Sarasota Audubon | Sarasota, Florida

Guided Walk - North Lido Beach & Woods
2025-02-19 08:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | North Lido Beach, 201 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL, 34236, United States
Meet Stu Wilson (512-897-8341) and Cathy Paris at the small parking lot at the west (seaward) end of John Ringling Blvd. We will look for shorebirds on the beach and an active eagle nest in the woods. The walk will be about 2 miles of beach and sandy paths. The beach will be sunny and the woods mixed sun and shade.
No restrooms are available.

Guided Walks - Robinson Preserve
2025-02-25 08:00 - 10:00 | Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St NW & 17th Ave NW, Bradenton, FL, 34209, United States
Meet Kathy Doddridge (941-705-3862, email) in the main parking lot of Robinson Preserve, which is the North entrance where the Valentine House is located. The walk will head to the lake at the new South addition where there are shorebirds, waders, ducks, and flyovers. Approx. 2 miles of gravel paths, mainly sun.
Plenty of restrooms.

Guided Walks - Oscar Scherer State Park, 4th Thursdays
2025-02-27 08:30 - 10:30, 2025-03-27 08:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-24 08:30 - 10:30, 2025-05-22 08:30 - 10:30 | Oscar Scherer State Park, 1843 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL, 34229, United States
There is a fee to enter park.
Meet Cynthia Huesman (email Cynthia) and Rob Gonzalez at Lake Osprey Nature Center. Strive to find the endangered Florida Scrub Jay and other resident birds as we take a 1.5 mile walk on sandy trails, mainly in the sun.
Restrooms at the Nature Center

Guided Walks - Beginning Birder Siesta Key Shorebirds
2025-03-07 08:00 - 10:00 | Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key, FL, 34231, United States
Peter Brown (207-994-9885) and Helen King will meet you at the Pavilion with the American flag on the right as you enter the main parking lot. We will learn to identify gulls, terns, and sandpipers during a 1.5 mile walk on sand with sun. Restrooms are available.

Guided Walks - Jean Blackburn's Gardens & Feeders
2025-03-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Jean Blackburn’s Garden, 700 Myakka Road, Sarasota, FL, 34240, United States
A renowned local artist, Jean Blackburn has developed a bird/butterfly friendly yard over the past 32 years. Walk the property and see the gardens and feeders. Mainly shade. Restroom.
From Myakka Road, turn West onto Myakka Road where Florida Native Plants Nursery is located (note that Myakka Road continues North-South, but you will turn on the Myakka Road that goes West, past Florida Native Plants Nursery). Travel to the end of the road. At the end, bear left onto the sand road. See address below.

Guided Walks - Myakka Bridge/Crowley Nature Center
2025-04-11 07:30 - 10:00 | Crowley Nature Center, 16405 Myakka Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34240, United States
First meet Helen King (email, 850-556-2950) at the bridge (he bridge is south of Crowley by 1/8 mile) with a spotting scope; park along the shoulder; then go to Crowley to find resident red headed woodpeckers, bluebirds, and loggerhead shrike. 1.5 mile walk in woods and dirt road.
$4 fee for Crowley
Restrooms are available at Crowley.

Guided Walks - Old Miakka Preserve
2025-04-15 08:00 - 10:00 | Old Miakka Preserve, Fruitville Rd & Myakka Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34240, United States
Stu Willson and Cathy Paris will meet you at Old Miakka Preserve on the East end of Fruitville Road. Continue on gravel road to the entrance about ½ mile on right. We will look for flyovers, migrants, and woodpeckers.
2 mile loop walk, mainly in the sun and on a sandy trail.
No restrooms

Guided Walks - North Longboat Key/Leffis Key
2025-04-16 08:00 - 11:00 | North Longboat Key, 100 Broadway, Longboat Key, FL, 34228, United States
Stu Wilson (512-897-8341) and Cathy Paris will meet you at the entrance to Broadway Beach; 7001 Seabreeze Ave. (West end of Broadway St. @ north end of LBK) then the group will go to Leffis Key at the south end of Bradenton Beach on Gulf Drive South.
First, we will look for migratory shorebirds on the beach and then migrant warblers, vireos, etc. at Leffis Key. Beach sand walking and sand paths/boardwalks; mainly in the sun.
Restrooms are located just south of Leffis Key at boat launch, also at Coquina Beach across the street.

Guided Walks - Glebe Park
2025-04-21 08:00 - 10:00 | Glebe Park, 1000 Glebe Lane, Sarasota, FL, 34242, United States
Walk with John Groskopf through Glebe Park on Siesta Key looking for migrants and flyovers; ¼ mile walk, mainly shade.
Restrooms are available

Guided Walks - Myakka River State Park
2025-04-23 08:15 - 11:00 | Myakka River State Park, 13208 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL, 34241, United States
Helen King will meet you at the first parking lot on the right after main (SR72) entrance.
There is a park entrance fee.
There will be stops at the bridges, boardwalk, and the former weir.
Restrooms are available.

Guided Walks - Bay Street Park
2025-04-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Bay Street Park, 300 Bay Street, Osprey, FL, 34229, United States
Join John Groskopf (941-726-8816) at Bay Street Park to look for migrants, waders, and forest birds. 1 mile walk, mainly shade. Restrooms are available.

Guided Walks - Pinecraft Park
2025-05-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Pinecraft Park, 1420 Gilbert Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34239, United States
Visit Pinecraft Park with John Groskopf (941-726-8816) as you look for migrants, flyovers, and water birds. Less than one mile of shaded walk.
Restrooms are available.

Oscar Scherer State Park Fourth Thursday Birdwalk
2025-11-27 08:30 - 10:00 | Oscar Scherer State Park, 1843 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL, 34229, United States
This one is on Thanksgiving! Strive to find the endangered Florida Scrub Jay and other resident birds. 1.5 mile walk on sandy trails – mainly in the sun.

Birds of the Celery Fields
2026-01-18 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-02-08 15:30 - 17:00 | Sarasota Audubon Nature Center, 999 Center Road, Sarasota, FL, 34240
A Beginner’s Guide to Birds of the Celery Fields, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center, garden, and Celery Fields boardwalk. This introductory course covers essential birdwatching skills. More Information
Register Here

Sunset Photography Walk with Mary Alice Curtiss
2026-01-22 16:30 - 18:00 | Sarasota Audubon Nature Center, 999 Center Road, Sarasota, FL, 34240
We will look for photographic opportunities before and during sunset. Approximately a 1 mile walk.

James L Patton Park in Lakewood Ranch with Aaron Virgin
2026-02-01 08:00 - 10:00 | James L. Patton Park, 5725 White Eagle Blvd, Bradenton, FL, 34211, United States
Discover shore birds, waders, ducks, and forest birds. Approximately a 1.5 mile walk in full sun. Restrooms.

North Lido Beach Preserve with Stu Wilson
2026-02-04 08:00 - 10:30 | North Lido Beach, 201 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL, 34236, United States
Look at an eagle nest on the backbay and shorebirds on the beach. 2 miles of walking on sand paths and beach sand, mainly sun. No restrooms.

Siesta Key Shorebirds
2026-02-10 08:00 - 10:00 | Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key, FL, 34231, United States
Learn to ID shorebirds. 1.5 mile walk in the sand and sun. Restrooms. Your guide for this walk will be Peter Brown.

Siesta Key Shorebirds for Beginning Birders with Peter Brown
2026-03-06 08:00 - 10:00 | Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key, FL, 34231, United States
“Learn to ID gulls, terns, and sandpipers. 1.5 mile walk on sand with sun. Restrooms.”

Myakka Bridge and Crowley Nature Center
2026-03-20 07:30 - 10:00 | Crowley Nature Center, 16405 Myakka Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34240, United States
“After using the spotting scope at the bridge, we will go to Crowley Nature Center to find resident red headed woodpeckers, bluebirds, and loggerhead shrikes. 1.5 mile walk in woods and dirt road. Restrooms at Crowley.”

Duette Preserve with Forrest Rowland - Early Birds *MEMBERS ONLY
2026-04-01 06:15 - 11:30 | Duette Bear Bay, Bear Bay Road, Myakka City, FL, 34251, United States
For those early risers interesting in trying for a few nocturnal species like Barred Owl, Chuck-will’s-widow & Eastern Whip-poor-will, now’s your chance! We will meet early, plan to arrive at 6 a.m. for 6:15 a.m. start time, at the Bear Bay Road Entrance to Duette Preserve.

We will reconvene back at the entrance at 7:30 a.m. with participants interested in only the diurnal species and go for a few short walks from the parking area in search of the Florida subspecies of Grasshopper Sparrow, habitat specialist Bachman’s Sparrow, and hope for perhaps running into other rarities like Vesper, White-throated, or White-crowned Sparrows. Pine specialists such as Brown-headed Nuthatch reside here, as do scarcer Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, and many other fun birds. The open habitats today offer good photo ops, as well.

There is no fee to visit the park, nor is there infrastructure beyond dirt roads (translated: No Restrooms).
This is a Members Only Event – Registration HERE is required.

Guided Walks - North Longboat Key
2026-04-15 08:00 - 11:00 | Broadway Beach on Longboat Key, 100 Broadway Street, Longboat Key, FL, 34228, United States
Stu Wilson (512-897-8341) and Cathy Paris will meet you at the entrance to Broadway Beach; 7001 Seabreeze Ave. (West end of Broadway St. @ north end of LBK). Expect beach sand walking and sand paths/boardwalks; mainly in the sun.
First, we will look for migratory shorebirds on the beach. Then we will travel south to Joan Durante Park (5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive) to look for migrant warblers, vireos, etc.
Restrooms are located at our second stop at Joan Durante Park.
Note: the original plan was to visit Leffis Key to the north, but that park remains closed for repairs.

Glebe Park on Siesta Key with John Groskopf
2026-04-20 08:00 - 10:00 | Glebe Park, 1000 Glebe Lane, Sarasota, FL, 34242, United States
“Looking for migrants and flyovers. Less than one quarter mile of shaded walk. Restrooms.”

Pinecraft Park with John Groskopf
2026-05-02 09:00 - 11:00 | Pinecraft Park, 1420 Gilbert Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34239, United States
“Looking for migrants, flyovers, and water birds. Less than one mile of shaded walk.”
