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The Night-Heron The Night-Heron Volume S, Number 8

April 2015

Photo by Mark Renz

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A Bird’s-Eye View… from outgoing President Jim Blink once and this Audubon year is history! Blink twice more and the last 3 years of Audubon are history!

Amazing isn't it, how time flies when you're having fun? In a couple of short weeks we'll be having our an-

nual potluck and installing the new slate of officers. You will find the complete slate elsewhere in this

newsletter, but I would like to welcome personally the following individuals, new to leadership positions in

our group.

Welcome Nick Ziemba, our new President, Board members Terri Wonder, Kim Jones and

Ed Francis and hospitality chair Amy Francis. I'd be

remiss to not offer a huge thank you to outgoing Secre-

tary, Patty Petruff and board member Jack Schneider.

At the risk of being repetitive, I'd like to reiterate some of

the highlights of the year 2014–2015 that I presented

at the March meeting.

1. Our financial position is excellent with growth both in the savings funds

and the Barbara Singer Felts Preserve Memorial Endowment.

2. Both meeting and event attendance have been great all year.

3. We have highlighted environmental concerns and stood up for conser-

vation both locally and in the State of Florida throughout the year.

4. We've given more than 2400 children from 19 Manatee County

Schools a "Ride to the Wild" to Felts Preserve.

5. Once again, we helped a bunch of Boy Scouts get Merit Badges and participated in Girl Scout events.

As you can see, MCAS is very healthy and well positioned going into the new year. I think you all should

pat yourselves on the back. After you've done that give one of the many volunteers that stand up at our

meetings a pat on their back.

So, you may well ask, what can we look forward to in the coming year? Certainly, another great array of local and overnight birding trips. We'll probably try to hold a mid

week over night this year.

We're contacting more great speakers for next year’s meetings.

Keep in mind that The Giving Partner fundraising campaign will be in September this year. We'll

share more details on this as we get them.

We will be applying for grants so we can take more children on a wild ride to Felts Preserve. (It must

be pretty wild since one young man described the outing as "Better than a day at Busch Gardens!").

Many thanks to The Mosaic Company and The Manatee Community Foundation for their

generous support of this initiative.

We also look forward to standing up for conservation in Manatee County and around the state.

Of course, we'll have our table up at community events and are planning on helping even more Boy

Scouts get Merit Badges in Environmental Science, Bird Study and Photography.

And, oh yeah, any great ideas you have, let us know, and we'll take them on too!

Happy Birding and Have a Great Summer!

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Audubon Adventures – March 14, 2015 Our 3rd month of Audubon Adventures was a lovely day with 4 families – 2

new and 2 returning with a total of 9 students and 4 adults. Pollinators

were the theme of the day and we began with a discussion of butterflies,

honeybees and solitary native bees. Did you know there are 4000 species of

bees native to North America?

Each adventurer made their own solitary bee bundle out of pre-cut bamboo

tied together. We learned that the bees like to have their brood chambers

face the rising sun in the East and have their nest parallel to the ground.

Compasses were handed out so that the kids could determine the East di-

rection for their bee bundle. Here are a few of the students placing their

bundles (top left photo).

Join us next month on April

11 from 9am – 11:30 as we

discover the secret life in the

bottom of the pond.

We will dip net for macro-

invertebrates that the

wading birds forage.

COOL!

For more information and to

register click here: http://

www.aroundbend.com/

audubon-adventures.html or

call Karen at 941-794-8773

or email her at

Karen@aroundbend.com .

Bring a buddy and enjoy this

extra fun experience!! See

you there!

Annual Awards Banquet & Installation of Officers VIPs: Manatee Audubon Award Winners & New 2015-2016 Officer Team

Location: Hope Lutheran Church, 4635 26th St. West, Bradenton

Date: April 16th Time: 6:15pm Fellowship Program Starts: 7pm

Bring a covered dish with serving utensils and join us at 6:15pm for a potluck din-

ner before the meeting. (Please bring your own plate, napkin & utensils so

we don’t have to wash dishes.)

Then celebrate the accomplishments from this past year including recognition for

the Best Photo Contest winners, and others with significant contributions to Mana-

tee Audubon. New 2015-2016 season officers will also be installed. Have fun!

Article & photos by Karen Willey

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Once again

the weather

was perfect

and we had a

great turn-

out. About

3/4 of the 25

participants

were from out

of state!

We had some

very good

spotters in the

group and

were able to

identify 31 dif-

ferent bird species. The Zebra Long-wing Butterflies were

everywhere. Unfortunately, we did not see any Roseate

Spoonbills, but we did get a terrific look at a Yellow-crowned

Night Heron and a couple

of views of the elusive

Wood Ducks. Also a

Common Loon was feed-

ing very close to the dock

we were standing on, so

everyone got a

nice close-up

view. The

Redheads

rocked! (Photos above & at

right by Bob Wom-bacher; photos below by

Deb Yodock.)

Article by Lucette Wom-bacher.

Lucette Leads Another Great Bird Walk at Emerson Point (March 10)

THANK YOU to Lucette Wombacher for volunteering to lead

monthly bird walks at Emerson Point each year from December

through April. You can catch her last bird walk for this season on

Tuesday, April 14th. Meet in the parking lot by the Visitor’s Wel-

come Center at 8:30am. Bring your binoculars, water & sunscreen.

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Beach-Nesting Shorebird Season Starts Soon

March Photo Contest Winners

Spring nesting season has begun in Florida with Snowy Plovers, American Oystercatchers preparing

nest sites for eggs. The squeaky, boisterous calls of Least Terns once again will grace the airspace over

our beaches as they return from wintering grounds in South America during the first week of April. Black

Skimmers and many other seabirds and shorebirds will follow suit with eggs laid in May.

Protecting these priceless nests from the time adults lay eggs to the time that their chicks take flight is a

responsibility of bird stewards around the state. We need you to join the dedicated ranks of Manatee

Audubon bird stewards on the beaches of Anna Maria Island where we live and play.

We provide the training and the equipment while you are stationed at an active beach nesting site. Enjoy

the sunshine and the waves and watch baby birds emerge from tiny eggs, be fed by their parents, play with

their neighbors, and finally take flight into tomorrow. Share that joy with others unaware of these nests.

The stewards are needed for these dates: May 23,24,25 (Sat-Mon) and July 3,4,5 (Fri, Sat, Sun). There

are four shifts per day: 8-11A, 11A-2P, 2-5P, 5-8P with a minimum of 2 Stewards per shift (max of 6).

The Stewards need to bring their own drinks, snacks, sunscreen, bug repellant and if appropriate, lunch.

Three beach chairs will be provided as well as a cooler bag with

freezepacs to keep items cool.

Once the birds have settled on a nesting site, Dee will send an email

to all volunteers the location, parking info, ect.

Contact Dee Hanny (ph: 745-1553; email: ynnahda@yahoo.com )

to volunteer. Provide the dates & times you will work as a steward.

Article by Dee Hanny

Such wonderful

photos were

shared again at

our March

monthly meeting. .

The March photo

contest winners

were:

1st Place -

Egret Family

by Kathy

Doddridge

2nd Place - Pie Billed Grebe by Deb Yodock (at lower left)

3rd Place - Red Bellied Woodpecker by Kathy Doddridge.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their images for the enjoyment of

everyone attending our monthly meetings! Article by Scott Niblick

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Celebrate Earth Day Birding

at Ft. DeSoto — April 22

Join Billie & Jerry Knight on a field trip to Ft. DeSoto this Earth

Day!Meet at the south end rest stop of the Skyway Bridge (Mile

marker 7) with departure to Ft. DeSoto by 7:30am.

Did you know Earth

Day was first cele-

brated in 1970 and

brought 20 million

Americans together

for a peaceful demon-

stration in favor of en-

vironmental reform.

Today Earth Day is

celebrated in more

than 190 countries

worldwide.

Call your Senators and urge them

to Use Amendment 1 Funds for

Florida Forever. Click here to find

the contact information for your

State Senator.

Call their Tallahassee office &

say,

“I am one of 4.2 million

voters who voted YES for

Amendment 1. I believed when voting for the amendment that it would increase funding for Florida For-

ever, land conservation, springs, and the Everglades. Please support amendments on the Senate floor to use

Amendment 1 funds for land conservation.”

Below is a list of some of the Florida Forever projects that could be completed with Amendment 1

dollars. If a project is in your Senator's district, please mention the

project by

name and

tell the

person on

the phone

that you

want to see

this land

protected.

Welcome to the latest new Mana-

tee Audubon members and kind

donors who financially support

our organization.

New Members

Susan Goch

Roger & Emily Vasquez

John & Susan Curtis

Sylvia & Don Luke

Les McCain

Patricia Frost

Nick Ziemba

Donors

Robert C Aaron

Mary Lane

Take Action NOW… Call Your Legislators

By Lou Newman

May 5 - October 3, 2015

Plymouth Harbor Mezzanine Art Gallery

Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay

700 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota

Reception: 5:00–7:30, Tues, May 5th

Plymouth Harbor is the tall building

between Bird Key & St. Armand’s Circle

(next door to Sarasota Yacht Club).

Valet Parking Available

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Robust Results at Robinson Preserve

On Saturday, March 14, Jerry Knight led an

informative and fun field trip to Robinson

Preserve.

There were 11 birders from Manatee and

Sarasota Audubon including two recent

graduates from the 2015 Bird ID

Course. We saw 36 species including a

Spotted Sandpiper, Roseate Spoon-

bills, American Kestral and Reddish

Egret. It was a great morning!!

Article & photos by Kathy Doddridge

Cockroach Bay Trip Report The field trip to Cock-

roach Bay on March 21

provided some excellent

photo opportunities.

In addition to the herons

and Black-necked stilts

which virtually posed for

our cameras, even this

dragonfly cooperated.

Photos by Scott Niblick

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Manatee County Audubon Society

P.O. Box 14550, Bradenton, FL 34280

Ph: 941-729-2222 www.ManateeAudubon.org

Manatee County Audubon Society is a chapter of National Audubon Society Inc.

CONTACTS — Manatee Chapter Board meetings

are on the 2nd Wed of the month at 5:30pm in the

main Manatee County Library. During library renova-

tions, our temporary Board meeting location is: Beau-

tiful Savior Church at 7461 Prospect Rd, Sarasota.

CHAPTER OFFICERS 2014-2015

President — Jim Stephenson 301-466-1973

Vice Pres — Deb Comeau 752-1835

Secretary — Patty Petruff 747-1789

Treasurer — Lucette Wombacher 776-8424

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steve Black 376-0110 Dick Comeau 752-1835

Dee Hanny 745-1553 Amy Miller 758-7478

Scott Niblick 757-613-3948

Lori Roberts 404-941-4365

Jack Schneider 792-1794 Deb Yodock 228-1269

Connie Zack 758-2929

2014-2015 STANDING COMMITTEES

Beach Nesting Bird Stewardship …….. Dee Hanny 745-1553

Christmas Bird Count ……………….. Dick Comeau 752-1835

Conservation ………………………… Open 729-2222

Education …………………………….. Deb Comeau 752-1835

Field Trips ……………………………. Connie Zack 758-2929

Felts Audubon Preserve …………….. Tom Heitzman 737-3169

Felts Open House …………………… Amy Miller 758-7478

Hospitality ………………………….. Betty Sartin 747-0908

Junior Audubon ……………………. Steve Black 376-0110

Membership …………………………. Lucette Wombacher 776-8424

Newsletter Editor …………………… Lori Roberts 404-941-4365

Newsletter Mailings …………………. Betty Benishek 254-7662

Programs …………………………….. Jim Stephenson 301-466-1973

Photo Contests………………………. Scott Niblick 757-613-3948

Photo Displays……………………….. Deb Yodock 794-1269

Publicity ……………………………… Lori Roberts 404-941-4365

Webmaster ………………………….. Jim Stephenson 301-466-1973

INJURED BIRD HELP:

Call our friends at Wildlife, Inc., ph: 941-778-

6324 for what to do. Someone will call you back.

For more tips, or to make a donation, visit

http://wildlifeinc.org

Special thanks to Mark Renz for use of the cover photo featuring Painted

Buntings. See other fabulous images captured by Mark at: http://

floridatimeforgot.com