Bay County Audubon Society

Saturday, Oct. 18. Fall Migration Birding at Port St. Joe and Cape San Blas
2025-10-18 09:15 - 16:00 UTC | FL
We hope to see some migrating birds, including hawks, and lots of shorebirds along the bay and Gulf front. Meet at 9:15 a.m Eastern time (8:15 Central) at Frank Pate Park by the rest rooms. This is near the lighthouse and boat ramp. Allow about 1 hour to get there from Panama City. We will also walk the boardwalks at Salinas Park on the southside of the bay. Expect easy walking along paved paths, grassy and sandy areas and boardwalks, mostly. Afterwards we will eat lunch in Port St. Joe, possibly Pepper’s Mexican Grill and Cantina, 309 Reid Ave. (the main street 1 block north of Hwy 98). But we will make that decision at the end of our birding. We should be back in Panama City by 3:30pm.

Tuesday, October 21st Birds and Brews.
2025-10-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Asbell Park, W Beach Dr & Caroline Blvd, Panama City, FL, 32401
Tuesday, October 21 Birds and Brews. Lake Caroline 4:00 p.m. Meet at the Asbell Park parking lot, off Beach Drive. We will take a leisurely walk around the small lake and bay shore looking for birds. Afterwards, we will drive to the Little Village in St. Andrews for good food, drink, and socializing. Accessibility is easy on paved roads.

November 10th Membership Meeting
2025-11-10 18:30 - 20:00 | St Andrews Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 1608 Baker Court, Panama City, FL, 32401, United States
Attracting Eastern Bluebirds to Your Yard
Pam Overmyer, current President of the Florida Bluebird Society and Past President of BCAS, will be presenting a talk on “Attracting Eastern Bluebirds to Your Yard” and updating us on her bluebird trail at a local park which she has monitored for more than 10 years. Pam is a great resource for all things bluebird! The meeting is open to the public and we will provide snacks and drinks.

Saturday, Nov. 15th. St. Andrews State Park Bird Walk-"Bird Sit" Available
2025-11-15 08:15 - 11:30 | St. Andrews State Park, Address: 4607 State Park Ln,, Panama City, FL, 32408, United States
Join us at 8:15 near Gator Lake. We will explore Gator Lake from the viewing deck. Some may choose to bird from the observation deck while others may choose to walk the Oak canopy trails around the lake and the adjacent wetlands across the main road. Next, we will drive to the nearby jetties to observe shore and seabirds from the boardwalks which also features benches for seated birding or just relaxing and enjoying the view.

2025 BCAS Christmas Party
2025-12-08 18:00 - 21:00 | St Andrews Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 1608 Baker Court, Panama City, FL, 32401, United States
Join us for our Annual Christmas Celebration and Gift Exchange!
Bring an appetizer or side dish to share with others. Pam Overmyer will provide ham and BCA will provide beverages. If you wish to participate in our “Dirty Santa” gift exchange, bring a gift (less than $20).
The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. Data packets for CBC team leaders will be available at 6:00 After dinner, Aimee Bright, Executive Director of Bay Education Foundation, Inc. will update us on the status and use of our $10,000 donation from BCAS. Our celebration will conclude with the “Dirty Santa” Gift Exchange.

Conservation Park Field Trip-Recscheduled to December 9th
2025-12-09 07:30 - 11:00 | 100 Conservation Drive, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, 100 Conservation Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida, 32413
Bird and plant walk at Panama City Beach Conservation Park 7:30 a.m. We will be joined by members of Choctawhatchee Audubon. Meet at the Trailhead Information center. Joint field trip with Choctawhatchee Audubon Society to Panama City Beach Conservation Park. Meet at the parking area by the information center to walk approximately 1.4 miles up the Baxley Homestead Trail to the large marsh. We hope to see the Vermillion Flycatcher that has wintered there for the last 4 years. Other species that might be seen: hairy woodpecker, blue-wing teals, white ibis, hawks, eagles and others. Bring water and snacks to eat along the way.Photograph of Vermilion Flycather by Angela Barros.

Work Day at Laidlaw Preserve Saturday, December 13
2025-12-13 08:00 - 12:00 | FL
The next work day at our Laidlaw Preserve in Washington County is Saturday, December 13. This beautiful 280-acre Florida Audubon preserve is located just north of Vernon and is managed by members of Bay County Audubon and Choctawhatchee Audubon Societies. We have one work day per year where we maintain trails with clippers and loppers. The boardwalk at the levee has been repaired so we can get to the gazebo for lunch on Pam’s Pond. Come join us if you can. We will meet at the gate on Hwy 79 at 9:00am but if you live in Panama City and don’t know where that is, meet me at Porter Park in Lynn Haven, by the bridge at 8:00 and you can follow me up there. Park by the restrooms on the north side of the park. Bring a picnic lunch, hand tools, gloves and a weed eater if you have one.

December 20th - 2025 Christmas Bird Count
2025-12-20 07:00 - 21:00 | FL
It’s that wonderful time of year again, with the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) right around the corner! To those who’ve already checked in for your count areas, thank you, you’re amazing! For everyone else, it’s time to start building our teams and coordinating with property owners across Bay County. If you’re receiving this, you’ve either participated in a Bay County CBC within the past five years or shared your interest in joining. Thank you for continuing to support the CBC. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or brand new, there’s a place for everyone in this year’s count, and we’d love to have you with us.
Save the Dates!
Count Day: Saturday, December 20, 2025
Pre-Count Meeting: Tuesday, December 8, 2025 – 6:00 PM
St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1608 Baker Court, Panama City
We’ll kick things off with a short meeting at the start of our annual Holiday Party. If you can’t make it in person, no problem. I’m happy to connect one-on-one to answer questions or review your area.
Post-Count Gathering: Saturday, December 20, 2025
After a full day of birding, we’ll meet in the evening to share highlights, review data, and celebrate our top finds. Location details will be announced soon, and if you have venue suggestions, please let us know!
Count Information & Team Details

Team Packets: Team leaders will receive packets with maps and instructions at the pre-count meeting.
Digital Map: Our count circle is also available in KML format for use in Google Earth or other mapping apps.

Interested in Joining?

Email raya.pruner@gmail.com or call (352) 214-3262 to sign up or ask questions.
Returning Leaders: Please confirm if you’ll be leading your area again.
New Leaders: Interested in leading a team? We’d love to have you!
Feeder Watchers: Prefer to stay at home? Participate by counting birds from your yard or feeders; every observation counts!
