|
|
The Limpkin Times
Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:
Protecting the rich biodiversity of the Florida panhandle through education, appreciation, and conservation.
November 2021
|
|
Aramark volunteers at Lake Elberta Park
October was a busy month! On Saturday October 16th, nine chapter volunteers joined over a dozen volunteers from Seminole Dining Aramark for their annual Aramark Building Community (ABC) Day. We spent two hours doing a trash cleanup and invasive plants removal at Lake Elberta Park. We filled at least 20 trash bags from the park and shoreline and we were thanked by a number of people who were out walking the park that morning.
Our thanks also to the Hillel at FSU group who did a big trash clean up at the park in September.
In conjunction with the ABC Day, we applied for and received a $3,000 grant from Aramark to put towards the revitalization of Lake Elberta Park. We are applying the bulk of these funds towards an interpretive sign for the bat house we had installed last year. If there are any remaining funds, it will be applied towards other Lake Elberta projects or clean-ups.
|
|
AAS clean up volunteers. Left to right, Heather Levy, Peter Kleinhenz, Nelson Ball, Jim Carr, Donna Legare. Not pictured, Kathleen Carr, Harvey Goldman, Howard and Ann Kessler.
And on the topic of other Lake Elberta Park projects, the City of Tallahassee has approved our proposal to build and install a Chimney Swift tower at the park. On Friday, October 15th, Jody Walthall and Jim Carr cut out the pieces and, with some assistance from me and Donna Legare, assembled the three sections that will make up the tower. It is 16x16 inches square and will be twelve feet tall once it is assembled, 14 feet including the legs. After layers of insulation and protective siding are added, we will work with the City to determine a location for it at the park and install it.
We’re hoping to raise $3,000 to cover the costs of the materials and have an interpretive sign built and installed at the site. We’ve already received a donation of $500 from AAS members Wolfgang and Winnie Adolph to kick off the fundraising! We greatly appreciate their generosity and enthusiasm for supporting Chimney Swifts. See Donna’s article below for more details about this project and donation information.
|
|
I’m a HUGE fan of making my bird observations serve science and two years ago I signed up to participate in FeederWatch, a winter survey run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This focuses on tracking and counting birds that visit feeders, baths, or natural food and water sources from November-April. Erica Dunn established its precursor, the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey, in the mid-1970s. Since it started up in snow country, it focused on yard feeders as a location for bird counts since that was a reliable place to observe birds throughout the winter. In 1987, it was expanded to include all of North America with help from the Cornell Lab. There’s an annual participation fee of $18 ($15 if you’re already a Cornell Lab member), but those fees go directly to the program, which is supported almost entirely by its participants.
From the website: "Project FeederWatch turns your love of feeding birds into scientific discoveries. FeederWatch is a November-April survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. You don’t even need a feeder! All you need is an area with plantings, habitat, water or food that attracts birds. The schedule is completely flexible. Count your birds for as long as you like on days of your choosing, then enter your counts online. Your counts allow you to track what is happening to birds around your home and contribute to a continental data-set of bird distribution and abundance.”
You can sign up at any time, even after the counting season has started. Give it a try! It’s a great excuse to spend time watching your birds and the information you provide will help scientists track changes in bird populations.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Carr
President, Apalachee Audubon
In this issue:
Chapter Program
Chapter Birding Social
November Program Field Trip
Chimney Swift Tower Construction Update
"Florida’s Natural Beauty" Photo Contest
Florida Young Birders Club
|
|
A magnificent Spruce Pine in Lost Creek Forest
November
Beth Grant: Lost Creek Forest: A Conservation Story in Progress
Thursday, November 18, 2021
6:30 PM ET, Zoom Social
7:00 PM ET, Program
Located in Thomas County, Georgia, Lost Creek Forest is a remnant example of old growth, climax hardwood forests and wetlands. For thousands of years such forests sloped down to the blackwater creeks in the coastal plains, while longleaf dominated the upland sandhills and flatwoods. Saved from industrial development by a grassroots movement in 2008, Lost Creek Forest remains intact, protecting its many ecosystems of plants and animals and provides recreation, education, and research about our natural heritage.
|
|
Beth Grant
Beth Grant is a retired mental health counselor and educator who has enjoyed many retirement years volunteering in numerous nature activities. She led the Save Our Forest movement in 2008 and served as President of Friends of Lost Creek Forest until spring of 2021.
|
|
Chapter Birding Social
Birding Social
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Place, St. Marks River Preserve State Park
The votes are in! We will hold our birding social at St. Marks River Preserve State Park on Saturday, November 6th. The address is 11950 Tram Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32311. Please meet in the parking lot at 8:30 AM. We will probably bird for 1.5-2 hours on a 3 mile loop trail. This is not a guided bird walk, but rather a chance to meet other birders and bird at your own leisure and pace. The park is relatively flat and traverses through mostly dirt and grass trails. Please bring water, sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes. If you need to borrow a pair of binoculars, please let us know as soon as possible and we can provide a loaner pair. A camera is also always helpful!
|
|
November Program Field Trip |
|
Beth Grant hugging a tree at Lost Creek]
Explore Lost Creek Forest with Janell Cleveland
Saturday, November 13, 2021, 9:00 AM
Airport Road, Thomasville, GA
This is a great opportunity to visit a pristine slope forest and wetlands tract before our November program meeting about how this property, originally slated for development, was saved through citizen effort. Janell Cleveland of the Friends of Lost Creek Forest will lead our field trip. Beth Grant, who led the effort to preserve this forest, will also participate. Bring your binoculars to do some birding; Jody Walthall will also be there for tree identification.
The walking loop is 1.5 miles with some uneven terrain but is relatively easy. Bring water and snacks. Call or text Donna Legare at 850 386-1148 to register. Group size is limited to 15.
Janelle is inviting participants to bird on her nearby farm afterwards as she has a gorgeous male Vermilion Flycatcher who has just returned for his fourth winter.
|
|
Chimney Swift Tower Project at Lake Elberta
by Donna Legare
|
|
Jody Walthall making the cuts in the shiplap paneling for the tower walls, Jim Carr holding it steady.
Jody and I have lived in our house in Betton Hills for over 30 years. Every spring we host a pair of chimney swifts who nest in our chimney. We are so used to their happy chittering sounds that we laugh when visiting friends look astonished by bird sounds coming from the fireplace. One of the nicest things about having nesting or roosting swifts is watching them zoom above the roof and the surrounding live oaks in the evening hunting for insects, finally settling in for the night at dusk. The swifts migrate to South America before we have any interest in winter fires.
The chimney swift population is in decline. Historically they nested in large hollow trees that barely exist anymore. They have long since switched to nesting in chimneys and other human made structures. Now, however, most people either do not have chimneys or have placed caps over the ones they have.
Many Audubon Chapters have successfully installed chimney swift towers in parks, and this is exactly what Apalachee Audubon Society has decided to do.
The twelve-foot tower is for just one pair, but the tower and its interpretive sign will provide information about this fascinating species and what we can do to encourage them. It may also be used later in the season for congregating swifts prior to migration.
.
|
|
Completed Chimney Swift Tower Sections with Jody Walthall and Jim Carr. They will be stacked to make a 12 foot tower.
Jody Walthall is an experienced woodworker and small boat builder. He has volunteered to build the tower and has worked with Kenny Welsh with the City of Tallahassee Parks and Recreation to choose the location at Lake Elberta. Kathleen and Jim Carr have helped with the initial building which is taking place in our home carport. Let me know ([email protected]) if you would like to help with the construction and installation of the tower. Natasza Fontaine, artist and biologist, has agreed to add her artwork to the tower and Ann Morrow, retired biologist, and writer, is working on the wording for the interpretive sign. It is a group effort.
Here is another way you can help. Though the labor is donated, the lumber and other materials are costly, and the production of the interpretive sign is about double the cost of materials, but we feel the sign is of utmost importance. Our goal is to raise $3000. So please chip in whatever you can to this project. We’ve already received a donation of $500 from AAS members Wolfgang and Winnie Adolph to kick off the fundraising! Be sure to indicate “chimney swift tower” on your check or with your online donation. Click here to donate online, or mail your check to:
Apalachee Audubon Society
PO Box 1237
Tallahassee FL 32302-1237
|
|
Calling All Photographers! |
|
Florida’s Natural Beauty ~ Juried Photo Exhibition 2021 is an annual nationwide photography exhibition presented by Audubon of Martin County and hosted by HSMC and the Elliott Museum. Audubon of Martin County believes that when we advocate on behalf of birds, wildlife and the environment, we promote a healthier, more sustainable, and more inclusive human community. Sharing a passion for Florida’s natural heritage is essential for its future.
Categories: Photography categories include Birds, Wildlife, Flora/Landscape, Drone Photography, Cell Phone Photography and Young Nature Photographers. Participants may enter up to seven (7) photos in each category.
Entry Fees:$20 per photo for Audubon of Martin County Members / $25 per photo for non-members
Jurying Process: Judging will be done on a blind basis by a panel of independent judges, each an expert in their field and photography. All participants will be notified of acceptance in their onlinejuriedshows.com account on December 8, 2021.
Awards:
• Best in Show: $300.00
• 1st Place in Each Category: $200.00
• 2nd Place in Each Category: $100.00
• 3rd Place in Each Category: $50.00
• Honorable Mention awards may also be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
January 13, 2022: Photo Exhibit, Opening Reception, Awards Ceremony with winners announced from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Elliott Museum, 825 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, FL 34996.
Open Exhibit: The exhibit will be on display from January 13 through February 28, 2022 at the Elliott Museum.
Inquiries: Sonia Sousa, Director, Audubon of Martin County – email: [email protected]
|
|
Florida Young Birders Club
Do you have a son or daughter or a grandchild, age 9-17, who is excited about birds and birding? If so, Apalachee Audubon would like to help you start a local Florida Young Birders Club in the Tallahassee area. Read more about the Young Birders Network at www.youngbirdersnetwork.org. We have been contacted by Jim McGinity, [email protected], who is trying to get the club started in Florida. He is in the Tampa area. Several AAS board members say they are more than happy to help lead birding field trips for a future youth birding club.
This club may or may not materialize depending on interest, but we do want local youth to know they are always welcome to sign up for any birding field trips that we offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
