Sandhill Cranes and Nesting Birds
WILDSIDE NATURE TOURS
DATES: April 18 - 21, 2024
TRIP LEADERS: JENNIFER LEIGH WARNER
COST: $2,299PP
GROUP SIZE: 3-5
Highlights of FLORIDA: Sandhill Crane Colts & Nesting Birds
Hands-on photo instruction for wildlife and landscape photography with Nikon Professional Jennifer Leigh Warner
Photograph Central Florida’s endangered bird species such as Sandhill Cranes and Florida Scrub Jay
Photograph nesting birds such as Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets and Wood Stork
Description of FLORIDA: Sandhill Crane Colts & Nesting Birds
Spring time in Florida is a truly special time. Birds nest early in the southeast so by mid-April chicks have arrived and parents are busy tending to their nests. Sandhill Cranes in Florida do not migrate so this is one of the only places in the lower 48 to see Sandhill Crane colts. These yellowish orange fluff balls don’t stay small for very long, so catching a glimpse of these endangered subspecies is a real treat.
Length of Tour
4-days/3-nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Orlando, Florida travel to hotel in Titusville
Day 2 – Photograph in Merritt Islands National Wildlife Refuge evening in Orlando Wetlands Park
Day 3 – Morning at Orlando Wetlands Park evening at Merritt Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Day 4 – Morning at Orlando Wetlands Park, head back to Orlando for afternoon flights home.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Orlando and head to Titusville to check into the hotel.
We will meet this evening for dinner and a meet and greet. Here we will also discuss the coming weekend, photography strategies, logistics, and expectations.
Day 2 – We will head out for sunrise at Merritt Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This park is home to one of the only Florida Scrub Jay breeding populations. Merritt Island consists of 140,000 acres; the refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, managed impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals and 15 federally listed species.
In the afternoon we will head over to Orlando Wetlands Park. This park is home to many nesting birds including, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Wood Stork as well as Sandhill Cranes.
Day 3 – Today we will start our morning at the Orlando Wetlands Park. We will continue to photograph nesting birds while looking for Sandhill Crane colts.
In the afternoon we will head back to Merritt Islands National Wildlife Refuge for more bird photography. Perhaps we will come across a Bobcat, American Alligator or a Nine-banded Armadillo that lives within the refuge.
Day 4 – Return Home. We will spend one last morning photographing in the Orlando Wetlands Park before heading back to the Orlando International Airport for your afternoon flights.
