Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 1 (D)
We will meet at our hotel in Ft. Myers, FL for an orientation and welcome dinner.

Day 2 (B,L,D)
We will start off the workshop with an incredible private boat experience! Our experienced captain will take us into the Ten Thousand Islands area of Everglades National Park. We will be in position to photograph hundreds of birds for a ‘fly off’, as they leave their morning roost. After, we will boat to various locations to capture feeding birds in the shallows.

After lunch, we will take a few short hikes near an Audubon sanctuary in search of birds, alligators, and more wildlife. We will finish off the evening shoot at Tigertail Beach, a fantastic place to view Wilson’s, Piping and Snowy Plovers, as well as Least Terns, Roseate Spoonbills, Red Knots, Reddish Egrets, and Magnificent Frigatebirds.

Day 3 (B,L,D)
For sunrise, we will head to a nearby refuge. The refuge is home to over 245 bird species, as well as mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. We will take a quick break to grab some food mid-morning and then possibly head to a great spot to find manatees.

We will take another private boat tour into the Everglades for our evening session. Before sunset, hundreds of birds will fly back into the rookery, making for an incredible photography experience.

Day 4 (B,D)
Boat is the best way to see the true wilderness and wildlife diversity of the Everglades, thus on the morning of Day 4 we will take one final boat tour. We will spend a few hours exploring the western Everglades in search of wildlife before returning to port. Afterwards, we will continue on to our lodging for the next few days in Florida City, on the outskirts of Everglades National Park.

In the evening, we may take a hike in Everglades National Park to a lookout tower where we can spot birds. We may also drive the Main Park Road and stop at some of the roadside ponds, which provide good birding opportunities. Conditions and activity will dictate what we choose.

Day 5 (B,L,D)
We will start the morning early, with potential walks planned around sunrise and early morning. We will visit the parks Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and follow the Anhinga Trail. The trail is one of the best wildlife viewing areas in the park, and it is extremely accessible. We will take another nearby trail later in the morning before taking a break.

Late afternoon will take us down the Main Park Road, where we will scope out some of the ponds and eventually reach the Flamingo Visitor Center. The center features a marina that sometimes hosts the American Crocodile, one of the few accessible places in the park where they can be seen. Before sunset, we will backtrack and take a short hike to capture birds returning to their roost before the sun goes down.

Day 6 (B)
On our final morning, we will head back towards Ft. Myers, driving through Everglades National Park. We will spend the morning in Shark Valley, which features numerous trails and a 15-mile round trip paved bike trail. We will walk the bike trail a little bit and focus on some of the shorter trails in the area. The Shark Valley is another phenomenal place to see alligators, birds, and maybe even an otter. After a morning session and breakfast, we will pack up and return to Ft. Myers, FL.