Join Dave and Barb Howard of Friends of Tampa Bay Wildlife Refuges for a boat ride to Rich T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary to see incredible nesting islands! The big wading birds have been hard at work and there are chicks everywhere, including Roseate Spoonbills. We'll view Bird and Sunken Islands from the boat and then head up the Alafia River to grab lunch at Jerry's Dockside.

The group will set sail at 10AM on Tuesday, May 5th from the Freedom Boat Club located at Jerry's Dockside Bar & Grille, 9808 Vaughn Street in Gibsonton. We will need to carpool to this location as the boat dock has very little parking. We'll meet at 9:45AM in the northeast corner of the Walmart Supercenter located at 9205 Gibsonton Drive. We expect to finish up around 2PM.

Background on the islands from Audubon Florida: The Alafia Bank (Bird Island to the east; Sunken Island to the west) is a Critical Wildlife Area as designated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Located in Hillsborough Bay at the mouth of the Alafia River, these two human-made islands were formed from spoil material when a channel into the Alafia River was dredged in the late 1920s. The islands were immediately important as bird nesting sites for gulls, terns, and skimmers. As shrubs and trees replaced low-lying vegetation, nesting herons, egrets, ibis, and later pelicans moved from the historic nesting site at Green Key. Each year, up to 18,000 nesting pairs of 16 to 20 species of birds nest on the Alafia Bank, making it one of the largest colonies in Florida and one of the most diverse colonies in the continental United States. Both islands and the surrounding water buffer are closed to public access year-round.

TRIP CAPACITY: 10 current members of Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists

COST: $30 tax-deductible donation to Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists (cost of lunch not included)

BRING/WEAR: Shade hat, sunscreen, water bottle, camera, cash or credit card for lunch