Our field trip schedule for all of 2025 is now posted on our website. Upcoming outings include:
Sunday, February 16 – Rotary Park
Tuesday, March 18 – CREW Marsh Trails
Wednesday, April 23 – historic Fort Myers Cemeteries
Saturday, May 3 – Harns Marsh (w/ photo workshop)
For more info or to RSVP please reply to this e-mail.
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Shorebird Stewarding has been a great success so far this winter. Please RSVP to leeshorebirdsteward@gmail.com to join us on the following Stewardship dates (an RSVP allows us to know who to expect at the parking lot, and the ability to notify you of cancellations due to weather.)
Sunday February 9, 8am Gulfside
Saturday February 15 8am, Bunche Beach
Sunday, February 23 8am, Gulfside
Saturday, March 1, 8am, Bunche Beach
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This year’s 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place Friday, February 14, through Monday, February 17, 2025. This is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Visit birdcount.org for more information.
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Memberships in our local chapter expire at year end. Visit www.audubonswfl.org to join or renew (click on the ‘Join Us – Membership’ tab).
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The 23rd annual Burrowing Owl Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, from 10 am to 4 pm at Rotary Park in Cape Coral. For more information, go to www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org
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Photographers – Audubon of Southwest Florida’s photo contest offers cash prizes awarded for Best of Show along with prizes for the top three runner ups. Visit www.audubonswfl.org for more information.
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Save the Date – This is your formal notice of the Dinner and Annual Meeting of Audubon of Southwest Florida scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 5:30 pm at the Collaboratory.
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The Wings Over Water Festival (WOW) is back! – Saturday, February 8, 2025 at Harns Marsh, in Lehigh Acres, to help the public discover the beauty of southwest Florida’s water, land and wildlife. The festival runs from 9 a.m. – 2 pm. Come visit us at our table.
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The Estero Bay Christmas Bird Count numbers are in for the Estero Bay circle –
113 species
10,521 birds counted
Top 5 birds- White Ibis, 2,116, Common Grackle 754, Laughing Gull 623, Black Skimmer 513, Glossy Ibis 448
Least common birds included: common loon, solitary sandpiper, red breasted merganser, hairy woodpecker, northern parula, prairie warbler, screech owl, virginia rail, and swamp sparrow.
Birds not seen this year include: yellow crowned night heron, snowy plover, caspian tern, lesser yellowlegs, purple gallinule, hooded merganser, brown thrasher, and snail kite.
Totals this year were similar to 2023, when there were 10,920 birds counted and a total of 121 species. In 2023 the top 5 birds were white ibis, common grackle, brown pelican, lesser scaup, and double crested cormorant.
