mar 2010 apalachee audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 MAR 2010 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter

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Native Nurseries owners Jody Walthall and Donna Legare with Pansy, a populargreeter at the store.

InsIdethIs Issue

Presidents Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Bird Bits: Our Ubiquitous Sparrow . . . . 3

Upcoming Programs . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Birding in East Arica . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Backyard our Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Whooping Crane Update . . . . . . . . . . 5

Kayak Birding rip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Birdathon Letter & Pledge Form . . . . . 7

March PrograM SPeaker: Donna Legare

ThirTy yearSof naTive PLanTS: ThoughTSon The vaLue

of naTive PLanTSTo WiLDLifeinThe LanDScaPe

Thursday, March 25th, 918 Railroad AvenueSocial at 7:00 p.m. Program 7:30 p.m.

Donna Legare has been co-owner o Native Nurseries or 30 years andearned her B. S. degrees in Wildlie Ecology rom the School o ForestResources at the University o Florida. She teaches workshops at the nurseryand writes columns or the allahassee Democrat on subjects pertaining tonature and gardening and is co-author o the publication, Planting a Reuge

or Wildlie. She volunteers at Birdsong Nature Centers buttery garden.

Birdathon 2010Support Apalachee Audubons

undraiser or education outreach.

Find out how you can help on page 7.

Te Newsletter of the Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc. Vol. 108, No. 6 March 2010 www.apalachee.org

aaS fieLD TriPS

Wilderness Hikeat Wakulla Springs

Sunday, March 21st8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Hosted by: George Apthorp

Skill Level: Moderate physical diculty

Cost: Park admission, $6 per vehicle.

Description: Exploring numerous bio-logical communitiesupland hardwoodorest, sandhill, spring runon thenorth side o the Wakulla River. Hikerswill get to see the parks State Championspruce pine.

What to bring: Binoculars, eld guide,water/snacks, sunscreen, insect repellenthat, sturdy walking shoes, dress or theweather. Protect yoursel against ticks.

Meet Location: at 8:30 a.m. in theparking lot o the Wakulla Lodge.

For more inormation, you can contact

Elizabeth Platt at (850) 284-0963 [email protected].

April 3rdKayak Birding Tripsee page 6.
http://www.apalachee.org/http://www.apalachee.org/


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aaS PrograM MeeTing LocaTion

Historic Amtrak Station918 Railroad AvenueTallahassee, Florida

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

AmtrakStation

PreSiDenTS MeSSageby Ed Gartner

Bad InformatIonIsworsethan

noInformatIonatall.

I you ollow bad advice, suchas ad diets, you may hurtyoursel short term, and you willcertainly lose time nding theright way to impove your health(such as changing liestyle).Regardless o what the bad inois about, it will delay gettingon the desired trackandit may also have ill efects inother ways. With no inormantion, you can start cleanand hopeully nd solutions which solv e problems.Tereore, whenever a statement begins with Peoplesay ..., Someone told me ... or any such anonymous

beginning, ignore it out o hand. One time in ten, itmight be true, but nine times out o ten it will be wrongand misleading.

REALIIES

Misinormation oten covers a political agenda.Beware!

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 March 2010
http://www.apalachee.org/http://www.apalachee.org/


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Male house sparrow is on the right with nesting material (cellophane) andthe emale is on the let. Photo by Harry Hooper

BirD BiTS: our uBiquiTouS SParroWby Harry Hooper

Te sociable, cheery, and chattering bird that we walk by andpay little attention to in the garden section at Lowes, HomeDepot, and Wal-Mart, the bird that we observe carryingnesting materials including man-made debris behind largesigns and lights at these stores, is the House or EnglishSparrow (Passer domesticus). Our bird? Not quite! Te

species, a bird o the Old World sparrow amily Passeridae,is non-native to the United States. Our bird, Passerdomesticus domesticus, the nominate race, is native to mosto Europe including the British Isles, Spain and Portugal,India, the majority o Russia, parts o northern Arica, andsouthwest and central Asia. Tirty-six species are representedin Passeridae, o which two have been introduced to theUnited States, the house sparrow and the Eurasian reeSparrow (Passer montanus) that was released in the St. Louisarea in 1870.

Te house sparrow or sidewalk sparrow as nicknamedby Pete Dunne, averages 6 to 6-1/2 inches in length and issexually dimorphic. Males and emales are strikingly diferentin plumage or appearance. Te male has gray cheeks, crown,and rump. Te sides o the crown, back o the neck or nape,the back or mantle and wings are a chestnut brown. Teunder parts are an unmarked pale gray. Te throat and breastare black. Te emale is primarily a sot brown streaked withbuf above with pale gray below.

Te word sparrow is derived rom the Anglo-Saxon wordspearwa which meant utterer and house reers to the birdsassociation with human structures.

During the 1850s and 1860s, the sidewalk sparrow wasbrought rom Europe and released in the northeastern U.S.and Canada to help remove two species o geometer moths,the spring cankerworm and the elm spanworm that weredeoliating eastern shade trees. Tough the sparrow didcontrol these moths in the New York area, a harmul result othe release was the displacement o native avian species thatcontrolled the white-marked tussock moth.

With the reduction o native avian species, the tussock moth

rapidly increased in numbers and continued the damage doneby the geometer moths. Additionally, the tenacious housesparrow was also discovered to be detrimental to our nativecavity- nesting birds, displacing and reducing populations ohouse wrens, purple martins, clif swallows, and other cavitynesters.

Te house sparrow is considered common and widespreadthroughout the United States with the exception o Alaska.Tis sparrow is generally ound in the presence o human-modied habitats that include commercial areas, agriculturaland livestock operations and is considered non-migratory.

Te bird is not to be ound in natural areas such as orests,grasslands, and deserts, with the exception o areas withhuman intrusion.

Tough the bird is considered an invasive species, it is here tostay. ake the time to stop, study, and enjoy the subtle beautyo the emale and the humorous antics o the male duringcourtship this time o year.

Wild Birds Unlimited

Everything for the birds

and 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

March 2010 www.apalachee.org Apalachee Audubon Society 3

Upcoming AAS Program Speakers & Topics

April 22 Fritz Davis,Get the Facts and Ten Act:How Marjorie Harris Carr and the FloridaDeenders o the Environment Stopped theCross Florida Barge Canal(Florida State Universtiy)

May 27 Annual BanquetDana Bryan, Limpkins

(FL-Dept. o Environmental Protection)


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Speckled Mousebird, photo by om arrant(Wikipedia Commons)

Birding assistant, Alred

BirDingin eaST africa byElizabEthPlatt

I was so charmed when readingCarolyn Smiths vacation birdingarticle in a recent AAS newsletterthat I decided to tell you a littleabout my birding experiences inRwanda and anzania last summer.I was in East Arica or several

purposes unrelated to birding, but,nding mysel there, I made the besto every opportunity to nd birds.During the month o June I stayedat a guest house on the outskirts oGitarama, a provincial town. Athome our most constant visitorand consumer at the trash box eachmorning was the Pied Crow, andour alarm clock as well. Overheadthere were always lots o Black Kites,called Sakabaka.

Gitarama is located in a hilly part o Rwanda. Withina ve-minute walk o the house were several paths criss-crossing a valley and up into the hills where people walkedto and rom the town, market or school, toting school packs,bearing produce on their heads, or driving animals ahead othem on the path. As you can imagine, a white lady lookingthrough binoculars was quite an odd sight on that path, andpeople assumed I was taking pictures. On my rst day obirding some curious boys and young men surrounded me,wanting to know what I was doing. Lacking good skills inKinyarwanda, I simply gave each o them the binoculars so

that they could see or themselves. Ater most o them hadcontinued on, one ellow,named Alred, began tohelp me ush birds bytossing small stones intothe bushes. ogether welooked at the pictures inthe Field Guide to Birdso East Arica, identiyingthe birds we could.Alreds job was to eed

two cows at the home oa widow living near themain road. On anotherwalk he pointed out thebeautiul cows grazingin the valley; these werethe Bishops cows. Telocal armers were onlyoccasionally allowed tograze on the lush grass

in the valley; the rest o the timethey were compelled to keep theiranimals penned in sheds or tetheredbeside their homes in the hills above

Although it was almost impossibleto look or birds undisturbed on thevalley path because I always attractedattention, I was continually amazedat the array o beautiul small birdswith their sweet calls and songs: renches, Cordon Bleus, Sunbirds,weavers, stone chats, and others.One particularly interesting bird wasthe raucous, long-tailed mousebird.

Sometimes Alred and I were joinedby another Alred, a bright youngstudent who spoke English, French,Swahili, and Kinyarwanda. It

was rom him that I was able to learn so much about theconditions o the local people living in the shadow o themission, including the role o the church in the Genocideo 1994. Alred II was a very personable ellow, who wouldencourage the children to look through the binoculars, andwould ask the elders the local names o some o the birds.

In anzania I snatched opportunities to take bird walkswherever I was. Some birds I saw in the vicinity o LakeVictoria were Pied Kingshers in a degraded area near abrewery, Malachite Kingshers itting among the rocks inLake Victoria, and marabou storks awaiting the erry crossing

In Dar es Salaam the intrusive House Crow was a ubiquitouspresence rom early morning until dark; the only other birdvisiting my hostesss home was a sparrow o some kind.My anzanian nephew Mathew, and I made a brie passthrough the Mikumi Game Park, courtesy o his uncle, whois the director o all the anzanian national parks. Mikumi islocated west o Morogoro, the town where I spent two yearsas a Peace Corps Volunteer teacher in the 1960s, so it wasgreat to visit it again. Mathew had spent a day in Zanzibargetting worn out beore our trip, so most o the time he wasasleep in the land rover. As we were being driven aroundthe game park, I would wake him up to take a picture o anelephant here, or a zebra there, then watch him drit of tosleep again. I was more excited about the birds than the largegame; Id been there, done that in the 60s! And Mathewslept right through sightings o shrikes, hornbills, weavers,Marabous, a Blacksmith Lapwing, a Hammerkop, and aLilac-breasted Roller.

Some tourists we turned out to be!



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Visitors enjoying their backyard birding tour. Photo by Elizabeth Platt

St. Marks Whooper learning how to eat a blue crab. Te crabs were providedby Anne & Jack Rudloe o Gul Specimen Laboratory as part o the birds

oraging training. Photo rom Operation Migration. See more pictures at:

www.fickr.com/photos/operationmigration

For the third year, our Wildlie Friendly Back Yards our wasa big success. Tis year, our hosts were:

David Copps

Donna Legare/Jody Walthall

Eleanor Dietrich

Jim Stevenson/ara anaka

Molly Hocking/Joe Dodge

A great big HANK YOU to all our hosts or showing yourabulous yards. It was truly a treat. Mother Nature smiledon us again with a picture perect day and all participantsenjoyed the day.

A special thank you also to all our volunteers and to ElizabethPlatt and Ann Bruce or making the day run so smoothly.

Once again Native Nurseries and Wild Birds Unlimited sold

our tickets. Please support these businesses. Tey sure supportus!

We are taking suggestions or yards or next year. Mark yourcalendars or Feb 19, 2011. Please contact Pam [email protected] i you have suggestions.

Tank you to everyone that participated. See you next year!

Te ultralight-led migration o the St. Marks en successullylanded in the reuge on January 13th; the Chassahowitzka enarrived on January 20th. Te St. Marks group has been settlingin, acquainting themselves with the area, learning how to eatblue crabs, and dining on local seaood. Six o the ten birdshave attained their adult voices.

Heres the lastest location inormation about the St. Marksmembers o the Class o 2008. (*=emale bird)

805 Columbia Co. WI Dec. 10812 Columbia Co. WI Dec. 10813* Panola County, MS Feb. 24

828 Meigs Co. N Feb. 12829 Alachua Co. FL Feb. 24830 * Citrus Co. FL Feb. 24

Catch up and keep up with the latest OM news online at theSt. Marks Reuge Association web site:

www.stmarksreuge.org/cranes.cm

or at the Operation Migration Field Journal:www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html

ST. MarkS WhooPing craneS: March 2010 uPDaTebyKathlEEnCarr


2010 WiLDLife frienDLy BackyarD TourbyPamFlynn


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The Store for Nature Lovers

For Over 30 Years

Native Plants Wildlife Gardening HerbsWild Bird Shop Organic Gardening Supplies

850-386-8882

1661 Centerville RoadTallahassee, FL 32308

www.nativenurseries.com

Dragonfy on Grass, by Rosemary Gilbert Bell

Massage Therapist

Melissa Forehand

CranioSacral, Relaxation &Therapeutic

1102 Hays St. 850-510-4877

Tallahassee, FL 32301 License #MA31638


Kayak Birding on Piney Z & Lower Lake LafayetteSaturday, April 3rd, 8:00 a.m. - mid-afternoonHosted by: Harry Hooper & Lynn Reynolds

RESERVAIONS REQUIRED

Contact either Harry Hooper or Lynn Reynolds to reserve a eld trip slot.Harry Hooper; [email protected] (850) 668-0498

Lynn Reynolds; [email protected] (850) 421-1074

Begin & End imes: Arrive at Laayette Heritage rail Park at 8:00 a.m. Return to the boat launch early to mid aternoon.

Skill Level: Easy to moderate depending on weather and water conditions.

Cost: No cost, unless renting a kayak.

Description: Enjoy paddling on open water and within beautiul hardwood and cypress swamp habitats. We will paddleapproximately 6-7 miles with a short portage between the lakes.

What to bring: kayak with associated equipment, appropriate clothing (weather dependent), binoculars, cameras, insectrepellent, sunscreen, rst-aid kit, hats, sunglasses, ood, and water. NOE: o participate, an approved otation device(PFD) must be worn at all times.

Meet Location: Laayette Heritage rail Park; Directions: From Capital Circle NE and Conner Blvd., travel east on ConnerBlvd. 1.5 miles to Heritage Park Blvd. urn let onto Heritage Park Blvd. ravel 0.6 miles to the park. Boat launchparking is on the right when you enter the park.

rip co-leaders Harry Hooper and Lynn Reynolds are AAS board members who enjoy combining birding with kayaking,hiking, and camping.
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O: Members of the Apalachee Audubon Society

FROM: Birdathon Committee

DAE: March 2010

SUBJEC: Birdathon 2010

Birdathon 2010, Apalachee Audubons major undraiser is rapidly approaching. Tis years Birdathon will take place betweenApril 9th and April 25th. eams o three to six birders choose a 24 hour period within the established Birdathon season and

list as many bird species as they can see or hear. All members can participate, by sponsoring a specic team or the combinedeforts o all the teams. By pledging 10, 25, 50 cents or more per bird, you will eel more like you are part o the actionaVery Important Participant. For example, i 125 birds are seen by a team, at $.10 a bird your commitment would be $12.50.At $.50 per bird, it would be $62.50. However, at sum pledges are also welcome, or instance $10, $25, $50, $100 or anylevel that suits your budget.

Money raised during Birdathon pays or Apalachee Audubons environmental education programs such as AudubonAdventures. Tese subscription kits, developed by Te National Audubon Society, help 3rd through 5th graders orm positiveattitudes about nature and supports teachers with instructional content aligned with national and state standards or SocialStudies (with an emphasis on Civics), Science, and Language Arts. Each Audubon Adventures kit comes with a ClassroomResource Manual and diferent editions o a student newspaper. Te teachers manual includes classroom tips, hands-onactivities, and background material or teachers. Each year there is a new theme, currently Action or Planet Earth. For mor

inormation about this program visit: www.audubon.org/educate/aa/index.html.One Audubon Adventures subscription package or 35 students costs approximately $45. Birdathon 2009 unded kitsor 55 classrooms in 25 Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla county schools. In 2010 Apalachee Audubon aspires to expand theprogram to over 100 classrooms. I we exceed this goal, we might ofer scholarships or teachers to attend an Audubon FieldEnvironmental Camp. AAS pledges that 100% o your contribution will stay in our region or local projects. Ater Birdathon2010, we will report our sightings and collect the pledged donations. Please ll out the pledge orm on the reverse and returnto the address given. Your git is tax-deductible as AAS is a 501(c)3 organization and no goods or services will be exchangedor your contribution. We look orward to hearing rom you. Tank you.

I am happy to pledge $______________________

per species in support o team number __________

My tax-deductible git o $___________________is enclosed, payable to Apalachee Audubon Society

From:

__________________________________________(name)

__________________________________________(street address)

__________________________________________(City, State, Zip)

Mail to:AAS BirdathonPost Oce Box 1237allahassee, Florida 32302-1237

aPaLachee auDuBon SocieTy BirDaThon PLeDge forM

eam Number 1Fran Rutkovsky, Janeen Langley, Ed Woodruf

eam Number 2Harvey/Judy Goldman, Kathy Besbekos, Ann Bruce,Karen Wensing

eam Number 3Marvin Collins, Melissa Forehand, et al

eam Number 4Pam Flynn, racee Strohman, Fred Dietrich, Luke

DeGrotte, Bill Hudgens, Mike ucker

Write-in new team: _____________________

Combined eams: ______________________

Tank you or Sponsoring Birdathon!Every dollar you give stays in our community to supportenvironmental education and wildlie habitat.



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Injured EaglesNeed Your Used Postage Stamps!

Yes, its true! Te Audubon Center or Injured Birds oPrey (located at Maitland, Florida) collects used postagestamps and sells them to wholesalers or sale to collectorsall over the world. All you have to do is cut postage stampsrom your mail, leaving at least 1/4 inch o paper all

around the stamp. (Or just bring the envelope and I willtrim them.) Any postage stamp is useulbig, small, U.S.,oreignany postage stamp! Tere will be a box to collectthem at Audubon meetings. I you have a lot o stamps,you can call to arrange or a pickup.

We appreciate your help.

I you have questions or want to arrange or a pickup, callEileen Boutelle at (850)656-3346.

See page 3 for upcoming program speakers and topics.

Chapter/Audubon EventsMarch

21 Wakulla Springs Field rip:George Apthorpwill lead a walking tour through several biologicalcommunities at the park. Begins at 8:30 a.m., endsaround 12:30 p.m.

25 AAS Program Meeting: Landscaping or Wildlie.Speaker will be Donna Legare o Native Nurseries.

April

3 Kayak Birding rip

25 AAS Program Meeting: Fritz Davis will talk aboutMarjorie Harris Carr.

aPaLachee auDuBon SocieTy caLenDar: March-aPriL 2010Note: A reminder that Gaines Street is undergoing construction and portions o the road will be closed ater 7:00 p.m.

Social begins at 7:00, meeting at 7:30 p.m. Located at the historic Amtrak Station, 918 Railroad Avenuemap on page 2. Formore information, call (850)510-4877 or visit: www.apalachee.org

Non-Proft

OrganizationUS Postage Paid

Permit No. 30

Apalachee Audubon

P.O. Box 1237Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237

Your membership expiration date is shown at top right above your name. For problems with membership, call the National

Audubon Society Ofce at 1-800-274-4201. For problems with mailings, contact Pam Flynn at [email protected].

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mar 2010 apalachee audubon society newsletter

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