May 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

8/9/2019 May 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

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CAS monthly meetings are heldthe First Thursday of eachmonth at 6:30 PM at OWCNiceville Learning ResourcesCenter (LRC), Room 131. Nonmembers are welcome.

May 4: Bird Buddy LennyFennimore will give us aphotographic slide presentationabout Eglins Burrowing Owlsand update us on the researchbeing conducted by USF. Signup for a field trip to follow afterthe nesting season

Fieldtrips

May 6: Bird Walk to ShoalSanctuary Mossy Head with Bob& Chris Larsen. Meet at 7:30a.m. at Nicevilles Turkey Creek.Bob Penhollow, 729-2602

May 13: North American SpringMigration Count. CoordinatorDonald M. Ware. Call JeanWilliams, 897-5473 to volunteer.

Local Events

(for Topsail Hill Preserve StatePark events below, park at Day-use area on 30A and walk toclubhouse.)

May 13: Sea Turtles of Topsail

Hill. 9 a.m. Learn the facts andhelp in conservation efforts.

May 27: WWII History in WaltonCounty. Slide show of the roleof Topsail Hill Preserve inhistory. Program starts at 9:15

June 3: Snakes in your backyard. Learn misconceptions andfacts about native snakes. JoinPark Ranger Daniel Burton atTopsail Hill Preserve State Park.9:15 a.m.

June 17: The EndangeredBeach Mouse. 9:00 a.m. Learnabout their habitat and behavior.

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Woodpecker Woes 2

Northern Flicker Nestbox 2

Providing Water for Birds 2

Photography Contest 3

Audubon Camp Scholarships 3

Caring for Baby Birds 3

Great Horned Owl Nest 3

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

M A Y 2 0 0 6

T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e C h o c t a w h a t c h e e A u d u b o n S o c i e t y

V O L U M E X X X V , N U M B E R 4

CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Floridas natural beauty.

Audubons Top Ten MostEndangered Birds Report

The gravest threat facing endangered bird species in the U.S. today isproposed Congressional action to weaken the protections of the Endan-gered Species Act, according to a report released by the National Audu-bon Society. Americas Top Ten Most Endangered Birds notes thatdevelopment pressures, invasive species, and global warming arethreatening these bird species with extinction. The Endangered SpeciesAct is described as the strongest federal safeguard against the extinc-tion of bird species in the U.S. For full text of the report and relatedarticles see the site: http://www.audubon.org/news/top10/top10.php

The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance wants YOU!We're looking for a few good volunteers to join our water quality moni-toring program.

What will I be expected to do, andhow much time will I be expectedto donate? - At each station,monthly, you will: accurately readand record data from our hydrolab;collect two water samples, and filterone of them. Depending on yourlocation, you may be required tooperate small motor or non-motorwatercraft. Light travel may be re-quired in order to pick up and returnequipment and to submit watersamples. Depending on your loca-tion and the number of stations you

agree to monitor, you may spendanywhere from two tosix hours per month on this project.

What qualifications do I need? -Interest in water quality. Willingnessand desire to spend time on thewater year-round. Monthly commit-ment. Geographic proximity to worksite, or willingness to travel.

What benefits will I receive? -Increased knowledge and under-standing of water quality and relatedenvironmental issues. Positive per-sonal contribution to the health of

our watershed. Subscription to quar-terly CBA newsletter. Email sub-scription to Alliance Updates, notify-ing CBA's volunteers and membersof relevant local news and events.Annual volunteer party. At least twohours outside on the water everymonth, a little bit of exercise, andsome vitamin D!

Where does the CBA need volun-teers?- Bass Lake (behind the FortWalton Beach Golf Club): Does notrequire operation of a watercraft.

We are particularly interested inhearing from waterfront residents.

Cinco Bayou: Requires operationof a kayak.

Santa Rosa Beach: CBA has aboat that we currently use forSanta Rosa Beach sampling; wecould use volunteers on our boatOR volunteers with their ownboats.

Basin Bayou: Requires operationof a kayak.

Choctawhatchee River: Does notrequire operation of a watercraft.We are particularly interested inhearing from waterfront residents.

How would my work be helpful?The CBA has been collecting wa-ter quality data since 2001. We arecollecting baseline historical data,which is useful in establishingnorms for the area. We can have apositive effect on the health of ourwatershed by learning to recognizeand understand trends in the data

we collect. Our water quality datahelps us to effectively reduce pol-lution into the watershed (frompoint and non-point sources), topromote environmentally sounddevelopment, and to create a re-pository of public environmentalinformation.

How do I participate?Contact Sarah Kalinoski (CBA'sVolunteer Coordinator) [email protected] or

850-650-9330.

Wildlife Rehabilitators

Partnership NewsFirst, our accomplishmentsLasyear we took in just under 400 anmals! What a feat in less than oneyear. Thanks to everyone whhelped with this. We could not havdone it without all of you passinout phone numbers, picking uanimals, helping raise money anfostering. Great job!!

We just received approval on ou501(c)(3) status. What does thimean? It means we can start holding fundraiser's of our own an

accepting donations that will nowbe tax deductible. As soon as wget our charitable solicitation number from the state of FL, we wistart raising money.

Now, on to what we need to bworking on since our big hurdles ogovernment paperwork are complete. As most of you are aware, wehave several committees set uand we are now ready to get themrolling. The areas we need volunteers in are fundraising, recruitment, education, PR and animawelfare. If you are the slightest binterested in any of these, pleas

let me know. I would like to starmaking lists of who is interested iwhat and then we will get eacgroup together and get rolling. Remember, we do not want to overwhelm anyone, so any little bit yocan contribute will go a long way inthe end!!

Kim Henderson

PresidentWildlife Rehabilitators Partnershipwildliferehabilitatorspartnership.com
http://wildliferehabilitatorspartnership.com/index.htmlhttp://wildliferehabilitatorspartnership.com/index.html


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Page 2 VOLUME XXXV, NUMBER 4

W O O D P E C K E R W O E S Evidence of this kind of pecking isa number of very small holes in

t h e b u i l d i n g s u r f a c e .Woodpeckers nest in a tree holeor cavity. In spring they carve outa cavity and use it as a secureplace to raise their young. Nestexcavat ion peck ing soundsentirely different than feeding ordrumming - louder, slower, morer e g u la r , an d f o r ce f u l th andrumming. Many people report

that is sounds like a carpenterh a m m e r i n g a n a i l . W h i l edrumming noise lasts only a fews e c o n d s , n e s t e x c a v a t i o nhammering can continue forminutes or even hours. Frequently

the woodpecker pecks a hole in the siding, only to encounterinsulation or a gap between thesiding and interior walls. Theconfused bird may then move afew feet and start all over again.Signs of excavation pecking areone gaping hole, or several (even

many) large "test" holes clustered

around one area.

Lisa Hutchins Sarcato

Spring brings with it nesting birds, territorial birdsong, and for someunlucky homeowners, the peckingof woodpeckers. Wood siding, wood

trim, and stucco are the surfacesm o s t vu ln e r ab le to p e ck in g damage. Most pecking is minor or

harmless. But in some cases,extensive pecking damage creates

major headaches.

Not All Pecking is DamagingThere are d i f fe rent k inds o f pecking, and it's important todistinguish between these since notall pecking is damaging. Birds sing

to announce ownership of a nesting territory, which is why we mostoften hear birdsong during springa n d s u m m e r n e s t i n g . B u twoodpeckers can't sing - instead

they drum. Drumming is a series ofrapid, machine-gun-like rat-a-tat-

tats. Drumming usually takes placefrom March through early June.Although it is loud and annoying,

drumming is not damaging.

Woodpeckers like to drum onresonant surfaces because thesesurfaces make an amplified sound.Males attract mates and announceownership of an area by drumming.Drumming is also a way for matedpairs to keep track of each other'swhereabouts. Woodpeckers oftenpick metal items for drumming, likedownspouts and roof vent pipes,because they make an amplified

sound.

When woodpeckers feed, they tapat tree bark to expose the insectsinside. The pecking associated withwood pec k er f eed in g soundsirregular and much more muted.

What Can I Do About it?Nest-excavation pecking can be adifficult problem. Although noteasy, it is usually possible to solve

the problem with effort.

1. Exclusionary TacticsBird nettingCover the area wherethe woodpecker drilled. Use sheets

of bird netting such as Bird-X.

2. Repellent TacticsFlashing or moving devices used tofrighten birds.

Scare BalloonsScare Eye andTerror Eye are brightly-coloredballoons that have a large eyeball

design on each side.

Bird Scare Tape-Bird Scare Tape issilver on one side and metallic redon the other. Strips of tape are tacked up around the damagedarea and left to blow around in the

breeze

Other Scare Objects-pie tins onstring or strips of aluminum foil toachieve the same affect. Wind-

socks, toy plastic twirlers, wind-mills, pennants, and brightly-colored plastic strips can also be

used.

Hawk KitesKites in the image ofhawks are tethered near the af-fected area and left to soar in thebreeze, looking like a predatory

hawk searching for prey.

Images or Statues-Images of owls,hawks, cats, snakes, and otherpredators. While this is the methodis commonly recommended bygarden centers, only a handful ofhomeowners have ever reported

any success.

Scare the bird yourself by makingnoise with metal pans or garbagecan lids, or by squirting the bird

with the garden hose.

3. Alternative Nest Site

Northern Flicker Nestbox

Nestbox DimensionsEntrance hole diame-

ter: 2 1/2" to 3"

Height of hole above

the floor: 10" to 20"

Inside floor dimen-

sions: 8" X 8" to 9" X9"

Total height of box:

14" to 24"

Tips for Nestbox Success Construction: Rough-cut western cedar and

screws are preferred; pine may warp. Make sure

front or side panel of the box can be easily

opened for annual cleaning.

The box must be stationary and mountedagainst a vertical object, such as a post or tree

trunk. Hanging or free-swinging boxes are not

attractive to flickers.

Don't put a perch near the entrance hole. Aperch is completely unnecessary and may even

encourage aggressive, non-native bird species totake over the box.

Mount the box at least 8' up on a tree or post.

Birds prefer an unobstructed flight path to thenestbox. Avoid situating the nest among lots of

branches. Try to place the box so the entrance

hole is facing east, southeast, or south, rather

than north or west.

Put several inches of cedar shavings in thebottom of the nestbox. Shavings seem to make

the box more attractive to flickers. Flickers like to

excavate shavings from the nest box as prepara-

tion for nesting. A nestbox packed with shavings

also helps deter starlings or squirrels from taking

over the box. In addition, cedar shavings are

thought to have insect repelling properties and

may protect nestlings from parasites. Shavings

are available pre-packaged at pet supply shops,

some backyard birdfeeding stores, and the pet

food aisle of many grocery and discount outlets.

Clean out the box in the fall. Discard old shav-ings or nesting material, and replace with fresh

shavings.

Birds and wildlife require four basicelements to survive: food, water,cover and areas to raise young. Thewidest variety of habitat elements willattract the greatest number of birdsand other animals to your yard.

Wildlife needs water, both for drink-ing and bathing. Birds find watereven more attractive than food.

Although vegetation holds waterdroplets from rain or morning dew, amore constant, reliable source ofwater is preferred in a wildlife habitatarea. A dependable, year-roundwater source is best.

Providing water to wildlife can be assimple as placing a dish on theground or as elaborate as installing afountain that creates waterfalls. Themore the water moves, the moreattractive it will be to wildlife.

You can supply water in a birdbath, asmall pool, a recirculating waterfall, ashallow dish, or through a dripper or

mister. An elevated birdbath protectsbirds from cats and other predators,and can be an attractive addition toyour yard. A dripping hose or shallow,wide-rimmed dish placed near shrubsor other cover will provide water forsmall animals. A small pool set intothe ground can provide water fordrinking and bathing for birds, andcover and reproductive areas for smallfish, frogs, insects and reptiles.

Birdbaths should be no deeper than 1to 3 inches. This allows birds to standin the water. Birdbaths should slopeslightly so birds can move from shal-low to deep water. This helps accom-modate the different sizes of birds thatdrink or bathe in the bath.

How do birds drink? Most birds diptheir bills and tip their heads back tolet the water run down their throats.Small birds will use dewdrops as asource of water. Not all birds need todrink water. Hummingbirds, for exam-ple, mostly have a liquid nectar diet,but they do seem to enjoy playing and

bathing in water.

Should I put chemicals in the birdbathor fountain? No. An easy fix is notrecommended. Partial shade makesalgae control easier and helps keepthe water cooler. Try to place thebirdbath in a location where it willreceive no more than four to five hoursof sun a day. Keeping the bath cleanor the water moving will help reducealgae in the bath or pond. Mosquitoesshould not be a problem. The averagetime for a mosquito to lay eggs andhatch to the larvae stage is about twoweeks.

Clean your birdbath regularly. A stiffbrush should be enough to keep abath clean. If necessary, a bleachsolution of one part bleach to ten partswater can be used to clean the bath.Rinse the bath well before refilling withfresh water. During extremely hotweather, water may need to be replen-ished daily. Enjoy watching the birdsat your bath!

Linda Daugherty

PROVIDING WATER FOR BIRDS

May 4: At this months meetingLenny Fenimore will give a photoand slide presentation on Eglinsburrowing owls and provide an up-date on last years banding activi-

ties and the ongoing science project


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Shorel ines Page 3

Scholarships Available to Audubon Staff and Membersto Attend Residential Maine Island Audubon CampBREMEN, Maine, March 2, 2006Scholarships are available forAudubon staff, interns and chaptermembers to attend residential

sessions this summer at HogIsland Audubon Camp in Bremen.

Those interested can get ana p p l i c a t i o n b y e - m a i l i n gcam ps@ m aineaudubon . o rg,calling (207) 781-2330, ext. 215, ord o w n l o a d i n g f r o mwww.maineaudubon.org.

Accessible only by boat, HogIsland Audubon Camp is locatedon a 330-acre coastal wildlifesanctuary in midcoast Maine.

If everyone had the opportunity tospend a week at a place like HogIsland, I believe our world would

be a much different place, saysadult camper Stacie Moon fromBowie, Maryland, because livingin nature can really change onesopinions of the world.

Campers awake to the sound ofwoodland bird and lobster boatsand spend the day exploring theislands spruce forests, fern-filledmeadows, and rocky tide pools.Evenings feature presentations byspecial guests. Sessions includegourmet meals and lodging inrustic 19th-century buildings.

I was just nine years old when Iread an account by Roger Tory

Peterson about a magical place

called Hog Island AudubonCamp, said Kenn Kauffman,international birding authority,author, and educator. Now I

teach a session or two thereevery year, helping carry on atradition with results that are feltacross the continent.

Results are felt across thecontinent as well as in the heart.

I cannot say enough about myweek at Hog Island, said Moon.It was an incredible experiencethat has changed me in manyways.

Hog Island Audubon Campsother 2006 offerings include:

For Adults

Field Ornithology, June 25-July 1 ($1,050) Join nationallyknown ornithologists KennKaufman, Scott Weidensaul,Steve Kress, and others toexplore the marshes, beaches,barrens, seabird colonies andforests.

Natural History of the MaineCoast, July 2-8 ($1,050) Soakin the sights, sounds and smellsof coastal Maine.

Workshop for Educators, July9-15 ($1,000) Science andnonscience educators: learnh o w t o i n c o r p o r a t eenvironmental education intoyour lesson plans.

Cultural and Natural History ofC oas t a l Ma ine , Ju ly 16 -22($1,200) Explore islands, rockyledges, visit seabird colonies.

Naturalizing by Kayak, July 16-22or August 28-31 ($1,200/$695)

Explore coves and marshes, andvisit islands in Muscongus Bay.

A Maine Island Experience,August 20-26 ($985) Leave behindthe busy tourist route and spend aweek walking trails along the rockyshore, exp lor ing t ide poo ls ,searching the forest for colorfulbirds, learning about lobsters andother marine life, and more.

Om on the Island Yoga Retreat,August 28-31 ($395) Deepen yourc o n n e c t i o n t o n a t u r e a n d

motivation to take care of it througha weekend of yoga and explorationon spectacular Hog Island.

B i r d M i g r a t i o n a n dConservation, September 10-16($985) Travel to local migration hotspots such as blueberry barrens,tidal marshes, and the outstandingmigrant trap Monhegan Island. OnHog Island, enjoy presentationsand discussions with experts.

T h e r e a r e a l s o p r o g r a m savailable for Teens and Youth

For more information about MaineAudubon camp programs, visitwww.maineaudubon.org or call

(207) 781-2330.

Orange Audubon Society is ac-cepting entries for its 18th An-nual Chertok Open Nature Pho-

tography Contest. The theme for this digital contest is Florida Wild and Wonderful. Entriescannot show humans, human-made structures or artifacts, ornon-native to Florida fauna or

flora.

Only digital images in *.jpg for-mat (jpeg, joint photographicexperts group) and XGA resolu-

tion (96 dpi [dots per inch])1024 x 768 supplied on CDs areacceptable. You may convertprints, negatives or slides todigital images before you enter.Images may not be excessivelymanipulated. Limit is four im-ages per entrant and deadlinefor submission is May 18, 2006

(postmark date).

Cash and other awards will beannounced June 15th. Cost is $3per image for Audubon mem-bers, $5 per image for nonmem-bers. For rules and entry forms,visit www.orangeaudubonfl.orgwrite to OASCNPC, 2303 RandallRoad, Winter Park, FL 32789-

6044; or contact Teresa:

407-644-0796 or

[email protected].

2006 Nature PhotographyContest

What to Do If You Find a Baby BirdIn Florida, baby bird season begins early in Januaryand lasts through June. A common misconception is

that many baby birds found by people are truly or-phaned. In nature it is common for baby birds tobecome separated from their parents; only a smallpercent of these babiesactually need to be rescued.Intervention is necessary only when babies are obvi-ously injured, ill, cold, starving or if a parent's deadbody has been seen nearby. Baby birds that are fullyfeathered (fledglings) have probably reached the agewhen they are practicing their flying and foragingskills and may leave the nest, scurry on the ground,etc., looking like a lost baby bird. The parents stillcare for these fledglings and keep track of wherethey are until the fledglings can live on their own. If

the baby is NOT fully feath-ered and has fallen from itsnest, the best thing is to putthe baby back into the nest.Depending on the age andspecies, a baby bird may needto eat every 20 minutes dur-ing daylight hours. The bird'snatural parents are alwaysbetter at caring for them thanhuman foster parents.

Nonie will be signing up volunteers to monitor local rooftops this summer. Duties are mainly driv-ing around the buildings looking for chicks on the ground and returning healthy ones back to therooftop May-July. Learn more Thursday night or call Nonie at 862.9588.

Please report any tern sightings towww.myfwc.com/shorebirds/BNB. They dont appear to havearrived yet, but who ever spots and reports the first one wins a prize!

This nest of great horned owlswas seen on the April 1 birdwalk in the Lake Pippin andBluewater Bay areas. Partici-pants saw 52 species, includ-ing prothonotary warbler andred-headed woodpecker. Spe-cial thanks go to Tom andRobin Stiles, who providedaccess to their yard feedersand neighborhood shoreline in

BWB. (Photo: Phil Goodyear)
mailto:camps@mai%20neaudubon.orgmailto:camps@mai%20neaudubon.orgmailto:camps@mai%20neaudubon.org


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SAVE THE DATE!

Audubon Assembly 2006October 19-21

Chapter Representatives

President: Nonie [email protected]

Vice President: Thelma [email protected]

Treasurer: Karen [email protected]

Recording Secretary:Carole Goodyear.897.2666

[email protected]

Corresponding Secretary: Pat [email protected]

Bird Count Coordinator:Donald M. Ware.....862.6582

[email protected]

Conservation: Josh [email protected]

Education: Nonie [email protected]

Field trips Coordinator:Bob Penhollow....729.2602

Hospitality:Gertrude Oakman..314.0312

Membership: Theresa [email protected]

Publicity: Linda [email protected]

Programs: Thelma [email protected]

Shorelines Editor: Jean [email protected]

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership

Name:_____________________________________ Address:________________________________________

City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:___________________

Phone: ___________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________

Introductory New Member- $20.00 Individual Member Renewal- $35.00

Introductory Student/Senior- $15.00 Renewal Student/Senior-$15.00

When you join you will be part of national, state, and local Audubon groups and will receive...

Audubon magazine

Florida Naturalist Magazine

Our local Shorelines newsletter

Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network

Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers

Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures

To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to;

NAS Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.

CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY.

To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.

New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00

Chapter Code: E-11 7XCH

Nonprofit Organization

U.S. Postage PAID

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Permit No. 110

Were on the Web!CHOCTAWHATCHEEAUDUBON.ORG

A great big THANK YOU to all CAS sponsors last month!

General Fund Donors: Bob Penhollow, Carole Goodyear

Special thanks to: Tijuana Flats for supplying food for the March meeting, and to Front Porch forsupplying for the May meeting.

Donations are welcome, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free to specify a particular fund/event that youd wish to sponsor.

Contact Theresa Dennis If youwould like to receive Shorelines

in color with links via e-mail.

P.O. Box 1014

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549

Printed on Recycled Paper

2006 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.

Due to the cancellation last fall, we are gearing up for a great event this October! Plan on joiningus for a weekend of networking, education, advocacy and birding!

Location: Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort - Special rate: $89.99/night.Reserve rooms now at800-206-2724. Special Audubon rate good through September 27 only. Don't miss it! Plan to attendFloridas largest gathering of conservation-minded citizens. Details including Assembly registration informa-tion, programs, exhibits and field trips will appear in the summer Naturalist, and available online atwww.audubonofflorida.org in July.

Documents

May 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society