Christmas Birders Flock Together by Roy Book

Cocoa CBC, 2009

Come join us on one of Brevard’s annual Christmas Bird Counts where birders flock to count birds for a day.  This is a fun event you won’t want to miss!

CBC began over a century ago when 27 Conservationists in 25 localities, led by scientist Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history.  On Christmas Day 1900, the small group of conservationists posed an alternative to the “side Hunt,” a Christmas day activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals.  Instead, Chapman proposed to identify, count, and record all the birds they saw, founding what is now considered to be the most significant citizen-based conservation effort and a more than century-old institution.

Today, over 55,000 volunteers from all 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Pacific islands count and record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area.  Each count group completes a census of the birds found during one 24-hour period between December 14 and January 5 in a designated circle 15 miles in diameter-about 177 square miles.

We are fortunate to have three CBCs scheduled for Brevard County again this year. If you would like to join a flock for the day, please contact one of the listed co-compilers to sign up or for additional information.

• Cocoa – Saturday, December 18, 2010: Contact Dave Freeland (freela148@aol.com) or Dee Fairbanks Simpson (deefairbanks@mac.com) to participate.
• MINWR – Monday, December 20, 2010: Contact Ned Steel (321-452-1140, nedsteel@msn.com) or Jim Pedersen (321-267-4981, pedersenjc@adelphia.net) to participate
• South Brevard -- January 2, 2011: The South Brevard CBC is unique because it’s area is partially in Brevard and partially in Indian River County and is supported by both the Space Coast and the Pelican Island Audubon Chapters. Contact Roy Book (321-773-4618, rlbook@earthlink.net)  to participate.

Last SCAS Field Trip for 2010 By Vicky Hamilton, SCAS Field Trip Coordinator

Our last SCAS Field Trip for 2010 is this Saturday, December 4th. Tom Dunkerton will be our trip leader as we bird the Marl Bed Flats at Lake Jessup in Seminole County. Meet at 7:00 a.m. in the parking lot behind the McDonalds on Hwy. 46 & I-95 in Mims. We will carpool from there. Some walking required.

Input Needed for Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area Survey By Richard Noyes

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is in the process of developing a recreation masterplan for Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area and we need your input.  You and groups that you are involved with have been identified as current or likely users of the Salt Lake WMA located in Mims, Florida.  Below is a link for a survey designed to help the FWC, Office of Recreation Services identify the types of activities and access that people would like to see at Salt Lake.  Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey on-line.  There is no need to print or mail anything to FWC.  The survey will collect your answers electronically once you have completed it.  Please pass this e-mail and the survey link to other people that you know that may be interested in participating in this process.

Survey: http://www.surveyroom.com/surveymachine/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=7lMK5pm

Thank you in advance for your participation. Again, please pass this link on to other people that may be interested.  If you have any questions, please contact me by e-mail (Richard.Noyes@MyFWC.com)

October/November Bird Sightings by Jim Eager

A Peregrin Falcon (not this
 one) was seen on Biolab Road
photo by Dee Simpson

Fall migration was in full swing with a host of warblers, some thrushes, vireos and raptors.  Shorebirds definitely on the move with an incredible 14 Wilson’s Phalaropes counted by Mitchell Harris.  Many birders got great looks at a Buff-breasted Sandpiper.  Another sight was around 60 White Pelicans hanging around this summer.  Looks like Shiloh Marsh Rd has been very productive this fall.

• 10/01:  15 warbler day at Turkey Creek.  Highlights Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided & Blackpoll warblers and Northern Waterthrush---Jim Eager & Phyllis Mansfield
• 10/02:   Yellow-billed Cuckoo & Philadelphia Vireo.  Oak/Pine Hammock---Mitchell Harris
• 10/03:   Hooded Warbler at Dummitt Cove.  Northern Waterthrush & Black-throated Green Warbler at Oak Hammock.  Peregrine Falcon on BioLab Rd 100 yds in from Beach Rd---Jim Eager & Phyllis Mansfield
• 10/06:   Great Blue Heron (white morph), Blue Grosbeak and Merlin at Sebastian Inlet SP---Juanita Baker
• 10/07:   Bay-breasted & Blackpoll Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush & Veery at Lori Wilson Pk---Phyllis Mansfield
• 10/12:   Dark morph Short-tailed Hawk at SR 3 & Wilson’s Corner.  Wilson’s & Red-necked Phalarope on Shiloh Marsh Rd---Mitchell Harris
• 10/16:   Wilson’s Phalarope & Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Shiloh Marsh Rd---David Hartgrove
• 10/18:   Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow on Shiloh Marsh Rd at north parking area where gate is locked during hunting season---Danny Bales
• 10/19:   Wilson’s Phalarope on Bio-Lab—Tom Dunkerton
• 10/22:   Swainson’s Hawk, Wilson’s Phalarope, American Golden-Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper on Shiloh Marsh Rd—Mitchell Harris
• 10/24:   Dickcissel at Lori Wilson Pk—Phyllis Mansfield
• 10/25:   Virginia Rail on Blackpoint Dr, Stop #9—Tom Dunkerton
• 10/27:   Great Cormorant—Viera Wetlands—Neil Lamb
• 10/28:   Snail Kite—Viera Wetlands—John Hintermeister
• 10/30:   Franklin’s Gull on beach at Lori Wilson Pk—Phyllis Mansfield
• 11/08:   Snow Goose (2) behind pumphouse(MINWR)—Mitchell Harris
• 11/09:   Surf Scoter at Manatee Hammock county Pk—Mitchell Harris
• 11/15:   White-winged Scoter at Manatee Hammock county Pk—Mitchell Harris
• 11/21:   Ruddy Duck, Green-winged Teal at Viera Wetlands—Linda Turner
• 11/22:   Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser at Viera Wetlands—Jim Eager

Bird Sightings and Other Updates

Lots going on this Thanksgiving week! Some cool sightings this week, including a Cinnamon Teal, a Redhead and a Great Cormorant over in Vierra.  Surf  and White-winged Scoters have been seen at Manatee Hammock.

In SCAS news, we had a great presentation Friday night from Jim Stahl which included slides of many plants and critters that we don't get to see too often out here in Florida. SCAS wishes to thank Jim for a great presentation.

Over on the SCAS web site, we have updates to our Projects and Upcoming Events pages. Be sure to check them out!

Greetings from the new president

To all of our members and guests, let me say I am pleased to follow in the footsteps of our intrepid previous president, Jason Frederick, in leading the Space Coast Audubon Society in its mission.  We have much to look forward to in the upcoming fall and winter season.  Now is the time when migrants are passing through and our winter two legged visitors, both feathered and not, are arriving. I encourage you look for our field trips and meetings in the Limpkin and on line at spacecoastaudubon. org , or at yahoo groups SpaceCoastAudubon. You are welcome to bring friends or guests. Also, remember to put a Christmas Bird Count on your calendar, such as Cocoa on December 18 or Merritt Island on December 20 or South Brevard. Also, don’t forget to plan for the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival January 26th through 31st, 2011.

As a fairly new member to the community, I am still becoming familiar with all of the natural wonders our region has to offer.  Being a member or participant with Space Coast Audubon is a great way to explore our area. Supporting Audubon is a great way to ensure that the fabulous birds of our region have enough space and habitat to stay or return to for the winter. Read Audubon magazine or look at Florida Audubon’s website to find out more about how to keep our state and region an attractive habitat for our birds and other wild creatures who share our home.

Good Birding.

Deborah Longman-Marien

Welcome to Our Blog

The purpose of the Space Coast Audubon Society is to provide an opportunity for people to become aware firsthand of the value and beauty of nature. Through conservation and education, we hope to create an understanding of and interest in all wildlife, preserve irreplaceable natural resources and restore the Earth’s ecosystems of which mankind is an inseparable element.

The National Audubon Society had its beginnings at the turn of the century when many local Audubon clubs joined together over concern for the wading birds of the South whose numbers were being devastated by plume hunters. Today, the National Audubon Society includes over 500,000 members and more than 500 local chapters. The evolution and careful coordination of National Audubon's four areas of expertise—science, land management, education and activism—have made National Audubon a powerful and credible voice for the conservation of wildlife and natural resources.

Audubon of Florida (formerly Florida Audubon Society) is the oldest and largest environmental organization in the state. While allied with the National Audubon Society in many endeavors, Audubon of Florida concentrates the majority of its energies on Florida's most critical environmental issues. Audubon of Florida, with headquarters in Miami , has a network of 46 local chapters around the state with approximately 32,000 members.

The Space Coast Audubon Society was formed in the mid-1950s. Over the years this local chapter of both the Florida and National Audubon Societies has grown to include over 1,100 families and individuals. It is now Brevard County's largest all-volunteer environmental organization.