Monday, February 16, 2015

Florida Scrub-jay Festival Saturday February 28, 2015

We hope you can attend this festival to celebrate Florida's only endemic bird the Florida Scrub-jay.  Stop by and visit the Space Coast Audubon booth at the Merritt Island NWR visitors center while you're enjoying the festival.  Festival hours are 10:00-3:30.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

6th Annaual Florida Scrub-jay Festival at MINWR

Florida Scrub-Jay Festival
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

The 6th annual Florida Scrub-Jay Festival will be at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on February 28, 2015. The refuge harbors one of the largest populations of scrub-jays in the state.
The Florida Scrub-Jay Festival celebrates the only bird species unique to Florida as well as the scrub-jay’s unique and interesting habitat. The Florida scrub-jay currently is federally listed as a threatened species.  Scrub-jays are bold, curious, charismatic and true Florida natives.
scrub jay pic
Scrub-jay populations are thought to have declined by as much as 90 percent since the late 1800s due to habitat loss.  More recently, scrub-jays have continued to decline even on protected lands due to inadequate habitat management.  Historically, periodic wildfires maintained the shrubby, open habitat that scrub-jays need to survive.  Now scrub-jays and other plants and animals rely on agencies like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to use prescribed fire and other methods to maintain the shrubby habitat they need.
The 2015 Florida Scrub-Jay Festival is free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The festival will include guided walks, rides around the refuge, kids’ activities, entertainment, and a Scrub-Jay Q&A with a panel of experts.
As the date approaches, you will find more information at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge websiteExternal Website
The Florida Scrub-Jay Festival moves around the state from year to year. The Florida Scrub-Jay Festival is a collaborative effort of multiple conservation partners, including the FWC.

Jim Eager
Space Coast Audubon Society
Vice President
Program/Publicity Chair



Thursday, February 5, 2015

South Brevard Christmas Count Results

The following are the results for the 2014 South Brevard Christmas Bird Count.  Highlights included a Great Cormorant, an American Woodcock, and a Hairy Woodpecker. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make it a success!

Species/Number of birds seen Species/Number of birds seen
Muscovey     39
American Wigeon    50
Mallard    4
Mallard X Mottled Hybred    26
Mottled Duck    87
Blue-Winged Teal    10
Northern Shoveler    7
Green-Winged Teal (American)    2
Greater Scaup    1
Lesser Scaup    176
Bufflehead    1
Hooded Merganser    25
Red-Breasted Merganser    15
Peafowl    1
Wild Turkey    63
Common Loon    3
Pied-Billed Grebe    40
Northern Gannet    18
American White Pelican    495
Brown Pelican    450
Great Cormorant    1
Double Crested Cormorant    691
Anhinga    78
Magnificent Frigatebird    101
American Bittern    2
Least Bittern    5
Great Blue Heron (Blue)    74
Great Egret    139
Snowy Egret    85
Little Blue Heron    67
Tricolored Heron    41
Cattle Egret    418
Green Heron    19
Black-Crowned Night Heron    19
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron    2
White Ibis    577
Glossy Ibis    2
Roseate Spoonbill    3
Wood Stork    48
Black Vulture    426
Turkey Vulture    255
Osprey    110
Bald Eagle (ad)    10
Bald Eagle (im)    9
Bald Eagle (uk)    1
Northern Harrier    6
Sharp-Shinned Hawk    1
Cooper's Hawk    6
Red-Shouldered Hawk    42
Red-Tailed Hawk    11
Crested Caracara    2
American Kestrel    85
Merlin    2
Sora    1
Common Moorhen    24
American Coot    7
Limpkin    9
Sandhill Crane    309
Black-Bellied Plover    3
Killdeer    230
American Oystercatcher    4
Spotted Sandpiper    3
Greater Yellowlegs    5
Willet    27
Lesser Yellowlegs    7
Ruddy Turnstone    53
Sanderling    270
Long-Billed Dowitcher    2
Wilson's Snipe    62
American Woodcock    1
Laughing Gull    135
Bonaparte's Gull    2
Ring-Billed Gull    486
Herring Gull    69
Lesser Black-Backed Gull    10
Great Black-Backed Gull    25
Caspian Tern    16
Sandwich Tern    4
Forster's Tern    63
Royal Tern    458
Black Skimmer    300
Rock Pigeon    70
Eurasian Collared Dove    29
White-Winged Dove    4
Mourning Dove    402
Common Ground Dove    37
Eastern Screech Owl    15
Great Horned Owl    2
Barred Owl    5
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird    1
Belted Kingfisher    31
Red-Bellied Woodpecker    89
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker    6
Downy Woodpecker    16
Hairy Woodpecker    1
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker    9
Northern (Yel-sh.) Flicker    2
Pileated Woodpecker    21
Eastern Phoebe    78
Great Crested Flycatcher    1
Loggerhead Shrike    26
White-Eyed Vireo    22
Blue-Headed Vireo    6
Blue Jay    48
Florida Scrub-Jay    37
American Crow    1
Fish Crow    136
Tree Swallow    3,473
Brown-Headed Nuthatch    15
Carolina Wren    37
House Wren    34
Marsh Wren    3
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet    7
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher    37
Eastern Bluebird    5
Hermit Thrush    1
American Robin    4,219
Gray Catbird    120
Northern Mockingbird    70
Brown Thrasher    1
European Starling    251
Cedar Waxwing    23
Orange-Crowned Warbler    3
Yellow-Rumped (Myrtle) Warbler    284
Yellow-Throated Warbler    5
Pine Warbler    260
Prairie Warbler    2
Palm Warbler    204
Black-and-White Warbler    3
Ovenbird    1
Common Yellowthroat    29
Eastern Towhee    26
Bachman's Sparrow    8
Chipping Sparrow    36
Vesper Sparrow    1
Savannah Sparrow    147
Grasshopper Sparrow    3
Song Sparrow    1
Swamp Sparrow    10
White-Throated Sparrow    0
Northern Cardinal    105
Painted Bunting    13
Red-Winged Blackbird    17
Eastern Meadowlark    18
Common Grackle    227
Boat-Tailed Grackle    114
Brown-Headed Cowbird    21
American Goldfinch    2
House Sparrow    12
Egyptian Goose*    6

* Non-countable species

Monday, February 2, 2015

February 20, 2015 Space Coast Audubon meeting



Join Space Coast Audubon Society for our February 20th Meeting
Brevard Zoo's Role in Florida Scrub-jay Conservation


WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS)

WHERE:  Rockledge Presbyterian Church, 921 Rockledge Dr, Rockledge, FL.

WHEN:   February 20, 2015 at 7:30 pm

Jonny Baker, Conservation Coordinator at Brevard Zoo, will be our speaker and will be presenting Brevard Zoo's Role in Florida Scrub-jay Conservation.

As the newest member to the conservation department at Brevard Zoo, Jonny is eager to spread his passion for wildlife. Although new to the department, he has been a member of Brevard Zoo's conservation team for the past 5 years during which he was employed as the lead animal keeper in the Wild Florida section. Jonny also co-stars in The Rob and Jonny Show produced by Brevard Zoo through which he and Rob hope to spread their love for conservation to all types of audiences. He is also the treasurer for the Brevard chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers which is dedicated to zookeeper professional growth, enhancing animal care, promoting public awareness, and contributing to conservation.

Not only does the Brevard Zoo contribute to conservation of Florida’s only endemic bird species they also assist in outreach and education.  They lead a team to translocate families of Florida Scrub-jays. Translocations are a tool used by biologists to benefit this species in many ways, and Brevard Zoo has perfected their technique. He will touch on previous translocations as well as the one carried out this past January.

Visit the Space Coast Audubon Society website at www.spacecoastaudubon.org

We look forward to another great turnout.

Jim Eager
Space Coast Audubon Society
Vice President
Program/Publicity Chair

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Bioblitz at the Enchanted Forest Santuary

On behalf of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program and the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Management & Education Center , I would like to invite you to participate in a bioblitz to be held May 23rd, 1:00pm - May 24th, 1:00pm at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville , Florida .
A bioblitz is a 24-hour survey of the biological diversity in a specified area.  The purpose of this event is to catalog the species positively identified within a 24-hour period at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, increase the public awareness of the biological diversity in Brevard County, provide a fun and educational recreation activity to the general public, for field experts to have the opportunity to share their passions and knowledge with each other and the general public, and to celebrate International Biological Diversity Day.
We are seeking scientists, experts, and naturalists that would be interested in participating by leading surveys of a specified taxa, helping in the identification of species, and/or hosting talks/tables to educate the public on the species and biodiversity of Brevard County .
Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast will be provided to participating scientists, as well as snacks, water, and coffee throughout the 24-hour period.
The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary (EFS) was the first property acquired by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program.  Located in southern Titusville , EFS protects 472-acres, consisting of 7 different habitats, including oak-saw palmetto scrub, mesic and hydric hammocks.
If you are interested in participating please fill out the attached registration sheet and return to Sarah Kraum by mail ( 444 Columbia Blvd. , Titusville , FL 32780 ) or email (sarah.kraum@brevardparks.com) by February 20th.
Also, if you know of a scientist, expert, or naturalist that would be interested in participating, please feel free to forward this to them.  We would be happy to answer any questions you may have!
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Thank you,
 
 
 
Joanie G. Faulls
Sanctuary Steward
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program
321- 264-5185
Please find us on facebook @ Brevard County Enchanted Forest Sanctuary and on Twitter @BrevardEFS