EVENTS: Choctawhatchee Audubon Society home page

All events are free and open to the public. Field Trips are usually 2-4 hours on Saturday mornings. Programs (slide shows, etc.) are held the first Thursday of all months except June, July, and August. People arrive between 6 PM and 7 PM, when the program begins. Programs are held in Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms St.) at the Crosspoint Church in Niceville. CLICK the place (it's a map link). When there, use any parking lot nearby. Walk in the door (NW building corner) under the red map marker. For more information, click our Facebook link. Admission is free and open to the public. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Feel free to wear a mask to protect yourself and others.

 

For most Field Trips, binoculars are almost a must, especially to study birds and butterflies. If you have a spotting scope and/or camera, bring them. Don't have binoculars? We may have an extra pair or two to borrow, and your leader will to try to show you several birds through a spotting scope. Many bird identifications are made on sounds and behavior. We will teach you how. Be sure to bring drinking water; you may want to bring snacks too. Field trips may lead down trails with chiggers and mosquitos, so wear long pants, socks, and water-resistant, closed-toe shoes. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent, but please refrain from spraying in the immediate presence of others (e.g., nearer than 2 bus-lengths).

 

2024 SEPTEMBER 5, EVENING PRESENTATION: University of West Florida (UWF) professor John Bratten will talk about the 1559-1561 Tristán de Luna y Arellano Expedition, the most ambitious Spanish attempt to colonize Florida. The hurricane that destroyed most of the fleet created a rich archaeological site, offering insights into the settlement, fleet, and daily lives of the colonists through thousands of recovered artifacts. The program will be held in Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms St.) at the Crosspoint Church in Niceville. Socializing begins at 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is free and open to the public..

 

2024 SEPTEMBER 7, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP to the Wright Landfill and the Okaloosa Holding Ponds. Leader: Jim Anderton 850`543`2221 to text. Meet 7:30 am along west edge of Roberts Road, 200 feet NE of Task Force Pizza Company, in the electric station parking area. We will look for plovers, sandpipers, raptors, and other migrants. Wear long pants, sturdy closed-toe shoes, & hat. Bring water, binoculars, and a spotting scope if you have one.

 

2024 SEPTEMBER 28, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP: Monthly Bird Survey at Camp Helen State Park. We will help the Lake Powell Community Alliance count birds at Camp Helen State Park in southwestern Bay County. Leader: Emily Ellis 850'818'2262. We will meet at 6:00 am at the Entrance Gate of Camp Helen State Park. Bring a picnic lunch and binoculars; wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, hat.

 

2024 SEPTEMBER 28, SATURDAY EVENT: Mattie Kelly Family Bay Day Festival at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park. Leader: Margaret Benner 850'376'2025. Meet 8:30 am at the Bayside picnic area in the park. Choctawhatchee Aududubon has an education table, and Margaret is seeking volunteers to help kids try bird identification games and the ‘try out your wingspan’. Bring water and lunch.

 

2024 OCTOBER 3, EVENING PRESENTATION: Neil Lamb will present a program about Madagascar, the land of lemurs, vanga shrikes, and other endemics. The program will be held in Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms St.) at the Crosspoint Church in Niceville. Socializing begins at 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is free and open to the interested public. Call or e-mail TBD for more information.

 

2024 OCTOBER 5, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP to North Okaloosa County and Blackwater State Forest. Leader: Doug Adkisson, 850`902`6854. Meet 7:30 AM at the Walmart parking lot, off Florida Hwy 85 just N of I-10 in Crestview . Wear long pants, sturdy walking shoes, closed-toe shoes & hat. Bring binoculars and water, and scope and/or camera if you have 'em.

 

2024 OCTOBER 19, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP to Veterans Park, Okaloosa Island. Bruce Purdy 305`926`6030 leads this trip. We visit bayshore, barrier island woodland, and 5 wetlands. Meet 7:30 AM on the north side of the Destin/FWB Convention Center parking lot . Bring water and binoculars; wear closed-toed shoes, long pants, and a hat.

 

2024 NOVEMBER 2, SATURDAY EVENT: Trail-side trimming & birding at Laidlaw Plantation. This is a joint event with the Bay County Audubon led by Ron Houser 850`774`9733. You may opt to leave at 7:15 AM from the CVS, Oak Creek Shopping Center parking lot, or you can meet us at 9:00 AM at the Preserve entrance gate. The entrance is on the West side of FL 79, which is a divided 4-lane. If you drive via Freeport, you'll need to drive 1/3 mile past the entrance and make a U-turn at the Union Hill Rd intersection. Some cars will already be waiting at the preserve entrance. Bring drinking water, work gloves, and lopper/pruning tools, and a sack lunch. Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants.

 

2024 November 7, EVENING PRESENTATION: Kayla Wingard of the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance will present Coastal Dune Lakes: Characterizing the waterbodies that shift with the sand. She will describe how the Florida panhandle's coastal dune lakes formed, their ecology, and the local groups working for their preservation. Results of ongoing bird surveys and water quality monitoring efforts will be highlighted. The program will be in Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms St.) at the Crosspoint Church in Niceville. Socializing begins at 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is free and open to the public.

 

2024 NOVEMBER 16, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP to Conservation Park, Panama City Beach, Neil Lamb 850'814-1276 leads this joint field trip with Bay County Audubon. Meet 7:30 AM at the Uptown Station parking lot west side (near the Parkway), 99 Eglin Parkway NE, Fort Walton Beach (city). Bring water and binoculars; wear appropriate clothing for sand and undergrowth (e.g., closed-toed shoes, long pants, and a hat).

 

2024 NOVEMBER 30, SATURDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP to Destin Beaches and Birding Spots. Join Bruce Purdy 305'926'6030 in search of seabirds, shorebirds, and migrating songbirds. Meet 7:30 AM in the Destin CVS parking lot at Hwy 98 and Main St., Destin opposite Regions Bank. Wear long pants & closed-toe shoes. Bring water, binoculars, and scope, if you have one. AND get your current Eglin Beach Permit BY CLICKING VIDEOS in eglin.isportsman.net Note you will need to watch the whole 4-minute Beach video before you can answer currently very simple questions. Continue through the Shopping Cart process INCLUDING viewing your cart AND printing, which displays your permit. If you copy the screen, you can email the screen-capture file to yourself.

 

2024 DECEMBER 5, EVENING PRESENTATION: ARIZONA VS. THE SOUTHEAST - George Ross will compare birds and birding in these avian paradises with his lovely photographs. The program will be held in Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms St.) at the Crosspoint Church in Niceville. Socializing begins at 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 7:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the interested public. Call or e-mail TBD for more information.

 

2024 DECEMBER 7, Audubon Christmas Party on SATURDAY Evening 5 PM TO 9 PM at the Owners Clubhouse, Kelly Plantation. Because both entrances to the subdivision have manned security gates, you'll need to contact TO BE DETERMINED by December 1. BYOB, a dish to share and a ‘birdy’ item for the Silent Auction.

 

2024 DECEMBER 14, SATURDAY Choctawhatchee Audubon CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT (link to 2023 CBC announcement to be updated soon) Jim, Bruce, and Malcolm coordinate our Audubon CBC circle in this worldwide citizen science event (all experience levels welcome). The 15-mile-diameter circle is centered 4 mi N of the Marler (Destin) Bridge over East Pass, and the circle is divided into many sections for the different parties of observers birding in Fort Walton Beach, Valparaiso, Niceville, Destin, and the smaller towns among them. Contact Jim Anderton 850-543-2221 or Bruce Purdy 305-926-6030 to participate in your own group or another party. PDF with local bird ID tips - 21 MB so a big download