Oct 2009 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter

8/9/2019 Oct 2009 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter

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Whooping Cranes and ultralight over St. Marks January 17, 2009 Photo by James A. Carr

OctOber POtluck Dinner & PrOgram: St. markS WhOOPing crane uPDate

Tursday, October 22nd, 918 Railroad AvenuePotluck Dinner 6:30 p.m.(Bring a dish to share or a contribution of $5.)Program 7:30 p.m.

erry Peacock will talk about the new class of Whooping Cranescoming to SMNWR and give an update on last years cranes.

On a rigid morning last January, thousands o peoplegathered in St. Marks to witness the yover o the rst classo Whooping Cranes to be escorted by Operation Migration(OM) to the St. Marks National Wildlie Reuge. Tisremarkable program teaches migration routes to juvenile

whoopers, trained to ollow ultralight aircrat, in an eort tore-establish wild migrating populations.

Since 2001, OM has been escorting a group o juveniles everyyear to the Chassahowitzka NWR near Homosassa, FL. Lastyear, OM decided to establish a second wintering destinationin Florida and chose St. Marks. Tis alls migration will bringthe reuge its second class o whoopers and the anticipatedreturn o last years class, winging it on their own.

At this months program, Reuge Manager erry Peacockwill report the latest news about the birds and OM. erry isalso bringing maps and inormation about a proposed land

acquisition or the Reuge; she will be taking commentsabout the proposal at the meeting.

erry Peacock has been Reuge Manager at St. MarksNWR since 2005. She has also worked at Euaula NWR inAlabama, St. Vincent NWR in Florida, Washita and OptimaNWRs in Oklahoma, and Mingo NWR in Missouri.

Birding at St. Marks National Wildlife RefugeSaturday, October 31st, 8:30-11:30 a.m. (or later)Hosted by George WeymouthSkill LevelEasy, $5 entry ee or the reuge

For carpooling, meet at the Wachovia Bank parking lot on S.Monroe at 7:45 a.m. Otherwise, meet at 8:30 a.m. at the re-uge headquarters parking lot. For more inormation, contactElizabeth Plattat [email protected] or (850)284-0963.

Bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and a snack. Tetrip will end around 11:30 a.m. unless there is interest incontinuing. Expect to see wintering water owl, a ew latemigrants, alligators, and butteries. George will discussbehavior and calls, and tell some stories.

George Weymouth has lived in Florida most o his adult lieand his career has revolved around many areas o wildlie.He is a local artist who requents many estivals selling hisartwork, and he has written articles or Sanibel SightingsandTe Wakulla Newspaper.

Hawk Watch at St. Joseph Peninsula State ParkSaturday, November 7th, 10:00 a.m. ESHosted by Chris BorgSkill LevelEasy, $5 entry ee or the park

(REGISRAION REQUIRED) For carpooling, meet atthe Wachovia Bank parking lot on S. Monroe at 7:30 a.m.Otherwise, meet at the Eagle Harbor parking lot inside thepark at 10:00 a.m. ES (9:00 a.m. CS). Tose planningto attend must inform Chris prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday,November 6th at [email protected], or contactElizabeth Plattat [email protected] or (850)284-0963. Participants should bring the ollowing: binoculars, hatsunscreen, insect repellent, water, snacks and lunch. Bringa folding chair and/or something to put on the ground;most o the day will be spent sitting and watching. Sightingsmay include Sharp-shinned, Coopers, Swainsons, andBroadwinged Hawks, as well as Merlins, Peregrine Falcons,American Kestrels and other late migrants.

Chris Borgis a conservation biologist with all imbers LandConservancy and has been birding or over 20 years.

uPcOming aaS birDing FielD triPS

Te Newsletter of the Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc. Vol. 108, No. 2 October 2009 www.apa


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Carolina Wrenby Steve DAmato

birD bitS: FielD guiDeSby Harry Hooper

Bird identication viaold school was by birdin the hand, the unluckyavian wonder obtainedby shotgun. Audubon,Wilson and others

collected their specimensby this method. But asornithologists and birdwatchers entered the 20thcentury, the idea o speciesconservation began to emerge and the shotgun mentalityended. Opera glasses and ornithological tomes (withoutdrawings) became the norm. Opera glasses improved towhat we know today as binoculars. Te use o drawings inornithological books began to emerge.

Chapmans Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America

1895/1923 provided line drawings and black and whitephotographs, but still was not a very useul in the eldguide.

Te year 1934 produced the rst easy to use birdidentication book,A Field Guide to the Birdsby Roger oryPeterson. Peterson placed similar species on the same pageacing the same direction and used small arrows on manyo the plates to point out important eld marks. Te bookwas an immediate success and the eld guide market beganto ourish. National Geographic, Golden Guides, NationalAudubon, Stokes, Kauman, Sibley, National Wildlie,

Smithsonian and others began to ood the expanding market.With so many eld guides and so many ormats (paintings,photographs, text) available, choosing a bird book becameas problematic as attempting to separate winter sparrows.Photographs provided details that a painting might not.Paintings allowed comparison o similar species on one pagethat photographs generally did not.

With photographs, color, shadows, sunlight, position o thebird all could give alse positives on an ID. Color renditionand accuracy o a painting could lead a novice astray ondicult and similar looking birds. ext could be helpul or

dicult species.Ten there is the scope o the guides rom those that cover theentire U.S. to others that cover only eastern or western statesor only amilies o birds such as shorebirds or sparrows. Inthe end, the birder has to decide what will work or him orher.

Most will end up with several guides that cover the dierentormats. Remember, one can never have too manybird eldguides available.

Apalachee Audubon Society (AAS)

2009 2010 Ofcers and Board Members

President: Ed Gartner (850) 386-6543

Vice President: Harry Hooper (850) 668-0498

Secretary: Lynn Reynolds (850) 421-1074

Treasurer: Harvey Goldman (850) 385-5222

Directors:Ben Fusaro (850) 297-2052 (Past President)

Jan Bordelon (850) 942-8078

Chris Borg (850) 893-4153

Ann Bruce (850) 224-4760

Melissa Forehand (850) 510-4877

Karen Wensing (850) 386-7766

Newsletter Editor: Kathleen Carr (850) 322-7910

Newsletter is published 8 times yearly

(Sept.-May, except December).

Webmaster: John Boutelle (850) 656-3346

Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.P.O. Box 1237

Tallahassee, FL 32303

www.apalachee.org

AAS is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. All contributionsare tax deductible. Inquiries can also be sent to 76 Dogwood

Forest Rd., Crawfordville, FL 32327-0588.

Mission Statement: Protection of the environment througheducation, appreciation, and conservation.

becOmea member

Join National Audubon Societyand Apalachee Audubon!

For just $20 a year you can be a member o both NationalAudubon and our local Apalachee Audubon chapter. Yourmembership will includeAudubon, our bimonthly agshippublication. Each issue o this award-winning publicationeatures beautiul photography and provocative journalism.Our chapter newsletter will keep you inormed o local andstatewide Audubon and other nature-related events.

You can pay or membership using a credit card by callingAudubons toll ree membership number. (Please mentionour chapter ID E19 for us to get full credit for a newmembership).

1-800-274-4201

I you preer to pay by check or an annual membership, sendyour $20 check made payable to National Audubon Societyand mail to:

National Audubon SocietyPO Box 422246

Palm Coast, FL 32142-2246Allow 4-6 weeks or arrival o your rst issue oAudubon. Tecost o membership is tax deductible except or $7.50 (whichis allocated toAudubon magazine).

2 Apalachee Audubon Society www.apalachee.org October 2009


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Upcoming AAS Program Speakers & Topics

November 19 Fred Bassett, Hummingbirds(Hummer Bird Study Group)

2010

January 28 Jim Cox,Hunting (all imbers)

February 25 Sandy Beck, Owls (St. Francis Wildlie)

March 25 Donna Legare, Planting for Wildlife

(Native Nurseries)

PreSiDentS meSSageby Ed Gartner

Our Audubon mission, briey, is tohelp preserve the environment, andto do our part to improve it.

Birding and other activities arepleasant ways to do this and to

bond with one another AND withothers. We now have several activitiesinvolving at least eight other groups.

I you ask your ellow members, you may ndseveral that you would like to take part in.

Our meetings provide opportunities to do this. ry it.

REALIIES

Grass is not green. Tink about it.

For up-to-date notications o upcoming activities, join theAAS email notication list at:

www.groups.google.com/group/apalachee-audubon/

October 2009 www.apalachee.org Apalachee Audubon Society 3

AmtrakStation

aaS PrOgram meeting lOcatiOn

Historic Amtrak Station918 Railroad AvenueTallahassee, Florida

Note: A reminder that Gaines Street is undergoing constructionand portions of the road will be closed between 7:00 p.m. and6:00 a.m. Please allow extra time for potential detours.

Massage Therapist

Melissa Forehand

CranioSacral, Relaxation &Therapeutic

1102 Hays St. 850-510-4877

Tallahassee, FL 32301 License #MA31638

The Store for Nature LoversFor Over 28 Years

Native Plants - Wildlife GardeningBird Shop - Herbs - Organic Gardening Supplies

850-386-88821661 Centerville RoadTallahassee, FL 32308

www.nativenurseries.com

Wild Birds Unlimited

Everything for the birdsand the serious birder!

Nature Gifts

Optics ~ field Guides ~ feeders

BirdBaths ~ seed ~ Nest BOxes

1505-2 Governors Square Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32301(850) 576-0002 tallahassee.wbu.com


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Chapter/Audubon EventsOctober22 Potluck Dinner & Program Meeting: Operation

Migration/Whooping Crane update rom erry Pea-cock rom SMNWR. Details, page 1.

23-24 2009 Audubon Assembly: St. Petersburg. Details at

audubonoforida.org.

31 Field rip: St. Marks National Wildlie Reuge with

George Weymouth. 8:30-11:30 a.m. Details, page 1.

November7 Hawkwatch at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park:

Join Chris Borg or a day o observing migratinghawks. Meet at the park at 10:00 a.m. ES (9:00CS). Details, page 1.

14 Bird Songs Birdwalk at Birdsong: Melissa Forehandwill lead a walk that will ocus on birding by ear,identiying birds by their songs and calls.

Related Events

Octobertba Groundbreaking or buttery garden planting

project at St. Marks National Wildlie Reuge. Forinormation updates, check the AAS web site or callEd Gartner, Harry Hooper, Lynn Reynolds, or AnnBruce (See masthead on page 2).

aPalachee auDubOn SOciety calenDar: OctObernOvember 2009

See page 3 for upcoming program speakers and topics.

Note: A reminder that Gaines Street is undergoing construction and portions of the road will be closed after 7:00 p.m.

October Potluck dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Potluck & meeting located at the historic Amtrak Station,918 Railroad Avenuemap on page 3. For details, call (850)510-4877 or visit:www.apalachee.org

Non-Proft

OrganizationUS Postage Paid

Permit No. 30

Apalachee AudubonP.O. Box 1237Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237

Your membership expiration date is shown at top right above your name. For problems with membership, call the NationalAudubon Society Ofce at 1-800-274-4201. For problems with mailings, contact Pam Flynn at [email protected].

2009-2010

thurSDay

PrOgram

DateS

October

22

Novemb

er19

January28

,2010

February2

5

March25

April22

May27

November (cont.)

19 Program Meeting: Fred Bassett o the Hummer BirdStudy Group will talk about winter and summerpopulations o hummingbirds in the Southeast.

Documents

Oct 2009 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter