Join SCAS for: Florida Wildflowers for Seaside Communities

Join SCAS on October 19 when we welcome Vince Lamb, recently elected Vice-Chair of the Florida Wildflower Foundation, who will present "Florida Wildflowers for Seaside Communities"

The destruction of native plants that provide flowers and fruits to support insect populations is a major factor in the decline of many bird species, especially the migratory ones.  We can help to reverse this decline by planting flowering native plants in our yards.  Scientific research supports this concept, and many of us have seen evidence in our yards. Vince will talk about the direct relationships between wildflowers and birds, and most importantly, how we can support insects using native wildflowers.

Treasure Coast Birding Festival to Feature Keynote Speech by Bob Montanaro

Lecture on Osprey by Bob Montanaro

Time: Cocktails/Dinner at 6 p.m., lecture at 8 p.m.
Date: Saturday, October 27
Place: Vero Beach Elks Lodge 1350 26th Street Vero Beach

The First Annual Treasure Coast Birding Festival features a keynote speech by Bob Montanaro, Bob is a native Floridian and grew up in Vero Beach.  He holds a B.A. in history from the University of Central Florida and an M.A. in U.S. History from Florida State University.  More importantly from our point of view, he is a long-time volunteer at both Pelican Island & Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges and is the current office manager for the Pelican Island Audubon Society.  He has been interested in photography and wildlife, especially the Osprey, all his life.  He maintains a website http://www.ospreywatch.org/ which displays many of his photographs and lists his presentation schedule. He is also leading a tour the next day (Sunday) to Treasure Hammock Ranch, tours are still available.

Bob's lecture is at 8 p.m. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and there will be a silent auction which benefits the Cultural Council of Indian River County and the Pelican Island Preservation Society. The auction closes and awards for the juried art show will be at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the dinner/lecture are $30 and can be purchased from the Cultural Council at 772-770-4857 or info@cultural-council.org. Visit the Treasure Coast Birding Festival website for complete details about the festival.

Turkey Creek Update By Phyllis Mansfield

As we arrived at the parking area at Turkey Creek this morning, Judith and I caught a flock of about 30 Pine Warblers circling in the pines and oaks. A TENNESSEE WARBLER was in the flock. At the back fence on the jogging trail was a BLUE GROSBEAK and a calling YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, which did not want to be seen. Another birder joined us for a short time and had a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and PAINTED BUNTINGS. Near the pump house was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

It was fun to see Sarah and Bella, who spotted one of the Ovenbirds. We didn't find their Worm-eating Warbler, but with that bird, 14 species were seen today. A BLACK-THROATED GREEN and PRAIRIE WARBLER were spotted near end of the wide boardwalk.

Of the two PEREGRINE FALCONS, one was very close overhead, a wonderful view. We've been seeing 2 Tufted Titmouse, but had another two on the way out, a long way from the first two by the creek. In the past , this has been an unusual bird for Turkey Creek. No thrushes today...maybe tomorrow! One can't expect too many adventures in one day!

CNAH Announcement: Amphibian Academy

Developing Amphibian Conservation Expertise

Amphibian Ark (AArk) announces a new capacity building program with a novel and holistic approach to amphibian conservation training for both in-situ and ex-situ program development. This new program is called Amphibian Academy: a broad perspective training opportunity that will benefit people from diverse backgrounds who desire to help save amphibians. A key difference between this effort and earlier endeavors is that the emphasis is on the individual student so that graduates will be poised to address the needs of threatened amphibians. Our mission is simple: train amphibian conservation biologists so that they can best Serve Amphibians.

The Amphibian Academy has been developed under the umbrella of the IUCN Amphibian Ark and the Toledo Zoological Society. It will be a week-long course with robust conservation emphases. The school is scheduled for 20–28 April 2013 at the Toledo Zoo, Toledo, Ohio USA. The amphibian conservation and breeding programs at the Toledo Zoo are internationally known and the collection is extremely diverse—an ideal environment for training amphibian conservationists. Local field opportunities will be utilized for teaching purposes. Centrally located, Toledo is a friendly city with reasonably priced accommodations and food. Costs to attend will not be excessive.

The course includes lectures, hands-on practical exercises, and fieldwork. Most of all there will be ample opportunities for students to be personally mentored by globally recognized and successful amphibian conservationists to help them address their specific program’s focus and needs. The students can rely on the faculty members to remain as their mentors and professional contacts throughout their careers. The hands-on activities are designed for students to “learn by doing” in small groups with an instructor, thus providing an optimal learning opportunity. The faculty for the course includes leaders in the fields of amphibian husbandry, medicine, research, reintroduction, and conservation. As amphibian decline knows no borders and is a significant global concern, we invite a diverse group of students from all countries. The vision for this training course is to Serve Amphibians. If this motto is in alignment with your conservation interests, this course will provide you with a unique opportunity to develop the appropriate skills for making a difference. Some scholarship opportunities will be available for deserving individuals with limited resources. There will also be a few short-term internships available to qualified students after the course. Registration will be open in October 2012. Tuition costs 750USD and the process for obtaining financial support and internship opportunities will be announced shortly. For registration information and process, contact AArk Education Officer, Rachel Rommel (Rachel@AmphibianArk.org ), or Ron Gagliardo (Ron@AmphibianArk.org) and Andy Odum (RAOdum@aol.com).

Amphibian Academy Trainers:

• Kent Bekker

• John Chastain

• Ron Gagliardo

• Timothy Herman

• Robert Hill

• Robert Johnson

• Mike Lannoo

• Joe Mendelson

• R. Andrew Odum

• Allan Pessier

• Jennifer Pramuk

• Rachel Rommel

• Kevin Zippel

Peacock versus Frog By Jim Meyer

I learned something on my bike ride to Jetty Park yesterday: Peacocks eat frogs!  His technique

was very similar to a Great Blue Heron, that is spearing it over and over!  Another Peacock was

chasing him too but he held his own and finally gulped the frog down, as evidenced by the leg

hanging out of his mouth on the last picture.

That's all for nature 101 today!

Learn about the Thousand Islands and More By Jim Durocher

The next Brevard Naturalist Program event,Learn about the Thousand Islands and More, will be held on Saturday, October 27. This educational event will start with presentations at the Cocoa Beach Public Library from 8 AM until noon. After a lunch break, activiites resume with a paddling trip to visit the some of the Thousand Islands with guidance provided by biologist Tim Kozusko and kayak guide Jim Durocher. A flyer is available to download at http://ulumay.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?

Contact Jim Durocher for more information 321-243-0279

Get Paid to Herp the Southeast US! By CNAH

Field technician positions are available in the lab of Emily Moriarty Lemmon at Florida State University beginning early January through mid-­‐March 2013 to help in the study of female choice and population variation in chorus frogs (Pseudacris). The technician will travel with a team throughout the southeastern USA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia) to assist in collecting specimens and performing female choice experiments. Working conditions will often times be rainy and cold, and the technician will be expected to camp for significant periods of time. An additional position is available to conduct sampling of chorus frogs for population genetic work. This researcher will travel throughout the Southeast using his/her own vehicle conducting fieldwork (travel costs will be reimbursed).

Preference will be giving to those applicants with extensive field experience. Compensation will be $480 per week (corresponding to $10.00/hr; for approximately 8 hours/day; 6 days/week) for a total of 10 weeks and will also include food and lodging during fieldwork. 

To apply for this position, please contact Dr. John Malone at jmalone@bio.fsu.edu and include a CV along with contact information for three references.

Announcement: Friends of the Enchanted Forest Meeting

Friends of the Enchanted Forest invite you to our Thursday, October 18^th meeting, 6:30pm, at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary. We are excited and honored to present:

Dianne Marcum

Mother, Grandmother, Author, and Community Volunteer

Dianne’s books include Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida’s Space Coast and Pebble in a Pond:  A Memoir From A Distance. This evening Dianne will explore Walking in Brevard

Fun, trekking, every age, every fitness.

Fall is the perfect time to step outdoors and enjoy the Space Coast at ground level, in the wilderness, along the ocean, through picturesque neighborhoods. Think in terms of Dianne’s paths and endeavors-- 

author, historian, enjoying flora and fauna, history and highlights of Brevard County.

A few days ago, she told Martha about walking the beach, watching the cruise ships head out to sea and enjoying the breeze -  which, she said, led her to the topic to presentation to us:  Walking in Brevard.

Light refreshments.

Please call Barbara Hoelscher (321-268-5888) if you have questions or wish to RSVP.  We look forward to seeing you! Yes, Dianne will have books for sale and signings too!

Protect Our Native Ecosystems – Report Invasive Animals

From pythons to tegus to lionfish, many of the invasive animals spreading throughout our state post significant threats to native wildlife and ecosystems.  As a network of citizens across the state with keen eyes and an appreciation of our most precious ecosystems, our chapter members are perfectly-suited to assist Audubon’s efforts as “eyes and ears” on the ground.  Visit the website (http://fl.audubon.org/invasive-species-task-force) to learn how to easily identify and report non-native animals that you see while out birding, visiting your favorite park or even along highways or in your own community.  Reporting only takes minutes online or using a simple smartphone app and can make a big difference to land managers who are trying to get a handle on these growing populations.  You can also stay on top of invasive species news through the monthly ‘Invader Updater’ series on the Audubon Florida News Blog (http://audubonoffloridanews.org/).  New invasive animals are literally showing up every day here in Florida, and it is up to us to help detect and report them before populations establish or grow out of control!

Our National Parks By Robert Wicker

Do you have 30 seconds to spare for our national parks? Our president and Congress have many issues to embrace, and many dreams of their own for our country. One dream I have is that our national parks are healthy and restored to their glory in time for the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. What's your dream? Join me in telling the president and Congress that you want to see a brighter future for our national parks. Take action!

To take action on this issue, click on the link below:

http://my.npca.org/site/Advocacy?s_oo=D8VYGPekdOYbzpaO-Dxzmg&id=260 

Treasure Coast Birding Festival Coming Soon!

Be sure to check out the Treasure Coast Birding Festival web site, the festival is coming up soon, starting October 26. They recently reduced the registration fees, it's well worth checking out. Lots of cool field trips, events for kids, and much more. Go here to get more information:

http://www.cultural-council.org/-b-Treasure-Coast-Birding-Festival-b-.html

Fall Migratory Bird Count Results By Matt Heyden

Some interesting results from the migratory bird count.

• Number of species: 121
• Number of individuals: 9,231
• Number of parties: 9
• Number of observers: 18

Here is a sample of the least seen: least bittern, black crowned night heron, roseate spoonbill, cooper's hawk, red tailed hawk, cara cara, peregrine falcon, clapper rail, black necked stilt, solitary sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, both dowitchers, Wilson's phalarope, black tern, white winged dove, common night hawk, great horned owl, barred owl, flicker, great crested flycatcher, kingbird, bank swallow, ruby crowned kinglet, veery, bluebird, catbird, thrasher, yellow warbler, magnolia, black throated blue, yellow throated, pine, prairie, palm, black and white, oven bird, painted bunting.

This was a great showing by some of the very best birders in the county.

Many, many thanks for taking this count seriously, and documenting that we really do have the birds!

Field Trip Update: Turkey Creek by Phyllis Mansfield

Today was the Space Coast Audubon field trip to Turkey Creek. We were not expecting much since migrating birds have been avoiding the area this fall. However it was an entirely satisfactory morning for our 6 birders and joined late in the morning by # 7. Early in the morning an Eastern Spotted Skunk gave us a brief glimpse as 'black and white' ran off in the woods~ lovely animal. Warblers seen included: Magnolia, Black-throated Green(first fall male), Yellow-throated, Pine(about 10), Prairie, Black and White, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat. There were two male Painted Buntings, many Red-eyed Vireos, Brown Thrasher, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Sandhill Crane(H), and Tufted Titmouse(2), flying in front of the group for great looks. On the way out was a beautiful young male Summer Tanager acquiring red color.

Those at Turkey Creek will remember all the names on the boardwalk; it was hard to pass over Ken LaBorde(died August 11) and Bill Hills(died August 18) whom we have such fond memories. Both were excellent birders and were often at Turkey Creek. Bill had many years of data, collected each time there. He could easily tell which bird appeared when in migration. They are truly missed.