june 2010 avocet newsletter tampa audubon society

8/9/2019 June 2010 Avocet Newsletter Tampa Audubon Society

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TAMPA AUDUBON SOCIETY

Volume XXII. Issue 3 www.tampaaudubon.org June 2010

To conserve and restore our ecosystem

focusing on birds,

wildlife, and theirhabitats, through

education, advocacyand community in-

volvement.

NEW MEETING PLACE

Hillsborough County Extension

5339 CR 579, Seffner

1/2 mile south of I-4, exit 10

Three spaces Remaining

Holiday Birding in Costa Rica

November 26 - 30, 2010

Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, Santa

Elena Reserve and Palo Verde National Park

$895 pp double occupancy SS $100 plus air

(about $400) and lunch & dinner

Daily breakfast buffet, try local cuisine for

lunch and dinner

Dragonflies,

Damselflies and Butterflies!

Thursday, June 10, 7:00 PM.

Have you noticed the banner year we're hav-ing with Dragonflies? Find out about theirbeauty, behavior and benefits when Jo AnneHartzler, Tampa Audubon Board Member, ex-plains how to recognize these native insectsthat share our yards. See what a youngDragonfly looks like--a spider you say? Learnhow Damselflies hold their wings differ-ently and why. Identify these flying jewels by

their big eyes up close. See the larval plantsyour favorite butterflies enjoy so they'll stickaround.


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OFFICERS/DIRECTORS FOR 2010-2011

President: Pat Lewis1st VP: Tammy Lyons2nd VP: Bill LamoureuxTreasurer: Roger Sheets

Secretary: Sherry Keller

Directors:Joel ClevelandTim BonsackJoAnne HartzlerMary KeithMark RachalJason Guerard

Costa Rica Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in San Jose and drive 5 hours to Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.Day 2 - Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Centered atop the continental divide this region fea-tures many birds that we are unlikely to see elsewhere in Costa Rica.In the afternoon enjoy some free time exploring Santa Elenas butterfly garden, cheese factory,coffee plantation, orchid garden, ranarium (frogs!) serpentarium, Insect World, or canopy tour.Day 3 - Santa Elena Reserve. Continue exploring Costa Ricas cloud forest by visiting this exqui-site reserve where wildlife viewing is plentiful.

Day 4 - Palo Verde National Park. This park has the greatest concentration of waterfowl andshorebirds in Central America, and over 300 different species. Specifically, herons like Black-crowned night heron, storks like jabiru stork, spoonbills, egrets, ibis, grebes, ducks, scarlet ma-caws, keel-billed toucans, and parrots.Day 5 - Return home.

Conservation Chair: Mark RachalFieldtrip Chair: Bill LamoureuxARC Director: Mike MullinsWeb Master: Nan Murrah


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TAMPA AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD TRIPS www.tampaaudubon.org

All bird-watchers, beginners to expert, free and open to the publicSome Hillsborough County parks are charging a $2 entrance fee

Saturday May 1 - Lake Park, Discover your Tampa Parks!JoAnn Hartzler,[email protected] 9 am, visitor

Saturday June 12 - Lettuce Lake Beginning Birders, Pat Lewis, 907-6542 [email protected]. 9 am, visitor Center.

Saturday June 26 - Lowry Park (not the zoo) and Hammer Tower, Carolyn McKinney,884-0578 or [email protected]. Meet at 8:30 am, turn north onto N Boulevardfrom Sligh (at Lowry Park) take first street on right to parking lot. Bring water.

Saturday July 10, Lettuce Lake for Beginning Birders, Pat Lewis, 907-6542 [email protected]. 9 am, visitor center.

Sunday July 18 - Fort DeSoto, Bill Lamoureux, 839-2742 or [email protected]. 8:00 am,Visitor Center at the park, or contact leader to carpool. Bring hat, water, snacks. Done by noon.

Saturday August 14 - Lettuce Lake Beginning Birders, Pat Lewis, 907-6542 [email protected] 9 am, visitor center. ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Usuallyfinished by 11:00.

AUGUST - WATCH FOR FROG LISTENING PROGRAM!

Flatwoods Bluebird Hike April 17By Mary Miller

Perfect weather, clear and breezy. We saw newly hatched bluebirds and Carolinachickadees and bluebird eggs in 3 of the 45 boxes on the 7 mile trail. We walked about2 miles on and off the trail and saw bluebirds, vireos, catbirds, cardinals, titmice,carolins chickadee as well as deer, quail, pigmy rattlesnake and turkey.It was a great trip and we accomplished my goal of seeing bluebirds.

June 2 - Weekly Bluebird Report from Mary Miller

Second nesting is in full swing with 14 second nests. If even half of those have fledglings, itwill be a record year. We have a total of 116 fledglings (72 bluebirds, 26 titmice, 18 Carolinachickadees), and 49 eggs and 23 babies. In addition to the bluebirds, I saw several deer andone black racer crossed my path. It was a hot one today.


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ARC at the Park

Visitor Center at Lettuce Lake

Volunteer training is available for those who are willing to invest four hours a month tostaff the Visitor Center. The only skills needed are a love of the environment and a

friendly smile.

ARC Family Nature Programs at Lettuce Lake ParkJune - Aug 2010

Join Nature Girl Diana at Lettuce Lake County Park at 10am, the second Saturday of each month. Enjoy amonthly Family Nature Program sponsored by Tampa Audubon! E-mail me: fortkyle@aol , the names AND ageof those who plan to attend. Programs are geared towards elementary age all the way up to adults.

6/12/2010 - Spring has Sprung - Come rub with me! 10:00am-11:00amDocument Lettuce Lake flora and habitats with nature rubbings. Learn bark and leaf identification and take homsamples. Come join the fun as we SPRING outside and rub those trees. We will make art master pieces fromwhat we find in the woods!

7/10/2010 - Life beneath our Feet! 10:00am-11:00amLet's take a walk on the WILD side. We don't have to go far to discover soooo much. Mosses, Ants and Lions,

Oh My!!! What is moss and what is not! We're going on a Lion hunt! What is that cone shape in the sand? Whdone it? And Why? What do they turn into next? Metamorphosis' into a scientist for an hour or two and wear yowalking shoes.

8/14/2010 - Bugs and Butterflies! 10:00am-11:00amLets walk the park and collect bugs. There's a whole world of tiny critters which are so much fun to find. Bringyour magnifying glass and be ready to sleuth around. We'll look up, we'll look down, we'll look ALL around! I'llbring the containers. Wear real shoes, no flip flops. It's a LOOK and RELEASE type of day.


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Audubon Academy 2010

The theme of this years Academy was Possibilities Through Partnerships.

In the workshop, Planning Wildlife-Friendly Florida Communities, we learned about two web-basedresource tools, from 1,000 Friends of Florida and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, tofind the critical information, guidelines, figures, and maps when we need it.

Does Your Chapter Need a Makeover? #2 urged us to look at chapter planning from a new perspec-tivethe characteristics of your community.

Hometown Democracy, Constitutional Amendment #4 on the November, 2010 ballot, was discussed bychapter leaders as the issue applies to their communities.

The Changing Dynamics of Water Management addressed the future of water management in Florida,and how can be involved in determining that future. How can high water use areas achieve reductions inwater use, as some areas of Florida have already achieved? How can we balance between protecting na-ture and providing water for people?

Membership, Technology and You suggested that if we are going to remain competitive in the techno-logical age, fulfill grant requirements and build conservation communities, we are going to have to bewilling to try new things, such as using social networking.

Free-Ranging Cats Why Should We Care? discussed resources available to help educate our decisionmakers who are promoting TNR and the licensing of feral cat colonies. American Bird Conservancypromotes keeping cats indoors.

Ecology of Backyard Landscaping: Understanding Why Going Native Is The Key emphasized that it iscritical that our backyards be the kind of change we want to have in restoring biological diversity-a mustif we expect to protect species. Its not enough to feed birds and have nest boxes. The foundation for ahealthy ecosystem begins in the ground. Your chapter can propel a huge restoration effort, even in an

urban setting. Our partners in this effort are garden clubs, native plant chapters, water management dis-tricts, and many others.

Teacher Ecology Workshops: St. Petersburg Audubon, partnered with Sensing Nature, a conservationeducation business to provide a summer camp a series of classes, field trips, and other experiencesfor elementary school teachers. Teachers received in-service credits, along with invaluable knowledgethat will enable them to become more effective science teachers in their classrooms.

The field trips were wonderful! Friday we kayaked on the Ichetucknee the springs are beautiful, crys-tal-clear water, accompanied by three manatees. Saturday we birded along the Hawthorne Trail over-looking the Paynes Prairie basin. A group of six White-crown Sparrows kept us entertained for sometime. Sunday we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over Paynes Prairie, where we saw three American Bit-

terns. Later we hiked through the woods of Bolen Bluff, where we were surprised by the number of Vir-eos along the way.

It was a great weekend! Submitted by Carolyn McKinney


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Collage by Jason Guerard, photos by Joel Jackson, Roger Sheets & Jason Guerard


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Eden

The scene recallssome ancient place,

still untainted.Wild, bathed in early spring,

with clean, bright airas though seen through

a polished lens.The small and lovely lake

is alive with ducks andwater birds of all kinds

preening, honking, squawkingor just gliding alongthe glassy surface,unaware of their

heartbreaking beauty.Over there, on a log near the shore

lies a sunning gator

ten foot long at least.And, everywhere, everywhere,

the tree swallows;wheeling and turning,swooping and diving,

lacing the airwith their dizzy play.

By Ceci LaDuca

Written after a fieldtrip toCircle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland

April at Ft. DeSoto

Photos by Roger Sheets

Need help with bird Identification?

e-mail Bill Lamoureux at:

[email protected]

Donation of $50 by the Young at Heart group of thePalma Ceia United Methodist Church in the name ofMiss Cozee Smith.

Ronald Veller

John D. Darsey, Jr.

Jason & Laura Guerard

Mark Rachal


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JOIN TAMPA AUDUBON

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

I want to join the Tampa, Florida and National Audubon Societies at the special

introductory rate of $25.

Name: __________________________________________Address: ________________________________________City: __________________________ State:____________Zip Code:_____________ Phone:_____________________E-mail: _________________________________________

Please make your checks payable to:

Tampa Audubon Society

Mail to: Tampa Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 320025

Tampa, FL 33679

Your membership supports vital conservation issues. As a member you will receivethe bi-monthly Audubon Magazine, the quarterly Florida Naturalist Magazine andhave access to the bi-monthly Avocet Newsletter at www.tampaaudubon.org.

I would like to include an additional contribution of $________ to the Tampa Audu-bon Society.

( ) I would like to help my local chapter. I have a special interest and/or skills in:( ) Local conservation issues( ) Membership promotion( ) Education/Audubon Adventures( ) Exhibits at fairs/festivals( ) Publicity/Fundraising( ) Website/Computers

National Audubon occasionally makes its membership list available to carefully se-lected organizations. To have your name omitted from this list please check here: ( )

COZE35OZ

june 2010 avocet newsletter tampa audubon society

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