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The Limpkin Times
Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:
Protection of the environment through education,
appreciation and conservation.
October 2021
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eBird training field trip group.
Front row left to right: eBird trainers Kathleen Carr, Chris Grossman, Sunny Phillips, and Bernie Grossman. Back row left to right: the Davis family, son Shane, Michelle, and Jeff
On September 25, I had the pleasure of joining three other members of our chapter for a visit with the Davis family to bird their North Florida property. It was a glorious, cool fall morning and—the ticks notwithstanding—a great day to hike through woods and fields. As we walked through one wooded area, we heard something that sounded like a squeaky toy. Then another, and another, and soon were were surrounded by trees full of squeaky toys (a.k.a. Brown-headed Nuthatches)! It’s impossible to hear their calls and not smile. ( Click this link and then click the Listen button.) Our 3-hour tour netted a total of 31 species; including 21 Eastern Towhees who seemed to be EVERYWHERE we walked, 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers—including a juvenile, 4 Summer Tanagers, 6 Pine Warblers, and 11 Blue Jays.
While the Davis family was interested in learning more about the birds on their property, this was more than a bird walk. In partnership with Tall Timbers, we provided training for using eBird to implement a grant Tall Timbers received the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Volunteers visit conservation easements and private property—inaccessible to the public—and help landowners learn about, and document the birds on their properties through the use of eBird. Peter Kleinhenz of Tall Timbers says, “The idea is to work together to document birds that occur on private lands, which make up the majority of land in Florida. Basically, we are working to fill in the gaps.”
Birding for its own sake is a fulfilling activity, but wherever you’re birding from, you can give a greater purpose to your observations by sharing them to eBird. All the data contributed to this database helps scientists understand where and when species of birds are occurring as well as their numbers. You become a member of a research community that is documenting birds in real time and creating a record that will be an invaluable reference for the future. Join us for our October 3 field trip to learn how to use eBird and also Merlin to help you ID birds. We’re limited to 10 participants for this trip, but we’ll plan to do another one if there is enough interest.
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Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and Baltimore Oriole
Meanwhile, my bird feeders have been pretty quiet. We had our first Baltimore Oriole (female) sighting for the season on September 3. A male showed up shortly thereafter and has been visiting the oriole feeder on a daily basis. It hangs a few feet away from the hummingbird feeder and one day I was video-recording Mr. Oriole when a Ruby-throated Hummingbird appeared. The hummer was VERY curious about the oriole and hovered near him for a brief time, then flew over to his own feeder. Click to watch the video. They’ve continued to feed near each other quite companionably since then.
Next month, I will talk about FeederWatch, a survey run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology beginning in 1987. This focuses on tracking and counting birds that visit feeders from November-April. Erica Dunn established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey in the mid-1970s and it was expanded to include all of North America with help from the Cornell Lab.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Carr
President, Apalachee Audubon
In this issue:
Chapter Programs
Chapter Field Trips & Birding Social
November Program Field Trip
Conservation Chair Report: More Transparency Needed in Relation to Environmental Issues in Tallahassee
Lights Out Florida
Help Restore the Ocklawaha River
International Coastal Cleanup report and photos
2021 Deep Roots Meat Farm Tour & 14th Annual Farm Tour
Florida Young Birders Club
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Double-Crested Cormorants at Wakulla Springs, by Doug Alderson
October
Doug Alderson: Birds and Wildlife on Florida Rivers
Thursday, October 21, 2021
6:30 PM ET, Zoom Social
7:00 PM ET, Program
Imagine gliding along a clear watercourse beneath a leafy canopy of maple, cypress, and gum. The current swirls eelgrass in undulating patterns as schools of silvery mullet shoot past. Ahead, a manatee’s snout breaks the surface in a loud whoosh, its gray body lumbering slowly along and showing little fear as you pass by. A red-shouldered hawk cries and soars over treetops while a black anhinga stretches long wings to dry while perched on a cypress knee.
Florida’s rivers are steeped in natural and cultural history. They are avenues through time, and they are showcases for natural beauty, birds, and other wildlife. In this program, author Doug Alderson will show photos and share stories from his latest all-color book, Florida’s Rivers: A Celebration of Over 40 of the Sunshine State’s Dynamic Waterways, emphasizing why our rivers are to be enjoyed, protected, and restored.
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Doug Alderson
Doug Alderson is the author of several books, including America’s Alligator, Wild Florida Waters, Waters Less Traveled, New Dawn for the Kissimmee River, Encounters with Florida’s Endangered Wildlife and A New Guide to Old Florida Attractions, which the Florida Writers Association placed in the top five of published books for 2017. He has won four first place Royal Palm Literary awards for travel books and several other state and national writing and photography awards. Additionally, his articles and photographs have been featured in numerous magazines.
Doug received the inaugural Environmental Service Award by Paddle Florida in 2015 “for conspicuous commitment, unflagging dedication and love of Florida’s natural environment.” For several years, he coordinated Florida’s designated paddling trail system and helped to establish the 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail. He is currently the Outreach and Advocacy Director for Apalachicola Riverkeeper.
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
Virtual: Link for Zoom Registration TBA
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Chapter Field Trips & Birding Social
IMPORTANT: Due to the current infection rate of COVID-19 in Florida, we are limiting our field trips to 10 people. You can register by emailing Heather Levy at [email protected] and include the date of the field trip in the subject line. If you register and are unable to make the trip, please email Heather as soon as possible so she can give the spot to someone else. Once registered, additional logistical details will be provided.
Learn to use eBird and Merlin Bird ID
Sunday, October 3, 2021, 8:00 AM
Lake Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
Join AAS President Kathleen Carr and AAS member Rob Williams (an excellent birder!) to learn more about a birder’s two most important technological tools – eBird and Merlin Bird ID. eBird is a global citizen science database that allows users to log their bird lists, explore hotspots, and much more. Merlin Bird ID has great photo and sound identifiers that are more than 90% accurate, helping birders of any level in the field! The unpaved trail around the park is 3.5 miles and is fairly flat most of the way. Please have eBird and Merlin Bird ID mobile apps downloaded before you arrive for the field trip. You have to make an account with eBird online using your email address. Please bring binoculars, a camera if you’d like, water, sunscreen, and snacks. If you would like to borrow binoculars, let us know in advance and we will provide loaners. We will meet at 8:00 AM at the parking lot and be finished ~ 11:30 AM or noon. Register by emailing Heather Levy at [email protected]
Paddling and Birding the Slave Canal
Sunday, October 10, 2021, 9:00 AM
*Please note this trip is at capacity, but you can sign up for our wait list in case someone can’t make it*
Join Heather Levy and Peter Kleinhenz for one of their favorite wild Florida paddles. We will look for migratory birds while learning about the ecology, conservation, and archaeological history of the Aucilla River Watershed. We will meet at 9:00 AM at Goose Pasture. Before putting in, we will shuttle a few cars to Mandalay Boat Ramp. It is optional to take out at Nuttall Rise or Mandalay. Nuttall Rise has limited car capacity. Going to Mandalay will increase the trip length by about 1 hour. Location details are linked below. Please bring binoculars, dry bags (optional), sunscreen, plenty of water, and a lunch. If you would like to borrow binoculars, let us know in advance and we will provide loaners. The paddle is relatively easy, with a few log crossings. Because the width of the river going toward Mandalay is wide, sometimes the wind can be strong. We will go rain or shine!
Birding Social
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Place, TBD
This event will not be a guided outing, but rather a chance for birders to meet up and bird at their leisure at a place of their choice. Please vote on a location by emailing your pick to [email protected] by November 1st. If you would like to borrow binoculars, let us know in advance and we will provide loaners.
a. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
b. Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park
c. Munson Sandhills
d. St. Marks River Preserve State Park
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November Program Field Trip |
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Beth Grant hugging a tree at Lost Creek]
Nature Hike at Lost Creek Forest
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. Call or text Donna Legare at 850 386-1148 to register. Due to the pandemic, we are limiting participation to 15.
From the Lost Creek Forest website:
“The forest is an intact climax hardwood forest. No other forests of this size with similar characteristics are known to exist in South Georgia. Lost Creek Forest is a wonderful combination of slope forest, seeps, floodplain, creeks, and several different ecosystems--all within walking distance of each other.
In the heart of the forest the canopy consists of mature hardwoods such as oaks and beech--some more than 100 years old and measuring 10 feet or more in circumference. Spruce pines tower well over 100 feet high. Magnolias, hickories, hop hornbeam, holly, sourwood, cherry, and other varieties of trees are found in abundance.
The under story of small trees and shrubs, as well as the smaller herbaceous plants and ground cover, are all representative of what would have been found in the forest for thousands of years. There is even one of the best populations anywhere of the endangered Florida Milkvine. Native wildlife find shelter and home there.”
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Conservation Chair Report: More Transparency Needed in Relation to Environmental Issues in Tallahassee
By Peter Kleinhenz, Conservation Chair
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Wakulla Springs
The City Commission here in Tallahassee does not have the best track record when it comes to transparency related to environmental issues. In a July Commission meeting update, Tallahassee citizens heard an update on raw sewage spills in the City of Tallahassee for the first time. Believe it or not, over 11,000,000 gallons of raw sewage have spilled in the Tallahassee region since 2009. Many of the information about the spills that led to those millions of gallons entering our groundwater were never released to the public in commission meetings, leading to recent calls for increased transparency so that Tallahassee’s citizens, and citizens occupying areas downstream can better understand what’s happening in their watershed.
Apalachee Audubon joined forces with the Wakulla Springs Alliance, Friends of Wakulla Springs, the Tallahassee Sewage and Wakulla Basin Advocacy Group, and others to advocate for increased transparency, and to push for Blueprint 2000 funds being used to support necessary upgrades and remediations that will improve water quality and benefit area residents. Apalachee Audubon submitted a letter to commissioners and the mayor and, while we received no response, it looks like some progress may be made.
On September 22, 2021, Commissioner Matlow requested that City of Tallahassee staff develop agenda items to create a policy that increases environmental transparency, requires the City Commission to review and approve future new/amended enforcement consent orders, and requires periodic updates on spills and the responses to those spills. The Commission voted to approve this request.
Tallahassee residents can help by writing to their commissioners and requesting that they support efforts to increase transparency related to environmental issues in town, and that they invest our resources into improving water quality in our area.
Your voice matters.
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Lights out Florida!
Billions of birds are starting their journeys south for the winter. These journeys, which can span thousands of miles, are inherently hazardous. Starvation, inclement weather, depredation, and exhaustion takes the lives of many. Another, lesser well-known cause of avian death are city lights. As birds fly over large cities, they become disoriented, leading to exhaustion, and ultimately, death. A single building can cause hundreds of fatalities a week to some of our most threatened migratory passerines. To help reduce this problem, National Audubon has initiated a light’s out program, with many local chapters following suit. Although turning lights off during the majority of the migration season would be ideal, sometimes it’s just not possible. Using new radar technology, scientists can track and predict migration on a daily basis, meaning they can predict which nights are going to be huge events and alert cities when to turn off lights. As an important part of the Atlantic Flyway, Apalachee Audubon is currently working on promoting a light’s out initiative in the Big Bend area. Stay tuned for more!
Lights Out Northeast Florida is a partnership between Duval Audubon Society, St. Johns County Audubon Society, and Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
Lights Out Alert: New nationwide tool allows organizations to forecast and issue alerts on nights of high bird migration.
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Help Restore the Ocklawaha River |
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Prothonotory Warbler by Kenn Kaufman
It’s time to breach the Rodman/Kirkpatrick dam! Floridians currently have a rare chance to give input on fixing the negative effects of a dam. The St. Johns River Water Management District is taking comments on the fate of the Kirkpatrick Dam, which has inhibited the natural flow of the Ocklawaha River for decades. Click to view the Action Alert from the Audubon Florida for more information and a link to an online comment form. Comments can be submitted no later than 5:00 PM October 22, 2021.
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International Coastal Cleanup at St. Teresa Bluffs on Ochlockonee River
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10 of the 13 people who participated, including photographer Jim Carr]
On September 18, 13 AAS members participated in Coastal Cleanup along the shore of Ochlockonee Bay. It was somewhat depressing to see how much litter had accumulated there, particularly in the parking lot and forest near the parking lot. Some people are just too lazy and inconsiderate to use the bear-proof trash containers provided there. But it was uplifting to see how good things looked after our group scoured the shoreline and into the pineywoods near the shore, removing everything from Styrofoam cups, beer cans and bottles, plastic soda and water bottles, cigarette butts, bottle caps, fishing bait containers, plastic food wrappers of all types, dirty diapers, a variety of clothing, crab traps, fishing line, ropes, gasoline cans, old camp stove, a beach ball……….you get the picture.
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Jody paddled a canoe along the shore picking up the large plastic garbage bags that we filled as we walked. Eventually the canoe was overflowing with trash. On the positive side, he said a Bald Eagle was flying ahead of him as he paddled along. Our group enjoyed the wildflowers that were in bloom – Liatris and Scarlet Calamint, among others. There was one good patch of Carolina Wolfberry along the shore in full bloom. We watched Gulf Fritillaries, Monarchs, Skippers, and a Hawk Moth sipping nectar from the abundant lavender flowers. Carole and Sophie watched and photographed a Pygmy Rattlesnake!
We are happy that the State has purchased this gorgeous property to be developed as a state park. The coastline with its huge pines and narrow white sandy beaches and the upland forest will be preserved forever.
Thank you volunteers: Donna Legare, Jody Walthall, Peter Kelly, Sophie Wacongne-Speer, Ann and Don Morrow, Jan Blue, Kathleen and Jim Carr, Tracey Sickler, Maureen Halligan, Carole Hayes, and Norma Skaggs. Good job everyone!
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2021 Deep Roots Meat Farm Tour & 14th Annual Farm Tour
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In case you missed last spring’s Apalachee Audubon tour of Deep Roots Meat in Greenville, Florida, you will have another opportunity to visit on October 9 and 10 as part of 14th Annual Farm Tour. Click the link below for more information.
The tour of 40 farms is hosted by Millstone Institute of Preservation in Tallahassee. Visit their Facebook page or click the link below for the electronic version of the tour book.
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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. www.apalachee.org
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