June-July 2008 Skimmer Newsletter Francis M. Weston Audubon Society

8/9/2019 June-July 2008 Skimmer Newsletter Francis M. Weston Audubon Society

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Tripping with Audubon

The photos below and on the back page show Francis M. Weston Audubon Society members enjoying various eldtrips throughout the past year. Also shown are other chapter activities in which members participated. See page 3

or captions.

June - July 2008

Vol. XXXV No. 1


2/8

S

lept with windows open again last

night and listened to the night

sounds. Heard a chuck sound off

briey, then the mockingbird serenaded the half

moon. Leaves crunched under slow footsteps

coon, possum, cat? Then a whiff of wind and a

rainfall of crisp oak leaves swirled off the roof.

Soon came deep sleep. By 6 a.m. I was sipping

fresh-brewed coffee and watching the early

birds in the yard. A mocker ew across the open

area coming from the east, and as it neared the

azaleas, the feeder erupted with doves scattering

in a urry of gray, and jays screaming their way

into the oaks. In swooped the Coopers Hawk

from out of nowhere, and nailed the mocker that

sang its solo last night. Id like to say something

profound right here, but only that after a short

while, bird life in the yard resumed normalcy. The

thrashers are scratching in the leaves for tidbits

for the hungry mouths in the youpon north of

the cottage...the sh crows are conversing in

what sounds like a family altercation, the wren is

chortling wheedah, wheedah, and the doves are

again visiting the feeders and calling from nearby

trees. Lucy Duncan

Night Sounds . . .

2

Field Trips

Satrda, Jne 28, Weaver Creek Ravine Native

Plants. James Burkhalter will lead us on a walk

in search o wildfowers and native plants alongWeaver Creek Ravine in Santa Rosa County on Eglin

Air Force Base. Expect moderate walking withsome steep slopes. Ankle supported ootwear isrecommended. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the parking

lot in ront o the Target Store located near theintersection o University Parkway and Nine Mile

Road. We will nish by noon.

Satrda, Jl 26, Trt Pint Natre Trail Native

Plants. James Burkhalter will lead us on a walkin search o wildfowers and native plants along

the Trout Point Nature Trail located next to BigLagoon on Pensacola Naval Air Station. Expect easy

walking in sand. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Big Lots

parking lot located on the east side o Navy Blvd. inWarrington. We will nish by noon.

Chapter Meetings

There are no scheduled summer meetings untilAugust.

Board of Directors Meetings

(Open to all members)Satrda, Jl 19, Annal planning meeting,

Baskerville-Donovan building 449 West Main Street,Pensacola.C

AL

EN

DA

R

of

EVEN

TS

Zebra Swallwtail by Liz Langstn.


3/83

Starbcks stp reqired.N

othing beats sitting or three hours in an old horse trailer

on the Nebraska prairie at sunset in March except sitting

in an old school bus or our hours on the Nebraska prai-rie at sunrise. Mitch Glidden, our local guide in the Ne-

braska Sandhills region, had transormed these ordinary

conveyances into blinds allowing us birders to be voyeurs

braska. No heat, but a port-a-potty stood

like a sentinel outside. Again, there were

sunset and sunrise expeditions. Here tenso thousands o Sandhill Cranes, hun-

dreds o thousands o Snow Geese, and a

sprinkling o other waterowl bombarded

our senses o sight and hearing. Clouds

o birdseathers, wings, long legs,

long necksobscured the sky. And such

noise. What could these birds be chatter-

ing about? Was it the quality o corn in

the Nebraska elds this year, their winter vacations? In

any case, on their way north some o these birds might

fy over an old horse trailer and an old school bus sittingorlornly on the Nebraska prairie.

Morris Clark planned and guided a thoroughly won-

derul expedition or Francis M. Weston Audubon Society

members to this wonderland o prairie birding. He de-

signed a trip that combined cranes and chickens, and he

never ailed to accommodate Starbucks stops.

Cranes, Chickens and StarbucksTirteen lcky birders view te wnders f prairie birding

1. Morris Clark, eld trip leader, spots a bird or participants in

the rst Nebraska trip. J.G.

2. Sandhill Cranes come to rest by the thousands in Nebraskas

Platte River. J.G.

3. Annelise Reunert learns how to make an origami crane at

the Platte River Welcome Center. P.R.

4. FMWAS members hunkered down in blinds to see this and

many well-camofaged Greater Prairie Chickens on their lek

in Nebraska. P.R.5. Jostling or position in its nest-building routine, Roseate

Spoonbills bow and grunt while adjusting the perect twigs

in the perect places. FMWAS members make trips to the

Cypress Island Rookery almost every year. P.J.

6. The Otter Lake sunset ramed by cypress and moss is typical

o this serene place. C.B.

7. Welcoming aternoon rays, birders enjoy sunset views o

Otter Lake near St. Marks. C.B.

8. Feeder watching has its rewards as ound in this photo. P.B.

9. Ashlee White holds 3 Red-Cockaded Woodpecker nestlings

that had just been banded. You could be this happy, too,

i you volunteered to help Liz Langston during RCW nesting

season at Blackwater River State Forest. L.L.

10. Lucy and Bob Duncan pitch in to build the protective

encing that keeps nesting Black Skimmers and Least Tern

chicks o the busy Navarre causeway. C.B.

11. Egret chicks at Cypress Island, LA show o or F.M. Weston

members. C.B.

12. Jim Brady prepares bird specimens or Audubon members to

study at PJC. C.B.

13. Photographers and birders just cant pass up the still

refections o egrets at St. Marks. P.J.

Photo credits: Cheryl Bunch, Jay Gould, Liz Langston, Paul

Johnson, Peggy Baker, Peter Reunert.

Tripping with Audubon, picture captions rom ront and back covers.

by Ann Ziccardi

into the hormone-ueled lie o the male Greater Prai-

rie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Spring was slowly

relieving the prairie o winter, and love was in the air.

Now was the opportunity or us to see a manic display

by these male birds to attract those persnickety emales.

But a horse trailer with heat? No way! A school bus with a

bao? Are you kidding? A Starbucks in Mullen, Nebraska?

Dont think so! Dicult to give up creature comorts orthe thrill o witnessing these astonishing birds booming,

moaning, dancing and generally strutting their stu in a

renzied eort to be the top bird? Certainly not!

In contrast, earlier in the week we were herded into

a relatively luxurious structure at Audubons Rowe Crane

Sanctuary near the Platte River in south-central Ne-


4/84

by Bob Duncan

Lincolns Sparrow,* was in the Duncan yard on 15 April. Six

singing Sedge Wrens at Ft. Pickens seen and heard by me on

16 April were unusual both to time and place. Merilu Rose et

al. saw an Olive-sided Flycatcher,* very rare in spring, on 16

April. I counted 65 Semi-palmated Plovers at the cut down

Ft. Pickens road on 21 April, the highest local count ever.

nThe rarest bird o the season was anInca Dove* which

Lucy and I ound at Ft. Morgan, Alabama on 19 April. This

was a rst state record and coincided with the Alabama

Ornithological Society meeting at Dauphin Island. We were by

ourselves, but thanks to a cell phone, were able to call birders

who caught the erry to Ft. Morgan and share our nd with us.

The species has been expanding out o Texas and had reached

western Mississippi in recent years. Finding a rst state record

is like hitting a hole-in-one in gol or getting a grand slam

homer.

nBobolinks ound at Live Oak North, GINS by David Ogden

on 25 April were in an unusual place. Three White-aced Ibis*

fying over the Duncans home in Gul Breeze on 29 April were

surprising in that there are only a handul o records or thearea o this western species. Three Magnifcent Frigatebirds

near Destin seen by Les Kelly on 30 April were rare or the area,

as well as Carol and Ray Ascherelds three birds over Pensacola

Beach on 11 May. Ann and Dan Forster spotted our handsome

American Avocets rom their home near Bayou Grande on 7

May. Mary Jones reported nesting American Robins near Pace

and Faireld on 8 May. A rare area nester, they have bred in

that vicinity in previous years. Peggy Baker and Jan Lloyd had

an impressive count o about 20 Chuck-wills-widows during

their census on 20 May in Santa Rosa County or the United

States Nightjar Survey Network.Lastly, rounding o a greatseason or birders, Powers McLeod ound a tropical rarity, a

Tropical/Couchs Kingbird on the Pensacola Airport ence on

30 May.

Species with asterisks require documentation so that they may be

processed to become part o the ornithological record.

The Skimmer welcomes reports o noteworthy birds. I you have

something to report, please call Bob or Lucy Duncan at 932-4792.

nBirders were treated to many opportunities to witness

spring migrations splendor this season. There were six

allouts, and as luck would have it, they all ell on weekends so

that working olks could get out and enjoy the spectacle. The

rst occurred on 5 April when a trough o low pressure stalled

along the coast and dumped nearly two inches o rain in Gul

Breeze. Lucy and I witnessed a heavy allout o early migrants

around our house. A squall line ahead o a ront ound us at

Dauphin Is. on 12 April, witnessing another allout involving

Scarlet Tanagers, Red-eyed Vireos, Indigo Buntings andother species. A slow moving ront with scattered showers in

the Gul on 18 April, again ound us at Dauphin Is. or the

Alabama Ornithological Societys spring meeting, treating us and

many other birders to another great display o eathered color,

this time involving many warbler species as well. A cold ront

hammered migrants as they were crossing the Gul on May 11,

causing surprisingly late allouts on Dauphin Is. and Ft. Morgan.

Lucy and I were ortunate enough to witness all six allouts!!

And then, just when wed given up hope o any urther migrants

coming through, rains and NE winds brought a smattering o

them to our yard on 17 May. Until then, our latest allout inover 40 years o observations had been 12 May. I hope you got

in on the un!

n A trip across the Pensacola bay bridge on 27 March yielded

the Duncans a quick look at a rst winter Glaucous Gull.*

It was seen through 7 April. Five Swallow-tailed Kites seen

over Pensacola by Powers McLeod on 28 March must have been

impressive. Powers and Rosann McLeod counted 24 Yellow-

crowned Night-Herons on 31 March at the 19th Street rookery.

Rarely seen in our area, a Hairy Woodpecker* was in Morris

Clarks yard on 28 Feb.

n Malcolm Boothroyd, the young birder bicycling with his

amily rom the Yukon Territories to Florida and back, spotted

a Cave Swallow* in the Duncans neighborhood in Gul Breeze

on 1 April. Kelly Jones also saw one in Ft. Walton Beach on

14 April. It is now becoming rare but regular, having been

accidental in years past. A male Bronzed Cowbird,* a western

species, was seen by Ann and Dan Forster at their home in

Pensacola on 6 April. Another mostly western species, a

F i e l d N o t e s

*


5/8

Education/Hyatt Center by Peggy Baker

A

close-up look at a bright red Cardinal

or a brilliant Blue Jay can capture any

childs interest in learning more about our

eathered neighbors. The Birding Bus is a

wonderul educational tool that provides

this experience to all o the students who

visit the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center.

Linda Hartmann conceived and implemented the idea oturning an old school bus into a birding blind or children.

Ater the old bus was in place at the Hyatt Center, the seats

were removed and two long benches acing the side windows

were installed. The windows were darkened with a refective

coating to hide the viewing audience. A ledge or seed was

placed close to the windows. The vegetation around the bus

was trimmed and other eeders were added. The sta provides

ood daily. What a great idea, Linda!

Since Audubons involvement with the Center, many

improvements have been made to this avorite attraction o

both student and adult visitors. Curtains were added opposite

the viewing windows to urther darken the interior and an

air conditioner was installed because it can get a little warm

inside the bus.

Heidi Moore and her mother, Brenda Francisco, painted

a delightul orest mural to camoufage the exterior o the

orange bus. Brenda painted colorul butterfies that could

be seen in the Hyatt environment. Heidi added charming

woodland creatures that include realistic representations o

birds that might be seen in the viewing area. The naturalists

use these illustrations to amiliarize students with the birdsin the area beore they enter the bus blind. Thanks again to

Heidi and Brenda or this creative endeavor!

When it was decided that more birds would requent the

area i a water eature were added to the viewing area, Morris

Clark stepped orward to design and build a cascading pond

Old School Bus Becomes a Blindwith our shallow pools to attract bathing and thirsty

birds. I you build it, they will come, and more and more

birds continue to come. Everyday the children on the

bus see several birds bathing and drinking. You did a

wonderul job, Morris.

The next workday at the Center is coming soon. We

hope that you will come a give us a hand, and then spend

a little time on the Birding Bus. It also captures adults.

Above and below are paintings on the school

bus at the Hyatt Center.

Linda Hartmanns idea allows close-up birding

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6/8

Capter bsinessannal dinnerFrancis M. Weston Audubon Society (FWMAS) members

conducted elections at the annual dinner in late May. Theelections kept in place

the same dedicatedocers as last year,

and Dana Timmnswas added to the PastPresidents Council

(PAPCY).Jere Frencwas elected or a term

as Director-at-large,replacing Ellen Rstn

whose term expired.FMWAS presented

a Government Award

recognizing the much-

needed groundbreakingon the new countywater treatment

acility. Logan Finkaccepted on behalo the Emerald Coast

Utility Authority.The Curtis Kingsbery

Education Award was given to Mrris M.Clark or his service to FMWAS as Field Trip

Chair, and or his design and building thewater eature at the Hyatt Center. A specialCerticate o Appreciation was presented to

Lynn Gld, Art Director o the Skimmer,or her creative artistry in our publication.

As part o the evening, the second annualBarb Brady Silent Auction was successul

with bidders happily leaving cash in ourcoers or take-home treasures. From cakesto lamps, a beach house get away and art,

the oerings were as diverse as the bidders.

Wanted: raptr edcatrsThe Roy Hyatt Environmental Center will begin introducing

live raptors into the curriculum this all. The care, eeding, and

maintenance o non-releasable raptors that have previouslybeen injured will demand more attention than the AudubonNaturalists alone can provide. Additionally, the use o raptors

in educational programs requires training and amiliarization oboth the birds and their handlers. FMWAS is seeking a cadre o

volunteers who would like to participate in any aspect o suchwork with raptors. An orientation session has been scheduled

or Saturday, July 12, 2008 to provide more inormation topotential raptor volunteers. Please contact Jim Brady at 456-5083 to make a reservation or the orientation session.

Wen pprtnity cmes knckingOur Audubon Chapter works or the environment on several

ronts. Education is so important, but so is conservation. Andgetting our message and inormation out to the community

through publicity is crucial to our goals. The chapter haspositions open or both the Conservation and Publicity

Committees, and opportunities to work with other committees.Look on page 7 o this Skimmer, and see the standingcommittees with which you can serve. The best part o the

deal is that we have a lot o un planning and executing oneo the best Audubon Chapter programs in the state. So dont

be shy. This is your knock on the door. Open it. Call anycommittee chairman or board member to volunteer.

2008 Legislative brief wrap pYour support made a dierence in helping to secure the

passage o positive legislation to und and continue Florida

Forever, and halt damaging provisions, such as those includedin bills related to aggregate mining. However, much remains

to be done in 2009 to address growth managementwhichlegislation did not passand other key issues. The Florida

Forever program will continue or another ten years with thepassage o legislation this Session. For more inormation,

please visit supportforidaorever.org/get.html.

I n m e m o r I a mAmy Frnans. Our chapter recognizes the loss o long-

time member, Amy Furnans, on March 21. At a criticaltime in northwest Florida, Amy was president o FMWAS,

and an active advocate or beach preservation. That

protection came in the orm o Gul Islands National

Seashore, the result o many passionate voices like

hers being heard. Amys impact and legacy will be long

lasting.

Red Gidden. Many o us have enjoyed visits to the

St. Marks National Wildlie Reuge over the years.

Our rst visit there was March 7, 1971, and we were

hooked. We oten let Atlanta ater work and spent the

weekend exploring every beautiul, birdy spot. Soon

we were riends with the dedicated reuge biologist,

Red Gidden. He even let the key to the reuge in hismailbox so we could use the dike roads. Ater he retired

several years ago, Red continued his regular rounds and

kept meticulous notes about observations. He enjoyed

introducing school kids to the wonders o the reuge.

Red passed away at his daughters home in Tennessee

on April 15. His wish was to be cremated and returned

to the part o Florida that had captured his heart all

those years ago. Ann Forster

Lgan Fink accepts award frm Jim

Brady, abve. Mrris Clark, pictred

belw rigt, received te Crtis

Kingsbery Edcatin Award.

Dana Timmns

was added t te

Past Presidents

Cncil.

6

N E W S a n d V I E W S


7/8

C H A P T E R C O N T A C T S

Presidents Council Peggy Baker .................934-3242

Jim Brady ....................456-5083

Morris Clark ..................968-5498

Annelise Reunert ..........492-4389

Dana Timmons ..............934-4521

Recording Secretary Jan Lloyd ....................453-1660

Corresponding Secretary Ann Forster ..................456-4421

Publicity ...........................Position Open

Treasurer Becky Grass ..................455-9666

Membership Annelise Reunert ..........492-4389

Field Trips Morris Clark ..................968-5498

Programs Dana Timmons ..............934-4521Fund Raising Camey Hanks ................458-7979

Conservation Alice Harris ..................478-2161

Education Peggy Baker .................934-3242

Center Committee Jim Brady ....................456-5083

SkimmerEditor Lucy Duncan ................932-4792

SkimmerArt Director Lynn Gould

Webmaster Debra Jones

Web Address: ttp://www.fmwadbn.rg/

INTRoDuCToRy MEMBERShIP NATIoNAL AuDuBoN SoCIETy

Individual/amily $20 or one year$30 or two years

Student/senior citizen $15 or one year

Make checks payable to the National Audubon Society.

____________________________________________________name

____________________________________________________address

____________________________________________________city state zip

____________________________________________________

phone

____________________________________________________e-mail

Francis M. Westn Adbn Sciety Capter E46 7XCh

The National Audubon Society occasionally makes its membership list availableto careully selected organizations whose mailings you might nd o interest.

To have your name omitted rom this list, please check here r.

Without a willing candidate to seekthe ofce o either President or Vice-

President, your society is again beingled by a council o past presidents

reerred to as the Past AudubonPresidents Council, or PAPC. Thisyear that team is comprised o Peggy

Baker, Jim Brady, Morris Clark, Annelise Reunert, and DanaTimmons. As in the past year, we will unction as a team

that rotates the responsibility or conducting business on amonthly basis, chairing meetings o the Board o Directorsand the monthly membership meetings. Each o us also has

responsibility to chair a committee. PAPC meets inormallyevery two months or so to ensure that there is communication

among the members about the rotation schedule, and toidentiy recurrent deadlines that must be met to conduct

chapter business with our state and national organizations.

On occasion, the Treasurer is invited to a PAPC meetingto advise us on the status o chapter fnances. While this

arrangement works to a remarkable degree, we are hopeulthat members o the chapter will see that it does not obviate

the role o an elected president and vice-president, and thatsome shy soul will step orward next year to accept leadership

o FMWAS.

Smmer CallengesWe are embarking on severalexciting challenges over the summer. First, we will inaugurate

the frst summer camp, Environmental Encounters, at theRoy Hyatt Environmental Center, over our weeks beginning

in mid-June. Second, in August we will hire two ull-timeAudubon Naturalists to work at RHEC during the upcoming

school year to implement our curriculum. Third, we will onceagain conduct pre- and post- feld trip visits to the 2nd and5th grade classes in ten target elementary schools in Escambia

County supported by a grant rom the National Fish and WildlieFoundation. And ourth, as part o the expanded curriculum

or the above program, we will be using live birds o prey(raptors) during our feld trips and classroom encounters. The

last item will require that we develop a corps o volunteerswho are interested in working with live birds, and an item

in another column invites both members and non-FMWASmembers to assist us in the use o live birds in educationalactivities. And, o course, we will have our usual challenges to

conservation and protection o the abulous environment inwhich we are so privileged to live here in North West Florida.

We thank you or your support and encouragement andhope that you will join other members o the chapter in the

many activities we will plan or the coming year.

Presidents Column Jim Brady

C o R P o R A T E S u P P o R T E R SArmstrong World Industries

Baskerville-Donovan, Inc.International Paper Company

Pzer

Solutia, Inc.

7


8/8

Francis M. Weston Audubon Society

P.O. Box 17484Pensacola, FL 32522

NONPROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PENSACOLA, FL

PERMIT NO. 821

JoIN NATIoNAL AuDuBoN and this chapter

with a one-year introductory membership or

only $20 ($15 or students and seniors). You

will receiveAudubon Magazine, the Florida

Naturalistand the Skimmer. Fill in the orm on

page 7 and make checks payable to National

Audubon Society. Mail all membership orms

to FMWAS.

or nline editin f teSkimmeris

in fll clr at www.fmwadbn.rg

June-July 2008 Skimmer Newsletter Francis M. Weston Audubon Society

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