From the North Shore Birding Festival
In Summary:
Orange Audubon Society’s 11th annual North Shore Birding Festival will offer five days of guided outings, photography trips, nature drawing workshops, and birding by bicycle and kayak. The event highlights the 20,000-acre Lake Apopka North Shore and includes a Young Birders trip and dinner presentations by Alex Lamoreaux and Bob Duchesne. Trips cost $10 to $95 with no additional festival registration fee, and proceeds benefit the planned Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park.
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Birders, photographers and families will have five days to explore Lake Apopka’s wildlife when the North Shore Birding Festival returns Dec. 3-7. From kayak outings and bicycle trips to nature drawing workshops and searches for rare birds, Orange Audubon Society’s 11th annual festival offers several ways to experience one of Central Florida’s best-known birding destinations.
Related: Florida photographers honored in 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.
The festival will feature 60 trips led by local and visiting birders, with activities welcoming participants of all skill levels. Registration is open, and proceeds will support the planned Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park.
Lake Apopka takes center stage
The festival highlights the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 20,000-acre Lake Apopka North Shore and takes participants to other birding locations across Central Florida. According to the festival website, more than 370 bird species have been recorded on the North Shore.
Organizers designed the lineup to suit a range of interests. Participants can choose photography outings, drawing-from-nature workshops, birding by bicycle or kayak, and trips focused on finding rare birds. A Young Birders trip is designed for ages 8-17, according to Orange Audubon’s announcement.
Last year’s festival recorded more than 209 species, according to the Orange Audubon Society. Highlights included vermilion and scissor-tailed flycatchers, painted buntings, roseate spoonbills, Florida scrub-jays, and 22 species of ducks and mergansers. Those sightings offer a glimpse of the festival’s possibilities, although the birds encountered will vary from trip to trip.
Two evenings of dinner and birding stories
The festival’s Saturday keynote, “Maine to Florida With the Birds,” will feature Bob Duchesne, a Maine birder, author, and birding columnist. Duchesne developed the Maine Birding Trail and wrote its guidebook, and he will also help lead festival trips.
The Saturday, December 5, program includes dinner for $35. It will take place at the Wekiwa Springs State Park Youth Camp dining hall, 1800 Wekiwa Circle in Apopka.
Friday’s dinner keynote will feature birding guide Alex Lamoreaux discussing subspecies and other identifiable forms of Florida birds in a presentation titled “Beyond just the Bird.” That program, also at the Youth Camp dining hall, costs $30.
The festival’s registration page lists both evening gatherings from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, with dinner service beginning at 5 pm and the talks at 5:30 pm Organizers note that entry to Wekiwa Springs State Park requires a separate admission payment.
Plan around individual trips
Trip prices range from $10 to $95, with no additional festival registration fee. Participants should review individual descriptions for starting times, meeting locations, walking requirements, transportation arrangements, and whether lunch is included.
This year, there is no central registration site or exhibit hall. Instead, participants will meet their guides at the starting location for each outing, with many trips beginning at McDonald Canal Pavilion, 24600 County Road 448A in Mount Dora.
Organizers ask participants to arrive 10 minutes before departure. Some trips require carpooling, and participants should select outings they can attend for the full scheduled duration.
Supporting a future Apopka attraction
Orange Audubon describes the festival as both an educational event and a fundraiser. All proceeds will go toward the planned Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park, connecting the five-day event with a longer-term investment in local nature education.
Volunteers run the festival, including organizers and trip leaders who donate their time. Their work helps support the museum effort while introducing participants to the birds and habitats of Lake Apopka and the surrounding region.
For the schedule, trip descriptions, and registration links, visit northshorebirdingfestival.com. Questions may be directed to festival@orangeaudubonfl.org or 407-637-2525.
Key Points:
- The festival runs Thursday, December 3, through Monday, December 7, with 60 trips for participants of all skill levels.
- Activities highlight Lake Apopka’s 20,000-acre North Shore and other Central Florida birding destinations.
- Options include photography, nature drawing, bicycle and kayak outings, and a Young Birders trip for ages 8-17.
- Saturday’s “Maine to Florida With the Birds” keynote features Bob Duchesne and includes dinner for $35.
- Trip fees range from $10 to $95, with proceeds supporting the planned Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park.
