Evening Talk: The Great Florida Birding Trail by Chris Hall

The ‘Sunshine State’ of Florida is the fifth most species rich in the United States, with a bird list of over 500 species, including restricted local specialities like Roseate Spoonbill, Swallow-tailed Kite, the quirky Limpkin and Anhinga, the bizarre Black Skimmer and the endemic Florida Scrub Jay. Florida is also home to seven woodpeckers, eleven different herons and egrets, in a range of sizes from the tiny Least Bittern to the Great Blue Heron, a dazzling variety of colourful warblers and the highest concentration of iconic Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states, while the state bird is the Northern Mockingbird. Besides all these amazingly tame and approachable birds, offering unrivalled photo-opportunities, there is a wealth of other wildlife, including Bob Cat, Racoon, Armadillo, Gopher Tortoise, various turtles and butterflies and thousands of American Alligators. So, let’s hit the trail!