686-0460 (Cell phone on the day of the trip: 352-442-5598)

We’ll meet at Pine Island Park, when the gate opens at 8:30 a.m. We expect to see some wintering shorebirds, gulls and terns. Later we will go to nearby Bayport Park. There are restroom and drinking water at both parks.

Please note: the entrance fee for Pine Island is $5 - credit card only.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Weekiwachee Preserve

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Make reservations with: Clay

cjbird@bellsouth.net or 352-592-4949

Meet at the entrance gate one mile west of U. S. 19 on Osowaw Blvd., north side of the road. We will look for birds along trails for about 2 miles. 

When a limerock mine closed in coastal Hernando County, the area now known as Weekiwachee Preserve was slated to become a housing development. After a large public outcry in opposition, Southwest Florida Water Management District began purchasing the property in 1993. Subsequent acquisitions have increased the size to 11,206 acres. The main section of this property is a mix of xeric scrub, sandhill, and pine flatwood communities surrounding several deep lakes that were dug during limerock mining.

After the property was opened for public access, 260 species of birds have been sighted on the preserve, as well as 74 species of butterflies, in addition to larger animals such as black bear, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and rabbits, as well as gopher tortoises, a variety of snakes and other critters. Bird rarities include the third state record of a Hooded Oriole seen by scores of birders in December 2019. You can learn more about the preserve by clicking here: https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/weekiwachee-preserve

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Beginning Birding

Friday, January 23, 2026

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup

Saturday, January 24, 2026

To volunteer: Steve.Smetko@frontier.com or 352-247-9793

Hernando Audubon Society participates in Hernando County’s Adopt-A-Road program by doing a 1.25 mile cleanup on Northcliffe Boulevard between U.S. 19 and Deltona Boulevard three times a year. Garbage bags and safety vests will be provided. Expect this task to take 2 hours.

High school students will receive credit hours for helping in this community service.

Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot of Good Shepherds Plaza, 8417 Northcliffe Blvd., on the north side of Northcliffe Blvd, just east of U.S. 19, in Spring Hill.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Make reservations with: Claudia

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Meet in the parking lot at 8 a.m. There is a $5.00 per vehicle fee, $2 per person. Please bring correct change as this is an "honor" pay station. A restroom is available at the covered pavilion near the parking lot.

Sweetwater Wetlands is a 125-acre park with 3.5 miles of crushed gravel and boardwalks for viewing wetlands and ponds that were created to improve the water quality of Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer. There are several viewing platforms. Participants should be aware that there is no shade on the trails. 

The trip is well worth making because of the many species of wading birds, including many Purple Gallinules. It is also possible that we will see sparrows and several duck species. If we are very fortunate, we might even see an endangered Snail Kite as this species has recently made a home for itself in the park.

To carpool from Hernando County, meet at 6:20 a.m. at McDonald’s, 31038 Cortez Blvd, on the southside of State Road 50, just east of Interstate 75.

Directions:
If coming from the south on Interstate 75, take exit 382 toward State Road 121N/Gainesville. 

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages.Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Bird Box Cleaning and Work Day at Audubon Florida's Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary

Saturday, February 7, 2026

For more information contact: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary is at 24268 Lake Lindsey Road (County Road 476). A fire station is just east of U. S. 41 on County Road 476/Lake Lindsey Road. The entrance to the sanctuary is just east of the fire station. If you are traveling west on County Road 476 and you see the fire station, you have gone too far.

We will do annual maintenance on Eastern Bluebird nest boxes, removal of exotic plants, and other clean-up projects on the property. Please bring your own work gloves and wear a long-sleeved shirt.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Surrounded by publicly protected land, including the Withlacoochee State Forest, 270-acre Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary is part of a large greenway that remains untouched by urban sprawl. The property was left to Audubon Florida by Lisa von Borowsky, one of Hernando Audubon's first board members and a longtime supporter of Audubon Florida.

The property is open to group visits, with prior arrangements. Volunteers are very important to maintaining it for wildlife.

Hernando Big Day/Birdathon

Saturday February 14, 2026

Can we identify 125 bird species in Hernando County on Saturday, February 14? It's up to you!

EVERYONE can participate in the Big Day/Birdathon! A birdathon is a fundraising event like a telethon or a walkathon, but with a focus on birds. 

There will be two levels of competition: backyard observations and team formation. The backyard component will involve individuals counting bird species in their yard and reporting the species observed. The team component will involve formation of teams consisting of 3 or 4 birders trying  to find the greatest number of bird species that they can. We are encouraging each team to include a beginning birder. 

The time period for the Birdathon is from midnight to midnight on February 14. All birding must be done within Hernando County. Winners will be determined for both the individual seeing the most birds in a backyard and the team that sees the most species in the county. The winners will be recognized in the next issue of our newsletter, eNews.  

This is our single biggest fundraiser of the year, and we are hoping to establish a new record. We encourage each individual or team to find sponsors willing to pledge based on the number of species that person or team observed. Please consider being a participant in this important Hernando Audubon event and making a donation.

Please click here to download the pledge form. We assure you that 100 percent of your donation will be used to help Hernando Audubon provide conservation and wildlife education programs and work to protect wildlife habitat. Please fill out the form and make your check payable to Hernando Audubon Society. If your employer will match your donation, please include a matching gift form. Your contact information will only be used to acknowledge your tax-deductible donation. This information will not be shared with any other organization or individual. It will also not be added to the Hernando Audubon mailing list.

At the end of the day, please enter your species in eBird and generate a trip report. If you don’t use eBird, a list of species can be written down. Email the list to Tom: tomstclair8@gmail.com or 904-303-0919.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

The Celery Fields at Sarasota

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Make reservations with: Tom

tomstclair8@gmail.com or 904-303-0919

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center parking lot picnic tables, 999 Center Road, Sarasota. 

The Celery Fields mainly consist of open marshland, shallow ponds, and canals which are edged by oaks, willows, and pines. Birds seen here can include sparrows, Marsh and Sedge wrens, Sora and Virginia rails, Black-necked Stilts, Least Bittern, Limpkin, and Purple Gallinule. Behind the Nature Center is a small observation area with feeders that attract songbirds and seasonal migrants.

Once a list of participants is compiled, Tom will arrange carpool opportunities.   

Directions to The Celery Fields: From I-75, take exit 210, Fruitville Road. Go east and turn right at the Lakewood Ranch Blvd. light, then right at the traffic circle onto Apex Road. Follow Apex Road for 1 mile and make a left onto Palmer Blvd. After 0.3 mile, turn left into parking lot, which also has restrooms.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Perry Oldenburg Wildlife and Environmental Area

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Make reservations with: Ken

klarsson55@gmail.com or 352-346-4132

Along the 1.5-mile trail through sandhill and hardwood hammock and a powerline right-of-way, expect to see American Kestrel, Eastern Bluebird, hawks, woodpeckers, other woodland bird species.

Directions: From U. S. 41, turn east on Deer Run Road. At the intersection with Government Road, go straight in the right lane. (Don’t depend on your GPS; it might lead you to the wrong entrance.) There is no restroom or drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Beginning Birding

Friday, February 27, 2026

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area

Wednesday, March 7, 2026

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629

Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot on the west side of U.S. 19 at 13243 Commercial Way, 6.7 miles north of S.R. 50. Entrance fee is $3.00 per person or $6 per car (free with senior free hunting and fishing license). 

Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area preserves 24,243 acres of sandhill, mesic hammock, and forested wetland habitat. We'll carpool and drive on hard-packed roads, watching and listening for birds. Occasionally we will take short walks in areas that seem promising. A 0.4 mile walk through the swamp on a boardwalk to lovely Buford Spring is optional. 159 species of birds have been reported to eBird from this property, so we expect to see a variety of birds.

The group size is limited, so please reserve your spot with the trip leader.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Birding and Biking the Withlacoochee State Trail

Saturday, March 14, 2026

The trip size is limited so please reserve your spot with: Claudia 

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Meet at Lake Townsen Preserve Park, 28011 Lake Lindsey Road (County Road 476). We will ride a total of about 8 miles: 4 miles south from the park and then return. This is a beautiful section of the state trail that passes through forests and fields. We will stop periodically to look for birds and other wildlife. This is a no-stress, no-rush ride.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Robert K. Rees Memorial Park

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Make reservations with: Claudia

camsler36@gmail.com or 813-244-0305

Robert K. Rees Memorial Park consists of 45 acres located on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a small beach area and a 650-foot boardwalk that winds through mangroves and wetlands. 252 species of birds have been reported to eBird from this compact park. We may see a variety of birds, including shorebirds, herons, egrets, pelicans, and Ospreys. During the wintering months, ducks, loons, and grebes may be found. Total walking distance will be about 1 mile. Restrooms and drinking water are available.

To reach Robert K. Rees Memorial Park from U.S. 19, turn west on Green Key Road, drive to the end of the road, and park in the parking lot.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Beginning Birding

Friday, March 27, 2026

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Early Spring Migrants, Croom Tract, Withlacoochee State Forest

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Make reservations with: Bev

bevalhansen@gmail.com or 352-686-0460 (Cell phone on the day of the trip: 352-442-5598)

At 6:45 a.m., park on the south side of the intersection of Croom Road and Trail 7. There is a wood corral there and an open area for parking. Trail 7 is 7 miles east of U.S. 41. Croom Road is on the north side of Brooksville. We will walk through brush, so wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Restrooms and drinking water are a mile away.  We will see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Bachman's Sparrows, and some recently arrived migrants and summer breeders.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Cypress Lakes Preserve

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Make reservations with: Joe

naturecoastjoe@aol.com or 813-468-0870

Cypress Lakes Preserve is one of Hernando County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands that is seldom visited. Joe Murphy will guide us on this 331-acre property as we walk about 1.5 miles on the Florida National Scenic Trail looking for birds and other wildlife.

Hernando County has created a small parking lot at the Olancha/Ridge Manor Blvd. entrance of the preserve. Please park there, but please do not block the gate. Overflow parking is available along Ridge Manor Blvd. just outside of the gate. The trail is of moderate difficulty and, depending on conditions, can be sandy or muddy in sections. In addition to looking for birds, we will focus on the preserve's history and land management.

There are no restrooms or drinking water.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.  

Weekiwachee Preserve

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Make reservations with: Tom

tomstclair8@gmail.com or 904-303-0919

Meet at the entrance gate one mile west of U. S. 19 on Osowaw Blvd., north side of the road. We will look for birds along trails for about 2 miles. 

When a limerock mine closed in coastal Hernando County, the area now known as Weekiwachee Preserve was slated to become a housing development. After a large public outcry in opposition, Southwest Florida Water Management District began purchasing the property in 1993. Subsequent acquisitions have increased the size to 11,206 acres. The main section of this property is a mix of xeric scrub, sandhill, and pine flatwood communities surrounding several deep lakes that were dug during limerock mining.

After the property was opened for public access, 260 species of birds have been sighted on the preserve, as well as 74 species of butterflies, in addition to larger animals such as black bear, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and rabbits, as well as gopher tortoises, a variety of snakes and other critters. Bird rarities include the third state record of a Hooded Oriole seen by scores of birders in December 2019. You can learn more about the preserve by clicking here: https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/weekiwachee-preserve

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan.

Beginning Birding

Friday, April 24, 2026

Make reservations with: Linda

lindalark85@gmail.com or text 352-428-2629. 

Learn to identify birds or hone your existing birding skill. We meet on the deck behind the Conservation Center building to watch the feeders for birds.  A short hike to the wetland at May's Prairie, where we can see more species, is optional. Binoculars will be available for use, but please bring your own if you have them.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please contact the trip leader to indicate that you plan to attend and to get any information about changes in plan. 

Fickett Hammock Preserve

Saturday, April 25, 2026

The trip size is limited so you must make reservations with Joe:

naturecoastjoe@aol.com or 813-468-0870.

We will explore the hardwood hammocks that comprise Fickett Hammock Preserve. This 155-acre preserve, part of Hernando's County's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program, contains a 2.3 mile loop trail. The trail is generally level but does contain some sections with slightly uneven footing (sand, roots, etc.). Named after famed biologist and birder Steve Fickett, Jr., who co-founded the Hernando Audubon Society, this preserve borders Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Janet Butterfield Brooks Preserve, creating a large area of rich habitat. We will meet at the trailhead parking lot on the south side of Centralia Road. While we will be birding, this hike is for nature lovers of all types who enjoy exploring wild places in the Nature Coast and learning more about conservation.

There are no restrooms or drinking water.

Trip participation is limited because of the small parking area. Please car pool, if possible.

Field Trip Guidelines: Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding. Non-members are welcome.  All trips are free unless the locale has an entrance fee or a charge for parking. We recommend sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, insect repellent, sunscreen, and water or other suitable beverages. Please reserve your spot as indicated below so that you are informed of any change in plan.

Kayak the Chassahowitzka River

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Participation is limited, so please reserve a spot with Tom:

tomstclair8@gmail.com or 904-303-0919.

Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the parking lot of the Chassahowitzka River Campground near the boat launch. The Chassahowitzka River Campground is located south of Homosassa Springs and west of U. S. 19 at 8600 W. Miss Maggie Drive, in Citrus County.

We will kayak the Chassahowitzka River for approximately two hours and expect to see various herons, egrets as well as Limpkins and nesting Ospreys. We hope to see migrating birds as they fly north to their breeding grounds. If lucky, we may also see manatees and river otters, which are always a highlight of this trip.

This outing is limited to experienced kayakers who can bring their own kayaks to the river. 

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup

Saturday, May 9, 2026

To volunteer: Steve.Smetko@frontier.com or 352-247-9793

Hernando Audubon Society participates in Hernando County’s Adopt-A-Road program by doing a 1.25 mile cleanup on Northcliffe Boulevard between U.S. 19 and Deltona Boulevard three times a year. Garbage bags and safety vests will be provided. Expect this task to take 2 hours.

High school students will receive credit hours for helping in this community service.

Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot of Good Shepherds Plaza, 8417 Northcliffe Blvd., on the north side of Northcliffe Blvd, just east of U.S. 19, in Spring Hill.