-
8/9/2019 Apr 2002 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
1/4
ApalacheeAudubonTheNewsletterOfTheApalacheeAudubonSociety,Inc.
April,2002Vol.102,no.7www.apalachee.org
PresidentsColumn
Themorningchorusofsong-
birdshasreachedahighpointin
ourTallahasseeyards.Springishereandmigratingsongbirds
arereturningtotakeuphouse-keeping.Thisistheseasonofthemostintenseactivityfor
birders.
ForApril,MarvinCollins,ourfieldtripleader,hasplannedsev-
eralexcellentoutingstosomeof
ourfavoritebirdwatchingsites.AndJimShelton,ourBirdFesti-
valCoordinator,hasworked
withfolksfromtheFloridaFishandWildlifeCommission,Wa-
kullaSpringsStatePark,St.
MarksNationalWildlifeRefugeandotherareaorganizationson
theWelcomeBackSongBirds
FestivalatWakullaSpringsStateParkonApril27th.
(SeeInsert)
Finally,yourchapters2002
BIRDATHONwillbeduringtheweekofApril20th-27th.
Seethefollowingarticle.
Comejointhefun.Joinusat
oneormoreoftheseAuduboneventsthisspring.
Larry
ProgramHighlight
Tuesday,April28AndySmithofTheApalachicolaBay&RiverKeepersjoinsusto
discusstheprotectionandsteward-
shipoftheRiverandBay.Thegoalistoprotecttheriverstribu-
tariesandwatershedinorderto
improveandmaintainitsenviron-
mentalintegrityandtopreserveitsnatural,scenic,recreational,and
commercialfishingcharater.
TheApalachicolaRiverandBaysystemisanecologicalkeystonetotheFloridaPanhandle.Learn
moreaboutthechallengestothis
majorsystemandtheeffortstoprotectit!Itdeservesouratten-
tion.
Programsbeginwithaninformalsocialat7:00p.m.,followedby
theprogramat7:30.
Audubonchapters,corpora-
tions,andindividualspartici-pateinBirdathonsthroughthe
UnitedStatesduringAprilandMaytocoincidewiththepeakmigrationperiodsintheirre-
gions.Fromdawnuntillatein
theevening,theytallyevery
birdspeciestheyobservetoraisemoneyfortheirfavorite
conservationcauses.Since
mostgroupsexpecttofindbe-tween100and200species,
theyraisethousandsofdollars
forlocalconservationprojectsfromthepledgeperspecies
theyhaveobtainedfromtheir
supporters.
FundsraisedbytheApala-
cheeAudubonSocietywillbeusedtosupportourlocal
AudubonAdventuresClass-
roomsandotherenviron-
mentaleducationprojects.
Birdathonproceedsalsosup-portoureffortstoprotect
birds,otherwildlifeandtheirhabitats.Ifyouareinterested
inparticipatingintheBir-
dathonasacounterononeofourteamsorifyouwouldlike
topledgeyoursupport,please
contactanyoneoftheboard
members,chapterofficers(see
listinside)orLarryThompsonat681-2591orbye-mailat
[email protected].
-
8/9/2019 Apr 2002 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
2/4
OfficersPresident:[email protected]
Treasurer:[email protected]
Secretary:[email protected]
[email protected]
HansVanTol656-4039
[email protected]@mindspring.com
CommitteeChairsConservation:HansvanTolBirdathon:LarryThompsonEducation:EllenSheltonHospitality:EdGartner386-6543Membership:HarveyGoldman
Newsletter:[email protected]
Publicity:JudyRicePopulation:HarveyGoldmanFieldTrips:MarvinCollinsPrograms:MarvinCollinsPastPresident:JimShelton
[email protected]
Ex-Officio,SierraLiaison:GrayalFarr385-5732
TheApalacheeAudubonnewsletteris
published8timesyearly(Sept.
May,exceptDec.)bytheApalachee
AudubonSociety,Inc.,P.O.Box
1237,Tallahassee,FL32302-1237.
Thisnewsletterisprintedon
partiallyrecycledpaper.
MissionStatement
Protectionoftheenvironmentthrougheducation,appreciation
andconservation
MakeadifferencebyjoiningtheNationalAudubonSocietyandtheApalacheeChapter.Everynewmemberstrengthenstheorganizationandhelpsmakeourvoiceheardonbehalfofwildlifeandtheenvironment.
SPECIALONE-YEARINTRODUCTORYRATEis$20.00
NAME
STREET
CITY
STATE ZIP
BILLME PAYMENTENCLOSED
Membersreceivesixbi-monthlyissuesoftheaward-winningAudubonmagazine,eightissuesperyearoftheApalacheenewsletter,freemembershipinthelocalAudubonChap-ter,opportunitiestovisitmostsanctuariesandnaturecenters,invitationstostudywithAudubonexpertsatecologycampsandworkshops,andeligibilitytoparticipateinwide-
rangingAudubontravel.LocalChapter:ApalacheeAudubon, E197XCH
Sendto:NationalAudubonSocietyPOBox51001(MakecheckspayabletoNationalAudubonSociety)Boulder,CO80322-1001
2
!"#$
%&
ReportonourMarch16 thvisittotheSt.MarksWildlifeRefuge
Agroupof12avidandbeginningbirdersspentthemorningtour-
ingtheSt.MarksWildlifeRefuge"hotspots"fromthevisitorscen-tertothebay.HighlightsincludedanAmericanBitternandapair
ofGreatHornedOwlchicksintheoldBaldEaglesnestatHead-
quartersPond.WealsohadgoodlooksatYellow-throatedWar-blers,NorthernParulas,CommonYellowthroats,and,ofcourse,the
ubiquitousYellow-rumpedWarblersaswellasagoodcross-section
oftheothercommontonot-so-commonbirdsoftheseason.
OurnextbirdwalkwillbeonSaturday,May4.Iamplanningan
alldayexcursionthatwillprobablyrunfromTallahasseetoApala-chicolaandcoastalareasinbetween.May4thisneartheendofthe
heavymigratoryseasonandIhopewecanseesomegoodbirdsin-
cluding,withluck,someinterestingwarblers,tanagers,bobolinks,andshorebirdsinbreedingplumage.Sincethisitineraryismore
complex,pleasecallMarvinCollinsat224-9549aweekorso
aheadtoconfirmthescheduleandmeetingplaces.
-
8/9/2019 Apr 2002 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
3/4
3
AsIcontinuetodabblewithpoetrybasedon
birdsongs,Iamsubmittingthefollowingasofpossibleinteresttosomebirdersatlarge,espe-
ciallythosewhohaveexpressedaconcernabout
theapparentdearthoftheBrownThrasherinpartsofFloridaduringDecember/January.
On28Feb.at0700HoursIwalkedthepathatRobertWhiteWilliamsNatureTrail(Black
SwampII)andsoonrecordedfivesinging
BrownThrashersafteranight-beforecoldfrontandresultantrecord-breakingmorningtempera-
tureof18degreesrepletewithstarkclearsky
andpiercingsunrays,alsobone-chilledextremi-
tiesonmypart,allofwhichmakesforabirdingscenarioIshalllongremember.
IhavewithtimeconcludedthatwhenIdonotreadilyseeaBrownThrashermybestrecourse
istoscrutinizevine-entwinedfencerowslook-
ingforthespecies,wheretherealsomaybeTowheesandWhite-throatedSparrows,allthree
ofwhichIfindtobenotalwaysviewableduring
winter,butalwaysalikelytrilogyinsaidhabitat(i.e.,atLakeJackson'sFaulkDriveLandingon
January4).MythreetalliesofBrownThrashers
takenapproximatelyatfivedayintervalsduring
11-25FEBwere1-1-9,andthelatter"sudden"in-
creaseofeightindividualswasvia"sudden"hear-ingsoftheirsongs.
Thesongitself,Sibleysays,is"...ofrich,musicalphrases,eachrepeatedtwoorthreetimeswith
pausebetweeneachset;nootherspecieshassuch
closelypairedrhythm..."DidthoseGeorgiaschoolchildrenhavesuchsinginginmindwhenthey
electedtheBrownThrasherthestatebird?Ifso,I
finditevenmorefittingthatsuchwiseryoungstersshouldexercisesuchdemocracyratherthanus
"wisened"adults.Andspeakinganthropomorphi-
cally,myrepeatedreadingsofapoembyHenry
vanDyke,"SongoftheBrownThrasher",havesuggestedtomesentimentsIwouldhaveprobably
neverbeforeentertained.Notenotonlythe"pairedrhythms",butalsotheanthropomorphicallyinher-entblessings-counting:
Luck,luckWhatluck?
Goodenoughforme.
I'malive,yousee.Sunshining,norepining;
Neverborrow,idlesorrow.
Dropit,coveritup.
Holdyourcup.Joywillfillit.
Don'tspillit.
Steady,beready.Loveyou,luck.
-
8/9/2019 Apr 2002 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
4/4
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S.Postage
Paid
PermitNo.30
Tallahassee,FL
ApalacheeAudubonSociety,Inc.P.O.Box1237Tallahassee,FL32302-1237
Tocheckmembershipstatus,ortochangeaddress,calltheNationalAudubonSocietyOfficeat1-800-274-4201
MonthlyMeetings,fieldtrips,conservationactivitiesandbirdwalks
AudubonCalendarMonthlymeetingsarefreeandopentothepublic.TheyareheldattheUnitarianUniversalistChurchin
Tallahassee,2810NorthMeridianRoad.Theeveningsbeginwithaninformalsocialat7:00p.m.,followedbytheprogramat7:30.Unlessotherwisestated,fieldtripswilldepartfromtheFirstUnionBankat3400S.MonroeStreet(oppositetheFairgrounds).Notethetimeofdepartureforeachtrip.Formoreinfocheckoutourwebsite
athttp://www.apalachee.org/calendar.html.
Tuesday,April23-MembershipMeeting.AndySmith-ApalachicolaBay&RiverKeepers,Inc.
SundaySaturday,April2027ApalacheeAudubonsannualBirdathon.
Friday-Sunday,April26-28-WelcomeBackSongbirdsandtheWakullaWildlifeFestival.WakullaSpringsStatePark.Seeinsertfordetails.
Saturday,May4-BirdWalk.CoastalPanhandle-analldayaffair.CallMarvinCollinsat224-9549fordetails.Tuesday,May21-MembershipMeeting.GilNelson-NaturalGardensoftheBigBend:AnIntroductiontothePlantCommunitiesoftheFloridaPanhandle.Notechangefrom4thto3rdTuesdayduetoMemorialDayholiday.
