February 27, 2016 MINWR/Black Pt Dr

WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society

WHERE:  Merritt Island NWR/Black Point Dr

WHEN:  Saturday February 27, 2016

Space Coast Audubon member Marilyn Taylor will be leading a field trip to Black Point Dr at Merritt Island NWR on Saturday February 27, 2016.  Meet at 8 am at Sand Point Pk, 101 N. Washington Ave, Titusville.  Sand Point Park has restrooms, and is on the NE corner of Garden St/Washington Ave (US 1) before you cross the bridge, on the left, heading out to the refuge.  Finish time: 11:00 am, back at Sand Point Park.  For those interested, bagels and coffee will be served at our host's condo across the street.  You can bring a packed lunch if you prefer.  We need a head count, so an RSVP is needed.  Please contact Marilyn at operacrazed39@gmail.com to let her know if you plan on attending. 

 

Jim Eager

Space Coast Audubon Society

Vice President

Program/Publicity Chair

Febraury 20, 2016 Palm Wetlands Field Trip

Who:  Space Coast Audubon Society

When:  Saturday February 20, 2016

Where:  Palm Beach Wetlands Field Trip

Space Coast Audubon Vice President, Jim Eager, will be leading a Space Coast Audubon field trip to the Palm Beach Wetlands of Wakodahatchee Wetlands and Green Cay Nature Center in Delray Beach/Boynton Beach on Saturday February 20, 2016.  We will meet and leave at 5:30 am sharp from the Cracker Barrel, I-95 & Wickham Rd.  From there we will carpool to Wakodahatchee Wetlands and then to Green Cay Nature Center.  I would suggest bringing lunch, drinks, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray (optional).  Wear appropriate clothes based on the weather and wear comfortable footwear as we will be walking on elevated wooden boardwalks.  In addition to those carpooling it is customary to provide gas money to help offset the driver's expenses.  Please email me at beachbirder@bellsouth.net, or call and leave a message at 423-593-0059 if you will be going so I can have a list of attendees.  If folks prefer to meet the group instead of carpooling at Wakodahatchee the address is 13026 Jog Rd, Delray Beach 33446.  Address for Green Cay is 12800 Hagen Ranch Rd, Boynton Beach 33437.

Look forward to a good turnout.

Jim Eager

Space Coast Audubon

Vice President

Program/Publicity Chair

February 13, 2016 N Brevard Hotspots Field Trip

WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society

WHAT:  North Brevard Hotspots Field Trip

WHEN:  Saturday February 13, 2016

Space Coast Audubon member Doug Stuckey will be leading his famous North Brevard Hotspots field trip on Saturday February 13^th.  Meet Doug at McDonald’s, 4305 W. Main St (SR 46) just east of I-95, in Mims.  If you want to eat breakfast come a little early as the trip will leave promptly at 7:00 am.  We will visit Hatbill Pk, Loughlin Landing, and Doug’s yard which is one of the highlights of the trip as well as other locations.  Doug’s yard has native plant species and regularly attracts Painted Bunting, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Chipping Sparrows, White-winged Dove and many more species.  As always dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and bring drinks, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray (optional).  To RSVP Doug call 321-267-2576 or email at flabirds@yahoo.com.   

 

Jim Eager

Space Coast Audubon Society

Vice President

Program/Publicity Chair

February 19, 2016 meeting

Join Space Coast Audubon Society for our February 19^th Meeting

“Big Year: Lake County vs Osceola County”

WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS)

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

WHEN:   February 19, 2016 at 7:30 pm

Gallus Quigley and Chris Newton will present Big Year:  Lake County vs Osceola County

Gallus Quigley is the planner/biologist/events coordinator and park ranger for the Lake County Parks and Trails Division.  He has been an avid birder for 25 years and is currently Cornell eBird regional coordinator for Lake & Sumter Counties and Florida Breeding Bird Atlas coordinator 2011-2016 Lake County.  He remains an avid birder since eighth grade and is third all-time in “Big Year” numbers for Florida with 359 bird species in 2008.  Gallus ended 2015 with 243 species + 1 non-countable species.

Chris first started birding in the late 80”s when his father and uncle took him on birding trips and he would tag along during Christmas Bird Counts.  The next 15 years Chris did some guiding in Michigan, New Hampshire, and Florida.   He worked, as an on-call field biologist, for an environmental firm and worked for 6 weeks in Nevada monitoring raptors nests.  In his spare time Chris loves wildlife photograph and his work can be found at Paper $ Roses in Peterborough, NH.  When Chris isn’t birding he works at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as an Animal Keeper.  He works with giraffes, zebras, lions and rhino’s on the Safari Nights Experience Team.  Chris has been with Disney for almost 11 years, working on the African Aviary Team, Night Team, and Savannah Team.  Chris ended 2015 with 236 + one Rufous/Allen’s type hummingbird.  

All of you have surely heard of “The Big Year” book by Mark Obmascik and the movie starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson & Jack Black.  Well Gallus and Chris had a friendly competition with dual Big Years in their respective counties.  I kept up with their exploits, almost daily species updates and friendly back and forth banter.  After seeing this program this might inspire some of you to try your hand at a Big Year.   Try it first in your yard then branch out to your local patch, county or state. 

Visit the Space Coast Audubon Society website at www.spacecoastaudubon.org and check out the Space Coast Audubon Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Coast-Audubon

We look forward to another great turnout.

Jim Eager

Space Coast Audubon Society

Vice President

Program/Publicity Chair

Cool Nature Links for January

Here are some links that I found interesting this month:

Vermilion Flycatcher at Little Big Econ WMA, 12/31/2015

Traffic Camera Records Stunning Images Of Snowy Owl In Flight

Swamped: Jeb Bush’s Fight Over the Everglades 

Burrowing Owl at Brian Piccolo Park, 12/27/2015 

Bolivia’s domestic parrots seen as “crop pests” 

Growing parasite threat to finches made famous by Darwin 

Rare Philippine eagle chick born in captivity; boosts hope for the species  

Video: Squirrels Mask Scent with Rattlesnake Skin 

How the robin’s red breast could be the key to colours that never fade 

Video: Spectacular Alligator Mating Display 

Support Manatees and the Indian River Lagoon

Brevard County Residents: Send a Message to Your County Commissioners That You Support Manatees and the Indian River Lagoon Anti-manatee forces are at work again in Brevard County, and they got an Add-On to Tuesday's agenda with the help of Commissioner Smith. An item at the January 12th, 2016 BCC meeting asks the Commissioners to adopt a resolution that would remove protections from manatees in Brevard County. The resolution aims to remove speed zone protections in Brevard waterways, dismantle the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, support downlisting of manatees from endangered to threatened, and call for a county ordinance for local law enforcement to stop enforcing state and federal manatee zones. The latest tactic employed by manatee foes is claiming that manatee grazing is incompatible with the health of the Indian River Lagoon -- a complete and total fallacy not substantiated by any seagrass or manatee biologists.   Click the following link to see Save the Manatee Club's comments on the resolution. Click the following link to see Save the Manatee Club's comments on the resolution. What You Can Do: Please write your County Commissioners and tell them you DO NOT support Commissioner Smith's Resolution entitled "Supporting the health of the Indian River Lagoon by encouraging efforts to amend the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act". Ask them to vote against the resolution because it is inconsistent with the laws and policies currently in place to protect manatees and the Indian River Lagoon. Tell them to oppose this anti-manatee agenda. Click here to access contact information for the County Commissioners:  http://www.brevardcounty.us/CountyCommission/CountyCommissionersHome Please take action by Monday, January 11th as this item will be heard the following day.  If you can attend the meeting and speak against this item, please do so. Click here for the meeting information: http://brevardcountyfl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx

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Save the Manatee Club © 2016. All rights reserved.

Birding Adventure at eynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island, Georgia May 2016

Audubon Endangered Species Day Art Contest

Teachers and their students are encouraged to participate in the Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest. The Youth Art Contest provides K-12 students with an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork.  Entries must be submitted electronically by March 1, 2016. A prestigious panel of artists, photographers and conservationists will judge the artwork. Winners will be chosen in four categories: K-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12, and will receive plaques and art supply gift packs.  In addition, one grand prize winner will be honored at a reception in Washington, D.C. in May 2016, and also receive a special art lesson from a professional artist. Visit www.endangeredspeciesday.org for more information.

Florida Wildflower Foundation Field Trip

Come explore with us on Jan. 16!

You're invited to join the Florida Wildflower Foundation for a special visit to the Orlando Wetlands Park on Saturday, Jan. 16. We'll take a private tour of this unique and beautiful wetland park, riding in an open-air tram along the park's 23 miles of roads as we explore marshes, hardwood hammocks and scenic lakes.

Along the way, we'll stop to birdwatch, botanize, and learn how efficient our native plants are at cleaning wastewater. We'll also see the new wildflower planting, funded in part by a Florida Wildflower Foundation grant.

The field trip is free for Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Space is limited. Click here for more information and to register.

Orlando Wetlands Park Festival

Contact: Orlando Wetlands Park 407-568-1706
WetlandsFestival@cityoforlando.net

For more information and event reminders visit:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/16th-annual-orlando-wetlands-festival-tickets-16534878266
Event Website: http://www.cityoforlando.net/wetlands/.

Orlando, FL – Come and enjoy the Orlando Wetlands Festival on Saturday, February 20, 2016, from 9am-3pm at Fort Christmas Historical Park. The Orlando Wetlands Festival is an opportunity to celebrate the Orlando Wetlands Park, the City’s 1,650 acre wetland oasis. The event is sponsored by: City of Orlando, Orange Audubon Society, and Orange County Parks and Recreation.

On February 20, 2016, experience this unique wetland treatment system with the entire family. Event co-sponsor, Orange Audubon Society, will lead guided bird-watching excursions. The Florida Native Plant Society will lead native plant identification hikes; while, the Florida Trail Association will be providing wilderness hikes. Bring your camera and join guided photo hike led by professional photographers.

There will be many interactive children’s activities (like Out-On-A-Limb kids tree climbing), bounce houses and much more! So bring the whole family and invite your friends and neighbors to this fun, free educational festival. Please leave your pets at home; there are wild animals. Food will be available for purchase. Free admission and free door prizes! For more information: call Orlando Wetlands Park 407-568-1706.

For those who like to sit and ride, guided bus tours will travel along the wetland berms, giving riders a chance to experience firsthand, Florida’s wild wetlands. Hay rides will also give riders a chance to relax and take in the scenery.

In addition to the numerous guided tours, there will be bird-banding and mist-netting demonstrations, as well as, live music by Homer Stiles. Featured in the various wildlife shows, many different live animals will be present such as alligators, snakes, birds and many others. Also, the City’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department will be giving away free backyard trees in celebration of Arbor Day.

Directions: To get to the Park, take S.R. 50 to Christmas, Florida. Turn north onto 420, Ft. Christmas Rd. Continue north 1.8 miles. Fort Christmas Park will be on your left. Free parking will be located on your right across from Fort Christmas Park. The address is 1300 North Fort Christmas Road, Christmas, FL 32709.

Something to Sing About!

Free PDF: Audubon Florida Naturalist Magazine Annual Report 2015 Now Available 

Click to download.

When we see Florida's birds in their native habitats we are reminded of the beauty in the world. 

We also know that our efforts are making a difference - from clean water to abundant wildlife.

Their role is to overcome the odds, to make the best of changing habitats, to nest and nurture the next generation, and to give us hope for the future.

Our role is to protect the land and water that birds and other wildlife and people need to survive.

Thanks to your help, Audubon Florida leads the way to restore the Everglades, manage habitats for endangered shorebirds, and enforce the rules that reduce pollution and keep development away from special places.

Together we make a difference.

Click the button below to start your free PDF download of Audubon Florida's 2015 Naturalist Magazine Annual Report. Inside you will learn the many ways Audubon Florida members, volunteers, and donors helped to protect birds and wildlife in 2015.

Thank you for all that you do.