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The Limpkin Times
Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:
Protection of the environment through education,
appreciation and conservation.
February 2021
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President's Message
Dear Friends,
While putting up the purple martin gourds at Lake Elberta in January, I was reminded of the simple joy and surprises that watching birds can bring. On a normal year, we would have hung the gourds with a group of children from the Walker-Ford Community Center but this year, due to the pandemic, it was just me and Jody. We had already noted Wood Stork, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Snowy Egret…when a bright red cardinal caught my eye in a nearby pond cypress. The tree was covered in small cones which were starting to crumble. We watched as the cardinal picked out seeds to eat. In the next cypress tree, a female cardinal did the same. In all my years watching birds, I have never seen cardinals utilizing pond cypress seeds. A pleasant surprise.
You may want to read Don Morrow’s essay at the end of this newsletter about his special surprise and experience watching a Great Blue Heron. The photo is by Karen Willes, a former board member who is always generous in sharing her wonderful photos.
Please register for February’s virtual program - Pines to Palms: Celebrating our Community Forests. We are happy to have Tom Flanigan moderating a panel discussion about the conservation of Wakulla County forests. Check out our talented panelists below. I particularly want to thank board member Amelia Fusaro for coordinating our effort to bring this program to you.
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Sincerely,
Donna Legare
President, Apalachee Audubon
In this issue:
Chapter Programs: Pines to Palms
Deep Roots Meat Farm Tour
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count!
In Memory of James (Jim) L. Quinn and George W. Wilson
Watching Common Birds
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Chapter Programs
Pines to Palms: Celebrating Our Community Forests
with Tom Flanigan and a panel of local forest experts
Thursday, February 18, 2021
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST VIA Zoom
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We are lucky to live in one of the most biodiverse hotspots in the United States. Our region features many acres of old-growth pines, cypresses, and oaks. To celebrate our community forests, Apalachee Audubon is partnering with the Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN), a national network of protected, publicly accessible heritage forests, to highlight and promote the unique old-growth and native forests in the Florida panhandle. Our goal is to increase community awareness, education, and enjoyment of these special places.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 FROM 7-8 PM EST VIA ZOOM
There will be a virtual kick-off event which will also serve as our monthly chapter meeting. This program will be a panelist discussion with local forest experts hosted by Tom Flanigan, and other ways to explore and enjoy our forests. Our panelists include Shane Wellendorf, Conservation Coordinator at Tall Timbers Research Station; Robin Will, longtime Supervisory Refuge Ranger and environmental educator at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; Chuck Hess, Wakulla County Commissioner and retired wildlife biologist on the Apalachicola National Forest; and Terry Baker, CEO Society of American Foresters. Baker also previously held a variety of roles within the USDA Forest Service, including the Apalachicola National Forest.
The program is free, but registration is required. Use this link to register for the Thursday evening zoom program: http://bit.ly/34YGPiq
Pines to Palms: Old-Growth Forest Dedication Ceremony
Friday, February 19, 2021
11:30 AM 2:00 PM
Wakulla Springs State Park (map)
The Legacy Property at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park will be formally inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network. Dr. Sarah Horsley, Network Manager of the Old-Growth Forest Net- work, will be there to present a plaque to park officials. In honor of the occasion, the Lodge at Wakulla Springs will offer a special lunch buffet for $19.99 featuring its signature fried gulf shrimp and Tuscan chicken. Following lunch, participants are welcome to enjoy a self-guided scavenger hunt of the Sally Ward Trail. Registration is required and space is limited. Interested attendees should RSVP to Jeff Hugo no later than February 15 at jeffrey.hugo@floridadep.gov or call 850-561-7286.
For more updates and details visit https://www.floridastateparks.org/events/old-growth-forest-dedication-ceremony Sally Ward Scavenger Hunt at Wakulla Springs .
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Deep Roots Meat Farm Tour
Protecting Upland and Wetland Forests While Producing Beef for People
Saturday, May 15, 10:00 AM EST
Greenville, Florida
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Troy Platt and his family are 6 th generation cattle ranchers originally from the St. John’s River area. Their farm is several thousand acres and the gateway to the 23,000-acre Hicks Bottom Swamp (Hixtown Swamp) on the Florida Forever list. Troy has developed a multitude of strategies to protect the watershed, sequester carbon dioxide, promote healthy cattle with a minimum of medical interventions, and create nutrient-dense, tasty beef.
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This is an important chance to learn how we can support ranchers who manage their lands as ecologically as possible. Agriculture does not just produce our food and fiber; it also affects our watersheds. It is not just a source of nutrients; it also protects wetland functions and can sequester carbon. When done properly and with innovation, it can conserve natural lands, safeguard our water supply, promote water conservation, and protect and restore water quality. For instance, we know that agricultural practices in the Flint River watershed are a major cause of water loss and contamination for the Apalachicola River. Methods used by Troy Platt in Greenville could be applied to other areas such as the Flint River basin.
Please contact deeprootsmeat@yahoo.com if you plan to go, so they have an idea of how many will be on the tour. Several of us attended a farm tour here last fall. Troy provided an excellent introduction utilizing a large map followed by a hay wagon tour. The farm is located a few miles east of Greenville just off Highway 90 on the right side of the road. Directions can be located at their website, www.deeprootsmeat.com . The tour is free, but you may want to bring your wallet to purchase some of their delicious, grass-fed beef. Do not forget your binoculars!
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Join the Great Backyard Bird Count! |
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Wood Duck photo by Nick Baldwin
It’s February and you know what that means? Well, yeah, there’s Valentines Day, but for thousands of people around the world it’s time for the Great Backyard Bird Count, four days devoted to counting and celebrating the birds in our yards, neighborhoods, parks, and natural areas. The four-day survey uses eBird, one of the world’s largest nature databases. It stores more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year and is used by professionals for science and conservation. This year’s count runs from February 12-15 and all you need to participate is a smart phone, tablet, or computer. To learn more, visit: https://www.birdcount.org
Great Backyard Bird Count results from 2020:
268,674 Estimated Participants
27,270,156 Total Birds Counted
6,942 Species of Birds Identified
194 Countries
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In Memory of James (Jim) L. Quinn and George W. Willson
We recently received a generous donation in the memory of Jim Quinn and George Willson. It was given by Mark and Carolyn (Carol) Gumula, now living in Sarasota. Mark had worked closely with the two men on conservation issues over the years and the trio sometimes referred to themselves as the Three Amigos. Mark provided us the following information:
Jim Quinn (September 3, 1949 – June 8, 2013) , was known as a real consensus builder with a little humor thrown in. He accomplished much for Florida’s environment and quality of life, particularly in the Florida Keys. For almost 40 years as a Planner, Jim served local, and then statewide, in departments of Community Affairs, Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in growth management and environmental planning. Having a kind and gentle nature, Jim was a devoted husband and father to his beloved wife Martha (Marty) and daughter, Alison; the apple of his eye. Jim was a longtime resident of Tallahassee. He enjoyed the outdoors, chasing birds, and butterflies. Indeed, when he passed away, he was hiking and enjoying nature.
George Willson (December 28, 1950 – July 29, 2019) was known as a consummate “deal maker”. A land conservationist extraordinaire, he was involved in saving over a million acres of Florida’s special places. George spent his entire career working from Tallahassee, dedicating four decades fighting to preserve Florida’s ecology. After seven years with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, he spent the rest of his career working with the Nature Conservancy (15 years) and other organizations/entities like Audubon Florida, who referred to him as “the encyclopedia of conservation knowledge”. Soft spoken, but driven by his love of nature, George was a dedicated husband to his loving wife, Lynne, and his children, daughter Ashley and son Michael and grandchildren Nolan, Sam and Cait. One of George’s favorite things in life was to journey through nature, marveling her beauty and wondering how he could do more to save Florida’s natural places.
Thank you, Mark and Carol, for this wonderful tribute and donation.
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Don Morrow Contemplates Satisfaction in Watching Common Birds
Sometimes when I run into people at St. Marks NWR they notice my binoculars and ask, “Have you seen anything rare?” I know that they’re just trying to be friendly, and I’ve chased more than a few rare birds in my time, but especially as I grow older, I find significant satisfaction in the observation of common bird species.
Great Blue Herons are the largest wading bird in North America. Their breeding range extends from Alaska to Cuba and Canadian breeders have been tracked migrating nonstop off the Atlantic coast for 36 hours from the Maritime provinces down to South Florida. As waders go, they’re your weird uncle Ralph, mostly keeping to themselves. Great Blue Herons are often heard calling in the night as they forage alone hunting for fish, reptiles, amphibians or small birds.
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I was out one day doing a duck survey on the back side of St. Marks. It was a brisk early morning, just after sunrise. I had stopped on the outer levee and had just started slowly scanning from right to left, counting ducks, when I saw a Great Blue Heron bent over with its beak in the water. He had something big. I stopped for a second to watch, but the heron didn’t move and I continued to scan and record my duck sightings, mostly Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal.
Finishing the arc of my scan I swung the scope back to see what the heron was up to. It had raised its head and I could see that it had speared a large fish through the belly. I cranked the power up on the scope and identified the heron’s prey as a foot-long Large-mouthed Bass, a catch of which any fisherman would be proud. The bass was still alive, but getting weaker. As I watched, the heron carefully shook the bass loose, dropped it in the shallow water and immediately grabbed it and pulled it back out of the water.
The heron was now holding the bass sideways in its beak with the fish’s head hanging out on one side and the weakly-flipping tail on the other. The heron juggled the fish until the fish’s head and tail were lined up for swallowing head-first in order to avoid the sharp tips of its fins. The heron leaned its head back and made a few attempts to swallow the bass, but it had positioned the bass on its side and the fish was too wide. The heron leaned forward to reposition the bass letting it slide down to the tip of its beak but still holding it by its head.
At this point a Bald Eagle showed up in the scope’s visual field, hovering in front of the startled heron. The eagle’s talons were extended, trying to grab the bass. The heron dropped the fish but stood its ground, squawking and arching its neck to strike at the eagle with its dagger-shaped bill. The eagle reconsidered. I briefly looked up from my scope and watched the eagle fly off. He had given up.
Returning to the scope, I saw the heron bent over pushing water lily pads around as it searched for the bass. Finding it, the heron picked up the fish and flipped it so that the bass was oriented head-first. With much head-swinging and jerking, the heron moved the bass down its beak, tilted its head back and stopped. The fish was now in almost the same position that it had been in before the eagle had showed up. However, instead of being sideways the fish was oriented top up. While the heron’s mouth could not open wider, limited by the width of its jaws, perhaps its gullet could stretch enough vertically to allow the heron to swallow the big fish.
The heron began to shake, shimmy and wobble. Suddenly the fish disappeared except for its tail visible in the heron’s open beak. The heron’s neck had a large bulge. The heron stretched its neck, moved from side to side and the bass slid down. The bulge in its neck was gone. I watched the heron for a few minutes. It was opening and closing its beak and swallowing. Then, with a full belly, it just stood resting quietly in the morning sun. I tossed the scope and datasheet into the back of the SUV and moved on to continue my duck survey.
Great Blue Herons are always at the refuge. Sort of background birds, present, but unappreciated. Watched more closely though, they can be fascinating.
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