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10 Oct Pileated photo ["eastkingbird" ] 07 Oct Re: Red-headed Woodpeckers at Hickey's Creek ["Bob" ] 07 Oct Red-headed Woodpeckers at Hickey's Creek ["Bob" ] 22 Sep Glades and Hendry NAMC Sept. 20 2008 ["Margaret England" ] 21 Sep Manatee Audubon Society chapter 2008 - 2009 Field Trips & Meetings ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 21 Sep Venice Area Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 21 Sep Sarasota Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 20 Sep NAMC ["Charlie Ewell" ] 20 Sep Brown Noddy at Lovers Key ["Charlie Ewell" ] 18 Sep FW: Saturday Tour - Bunche Beach ["Charlie Ewell" ] 3 Sep RE: recent local sightings - more ["damsammy" ] 3 Sep recent local sightings ["Charlie Ewell" ] 11 Aug Sunday Evening at Bunche Beach ["Bob" ] 10 Aug NAMC Hendry Glades Sept. 20 ["Margaret" ] 5 Aug Red Knot (REKN) sightings ["Charlie Ewell" ] 03 Aug Help with Mallard Ducks ["bgunnels4" ] 29 Jul Bunche Beach (Ft Myers, Lee) update ["Charlie Ewell" ] 23 Jul STA5 July 19th ["Margaret" ] 22 Jul Bunch Beach shorebird walk tomorrow (Wed 23 July) ["Charlie Ewell" ] 17 Jul house finch [Thea Rhodes ] 5 Jul SRQ Bird Alerts 05 July 2008 - Pomarine Jaegar update ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 4 Jul Re: Unknown gull? [] 4 Jul Re: Unknown gull? ["Mike" ] 4 Jul Unknown gull? ["Burt Finkelstein" ] 05 May Golden Eagle ["vnjb63" ] 2 May Connecticut Warbler at Lakes Park! ["Charlie Ewell" ] 26 Apr SRQ Bird Alerts 26 April 2008 ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 25 Apr RE: Flycatcher, Eagles, and owls [Debbie Norris ] 25 Apr RE: Flycatcher ["Charlie Ewell" ] 25 Apr Flycatcher ["bsktrn" ] 25 Apr Flycatcher ["bsktrn" ] 23 Apr SRQ Bird Alerts 23 April 2008 - Whooping Crane at Myakka State Park ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 19 Apr Radar birding! ["Charlie Ewell" ] 16 Apr Beach Nesting Birds article ["Charlie Ewell" ] 14 Apr SRQ Bird Alerts 14 April 2008 ["SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" ] 14 Apr Question Sternes ["georgeslachaine" ] 10 Apr bell's vireo at the Sanibel lighthouse ["mayhill10" ] 10 Apr bell's vireo at the Sanibel lighthouse ["mayhill10" ] 9 Apr FW: Saturday - Birding at Bunche Beach ["Charlie Ewell" ] 8 Apr RE: Spring migration presentation, Tuesday 8 April ["Charlie Ewell" ] 8 Apr RFI -- red-cockaded woodpeckers [Diana Pesek ] 4 Apr Spring migration presentation, Tuesday 8 April ["Charlie Ewell" ] 4 Apr FW: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour ["Charlie Ewell" ] 4 Apr Nesting Cooper's Hawks in Naples ["Charlie Ewell" ] 1 Apr FW: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour ["Charlie Ewell" ] 29 Mar SRQ Bird Alerts 29 Marchl 2008 ["SRQ Bird Alerts" ] 22 Mar Recent photos of uncommon Florida birds ["John Dougherty" ] 22 Mar Dancing bronzed cowbirds ["calidris55" ] 18 Mar Bunche Beach pictures ["Charlie Ewell" ] 18 Mar upcoming Bird Patrol tours ["Charlie Ewell" ] 16 Mar SRQ Bird Alerts 16 March 2008 - Ross's Goose location information ["SRQ Bird Alerts" ] 13 Mar Looking for Volunteers for a Shorebird Nesting Project [CharlotteCountyNatureAlert] ["Charlie Ewell" ] Subject: Pileated photo From: "eastkingbird" <dot929mo2 AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:45:29 -0000 Just wanted to share my photos of a pileated taken around 7:00 p.m. this evening (10/9) at Shell Point Village. The palm tree is behind the Guest House (across from the Village church) and the second tree is beside the church. I just joined the group after moving here in June and just wanted to try a posting. Dotty Subject: Re: Red-headed Woodpeckers at Hickey's Creek From: "Bob" <rihargrave AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:16:26 -0000 Tuesday, October 07, 2008 3:37:40 PM From: Dena and John Temple Sorry for the late post -- limited Internet access on vacation. My husband and I vacationed last week in the Fort Myers area. We've birded Ding Darling and Corkscrew before but visited other area hotspots for the first time. We had a very similar experience at Hickey's Creek last Monday a.m. along the "dry" side of Hickey's Creek trail. We first ran into 4 juv. & 2 adult Red-headed WPs, then a short time later had 3 scrub jays. Throw in a couple of Yellow-throated Warblers, several gnatcatchers and a lot of really cool butterflies, and we had a very good morning. Highlights from Wednesday's trip to Ding Darling included all the usual waders incl. Wood Stork (flyover only), Pileated WP, catbird, and a curious juv. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron with a crab so big, I still don't know how he swallowed it! Thursday took us to Babcock-Webb WMA, where we got almost all the target species for the site: Limpkin by the entrance pond, Comm. Moorhen, 3 Red-cockaded WP (lifer), Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sandhill Crane, Palm Warblers galore, No. Parula, Am. Redstart, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Baltimore Oriole, Pied-billed Grebe, E. Meadowlark, and lots of gators. What a cool place. Many thanks to my "old" friend Judy Harvey of Cape Coral, who provided lots of info on local hotspots and points of interest. I wished we'd had time to get to them all! We'll just have to come back... Good birding, Dena & John Temple Atlantic Highlands, NJ Subject: Red-headed Woodpeckers at Hickey's Creek From: "Bob" <rihargrave AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:27:12 -0000 I went over to HC Saturday morning to look around. Catbirds and Brown Thrashers have arrived. Highlight was 1 adult and 2 juvenile red-headed woodpeckers on the trail south from the bridge. I just had one good look at the adult but the 2 young birds were chasing each other and in view for close to 1/2 an hour. Throw in a couple of scrub jays (one with an orange band on the left leg) and it was a good morning. Only warblers were 1 Prairie and 1 N. Parula. Bob Subject: Glades and Hendry NAMC Sept. 20 2008 From: "Margaret England" <mlelighthouse AT embarqmail.com> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:43:52 -0400 Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 10:49 PM Subject: NAMC Lists The combined Glades Hendry NAMC is 108 species with over 16,300 individuals. Location: Glades County, FL, US Observation date: 9/20/08 Notes: Glades NAMC: Fisheating Creek East (Ft. Center), Fisheating Creek West (Palmdale), Harney Point, Brighton, 29, Muse, 720, Ortona Locks, Larry Luckey Park,Withespoon, Wayman Number of species: 74 Participants: 16 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 3 Wood Duck 6 Mottled Duck 9 Blue-winged Teal 3 Wild Turkey 20 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Anhinga 69 American Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 16 Great Egret 71 Snowy Egret 30 Little Blue Heron 20 Tricolored Heron 13 Cattle Egret 1013 Green Heron 5 White Ibis 127 Glossy Ibis 50 Wood Stork 8 Black Vulture 127 Turkey Vulture 93 Osprey 7 Bald Eagle 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 28 Short-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 3 American Kestrel 1 Common Moorhen 3 Sandhill Crane 24 Killdeer 8 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Western Sandpiper 2 Rock Pigeon 55 Eurasian Collared-Dove 16 White-winged Dove 4 Mourning Dove 83 Common Ground-Dove 45 Barred Owl 2 Belted Kingfisher 19 Red-bellied Woodpecker 22 Downy Woodpecker 6 Pileated Woodpecker 7 Eastern Kingbird 2 Loggerhead Shrike 10 White-eyed Vireo 14 Blue Jay 20 Florida Scrub-Jay 28 American Crow 45 Tree Swallow 21 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 158 Bank Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 91 Carolina Wren 7 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 39 Northern Mockingbird 35 European Starling 8 Yellow-throated Warbler 4 Pine Warbler 2 Prairie Warbler 1 Palm Warbler 2 Black-and-white Warbler 2 American Redstart 1 Ovenbird 1 Northern Waterthrush 1 Common Yellowthroat 4 Hooded Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Northern Cardinal 16 Bobolink 1 Red-winged Blackbird 25 Eastern Meadowlark 6 Common Grackle 92 Boat-tailed Grackle 96 Baltimore Oriole 1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Location: Hendry County, FL, US Observation date: 9/20/08 Notes: Hendry County NAMC: Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, Dinner Island, STA5, CR 833,832, & 835, City of LaBelle, City of Clewiston, Highway 80 Lee County Line to Clewiston Number of species: 91 Observers:22 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 24 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 4 Mottled Duck 119 Blue-winged Teal 2860 Ruddy Duck 285 Wild Turkey 8 Pied-billed Grebe 18 American White Pelican 8 Double-crested Cormorant 18 Anhinga 77 Great Blue Heron 116 Great Egret 496 Snowy Egret 373 Little Blue Heron 103 Tricolored Heron 131 Cattle Egret 1699 Green Heron 58 Black-crowned Night-Heron 29 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 8 White Ibis 822 Glossy Ibis 269 Roseate Spoonbill 18 Wood Stork 18 Black Vulture 285 Turkey Vulture 101 Osprey 30 White-tailed Kite 1 Snail Kite 11 Northern Harrier 7 Cooper's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 66 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 12 Peregrine Falcon 1 Purple Gallinule 8 Common Moorhen 1098 American Coot 12 Limpkin 29 Sandhill Crane 22 Killdeer 36 Black-necked Stilt 182 Solitary Sandpiper 10 Greater Yellowlegs 341 Lesser Yellowlegs 1113 Least Sandpiper 101 Pectoral Sandpiper 5 Rock Pigeon 85 Eurasian Collared-Dove 18 Mourning Dove 366 Common Ground-Dove 110 Barn Owl 1 Burrowing Owl 2 Barred Owl 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 70 Red-bellied Woodpecker 38 Downy Woodpecker 3 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Eastern Kingbird 14 Gray Kingbird 2 Loggerhead Shrike 42 White-eyed Vireo 35 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 22 American Crow 46 Tree Swallow 41 Bank Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 391 Carolina Wren 11 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 49 Northern Mockingbird 67 Brown Thrasher 1 European Starling 12 Common Myna 2 Northern Parula 1 Yellow-throated Warbler 2 Pine Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 1 American Redstart 1 Common Yellowthroat 38 Summer Tanager 1 Eastern Towhee 4 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 24 Blue Grosbeak 1 Bobolink 61 Red-winged Blackbird 701 Eastern Meadowlark 41 Common Grackle 111 Boat-tailed Grackle 375 House Sparrow 52 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Subject: Manatee Audubon Society chapter 2008 - 2009 Field Trips & Meetings From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:50:31 -0400 http://www.manateeaudubon.org/ Manatee Audubon Society chapter 2008 - 2009 Field Trips (meeting information is further below) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Helpful information. Bring bag lunch and water. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Visitors are welcome. Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding, wildlife watching or exploring Florida's natural areas. Contact the field trip coordinator to let that person know you're coming. Riders are expected to share travel expenses. Drivers will tell you what you owe for riding in their vehicles. For most trips, we depart from the Main Post Office at 824 Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton, but check individual trips for any special instructions. Arrive at least five minutes before departure times. Check for changes here or in the Night Heron newsletter SATURDAY SEPT. 20 - FORT DE SOTO PARK FALL MIGRATION Description - Steve Black will lead this trip to island park near St. Petersburg, at the mouth of Tampa Bay. This is one of the top birding spots in Florida, especially during the peak fall migration period. Coordinator(s) - Steve Black, 376-0110 Depart - Main Post Office at 8 a.m. Notes - n/a SATURDAY OCT. 4 - FELTS AUDUBON PRESERVE Description - Coordinator(s) - Connie Zack, 758-2929 Depart - Main Post Office at 7:30 a.m. Notes - SATURDAY OCT. 18 - SADDLE CREEK PARK, LAKELAND Description - Connie Zack will lead this trip to former phosphate mine. Coordinator(s) - Connie Zack, 758-2929 Depart - Main Post Office at 6:30 a.m. Notes - n/a FRIDAY-SATURDAY OCT. 24-25 - AUDUBON ASSEMBLY Description - Plantation Inn Resort, Crystal River. Coordinator(s) - n/a Depart - n/a Notes - For more information, see the Audubon of Florida website. SATURDAY NOV. 8 - CELERY FIELDS, PINECRAFT PARK Description - Dee Hanny will lead this trip to Sarasota's Celery Fields, a sawgrass marsh area that provides food and habitat to a wide variety of birds, and Pinecraft Park. Coordinator(s) - Dee Hanny, 745-1553 Depart - Main Post Office at 7:15 a.m. Notes- TUESDAY NOV. 18 - HISTORIC SPANISH POINT, OSPREY Description - Connie Zack will coordinate this trip to see birds that flock to this 30-acre area. Coordinator(s) - Connie Zack, 758-2929 Depart - Departure details to come. Notes- SATURDAY DEC. 6 - CARLTON RESERVE, SARASOTA Description - Bob and Lucette Wombacher will lead trip to this 40-square mile reserve south of Myakka River State Park. Coordinator(s) - Bob and Lucette Wombacher, 776-8424 Depart - Departure details to come. Notes - SAT. DEC. 20 AND TUES. DEC. 30 - CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - Manatee Description - Bradenton Circle is on Dec. 20 and the Gulf Circle is on Dec. 30. Coordinator(s) - David Williamson david AT localbirder.com Depart - Contact coordinator(s). Notes - Beginners are welcome and volunteers are needed. SAT. JAN. 3 - CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - Sarasota Description - For more information, see the Sarasota Audubon Society website. Coordinator(s) - Contact Jeanne Dubi dubi AT comcast.net Depart - Contact coordinator(s). Notes - Beginners are welcome and volunteers are needed. WEDNESDAY JAN. 14 - TAMPA BAY CIRCLE Description - Coordinator(s) - Bob and Nancy Dean, 792-9235 Depart - Depart 7 a.m. at place to be announced. Notes - JAN. 19, 21 AND 22 - SARASOTA BAY BOAT TRIPS Description - Coordinator(s) - Ron and LaDonne Mayberry, 795-4685 Depart - Contact coordinator(s). Notes - Sign up at December meeting. Maximum five each trip. JAN. 19, 22, 26 AND 29 - BIRD WATCHING CLASSES Description - Beginning Bird Watching Coordinator(s) - Nancy Dean, 792-9235 Depart - Contact coordinator(s). Notes - Call Nancy Dean, 792-9235, after November 1 to register. Course includes two field trips on Jan. 24 and 31. SATURDAY JAN. 24 - ROBINSON PRESERVE AND DE SOTO NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK Description - Details to be announced. Coordinator(s) - Chuck and Ginny Oshaben, 704-8800 Depart - Details to be announced. Notes - SATURDAY FEB. 7 - MOSAIC FERTILIZER, EASTERN MANATEE Description - Details to come. Coordinator(s) - Patty Petruff, 747-1789 Depart - Details to come. Notes - Sign up at January meeting. SATURDAY FEB. 21 - LAUREL LANDFILL AND CURRY CREEK PRESERVE, SARASOTA Description - Details to be announced. Coordinator(s) - Chuck and Joann Froman, 751-2939 Depart - Details to be announced. Notes - FEB. 23, 25 AND 26 - MANATEE BOAT TRIPS Description - Coordinator(s) - Ron and LaDonne Mayberry, 795-4685 Depart - Notes - Sign up at January meeting. Maximum five each trip. SATURDAY MARCH 7 AND SUNDAY MARCH 8 - OVERNIGHT TRIP TO LAKE APOPKA, ZELLWOOD AND EMERALDA MARSH Description - Coordinator(s) - Arlene Flisik, 746-1991 Depart - Contact coordinator(s). Notes - Sign up and deposit due by January 30. Contact coordinator for fee information. WEDNESDAY MARCH 18 - LETTUCE LAKE AND MORRIS BRIDGE Description - Coordinator(s) - Don and Bobbi Benson, 722-2285 Depart - 7 a.m. at K-Mart parking lot, 60th and 301 North (Ellenton Outlet Mall, east of Interstate 75). Notes - FRIDAY-SUNDAY MARCH 27-29 - AUDUBON ASSEMBLY Description - FFA Facility, Haines City. Coordinator(s) - Depart - Notes - WEDNESDAY APRIL 1 - CIRCLE B BAR RANCH, LAKELAND Description - Carol Webster leads this trip to a nature area with lots of birds and scenic walks. Coordinator(s) - Carol Webster, 747-7295 Depart - Details to come. Notes - APRIL 6-10 - SPRING BREAK CAMP AT FELTS Description - Program for elementary students by Around the Bend Nature Tours with Manatee County Audubon Society. Coordinator(s) - Depart - Notes - Call 794-8773 for details. SUNDAY APRIL 19 - FORT DE SOTO PARK SPRING MIGRATION Description - Coordinator(s) - Steve Black, 376-0110 Depart - Main Post Office at 8 a.m Notes - . ____________________________________________ 2008 - 2009 Meetings and Programs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meeting Time & Location October 16, Purple Martins: How to attract and be a good landlord. Lea Etchells, MCAS member and Purple Martin expert, will provide insight on these beneficial birds. Learn ways to attract and maintain a colony in your yard. November 20, Hummingbirds of Ecuador. Ron Mayberry-renowned photographer, birder and MCAS member-will share some of his beautiful photos of these fascinating birds. December 18, Holiday Party: Bring a treat to share and enjoy. "Winged Migration"-Tom Heitzman will show this wonderful movie on how birds make their winged migration. Popcorn will be provided. January 15, Sarasota Bay: Past, Present and Future. Julia Burch, a big supporter of MCAS, will talk about the programs she is involved with as well as teach us about Sarasota Bay. February 19, Beach Bird Nesting Monitoring in Manatee County. Beth Foyers, PhD, Eckerd College, one of the organizers of the Pinellas County monitoring program, will discuss what we can do in our county. MCAS needs to do more to help protect and monitor the many species of shore birds that nest on our beaches each spring. March 19, Wildlife Rehabilitation and Environment. Elect Officers. David Sadkin of Wildlife Inc. will deliver a fascinating talk on rehabilitating birds and environmental issues. Come see the live owls he uses to educate kids and adults. April 16, Annual Potluck. Installation of Officers. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., an hour early, for annual potluck supper and a brief review of the year. Bring a dish to share and your own plate, cup and utensils. Subject: Venice Area Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:30:54 -0400 Venice Area Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 Field Trips Many sites are referenced to the South Florida Birding Trail (SFBT) booklet www.floridabirdingtrail.com published by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. More information is available at chapter meetings or by contacting trip leaders. Boat, bus and some carpool trips require registration. There is a $1 fee for members and $2 for non-members; students are free. Carpool riders are expected to reimburse drivers for gasoline. Everyone must sign a waiver of liability to go on each trip. Sat. Oct 4: Blind Pass Beach Park - SFBT Pg. 8 #16 A botanical tour from the Gulf shore to a Lemon Bay lagoon. We will discuss how water, wind, sand and plants interact to create our beautiful barrier islands (keys as we call them). Carpool from the Audubon Center at 8:15AM or meet at the Blind Pass bathhouse at 9AM. We will take a 2 hour stroll on sand, boardwalk and trail, visiting beach, dune, mangrove and hammock habitats. Registration required by contacting the trip leader or at the September 23rd chapter meeting, Limited to 15 participants. Trip leader: Bruce Dayton, Ph D 493-5087 or brucedayton AT verizon.net Sat. Oct 25: Inner Caspersen Park - Florida Scrub-Jays, What, Where, and Why? Meet at the Audubon Center at 7:30 AM to carpool or at 8:00AM in the south- eastern most parking lot at Caspersen Beach, over the interior bridge to the parking lot next the playground. See firsthand the importance of this area which includes fall birds, Florida Scrub-Jay, gopher tortoise, fossils, bobcat, and coyote. Butterfly and native plant enthusiasts are encouraged to attend. Trip leaders: Ellen King 488-6818 or eeking605 AT yahoo.com and Nancy Edmondson. Sarasota County Natural Resources. Sat. Nov 1: Kayaking Grande Tours Placida Sign up at the September & November meetings. We will meet at Venice Audubon to carpool at 7:30AM or Grande Tours or at 8:40AM and kayak from 9 - 11AM. Bring a lunch to eat after kayaking. We hope to see White Pelicans, herons and egrets. Cost is $26.75 for a single and $42.80 for a double. Trip leader: Barry Rossheim 485-1328 Thurs. Nov 13: Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden Learn to identify plants that can attract wildlife, especially birds, to your garden. VAAS members are encouraged to interact with the trip leader to make this outing special for individual gardens and gardeners. Meet at the Audubon Center at 8:30AM to carpool to the nearby Manasota Scrub Preserve for a 2 to 3 hour leisurely walk. Trip leader: Nancy Edmondson, Sarasota County Natural Resources. 941. 650-3008 (cell phone) Friday, Nov 21: A Nature Walk at Sarasota's Rural Beach - Caspersen Meet at 8:00AM at the Caspersen Beach parking lot at the end of South Harbor Drive for a leisurely 2-3 hour stroll. We will hike the boardwalk, then south along the rock piles. We will continue south along the beach for approximately ˝ mile and return through the forest between the beach and the Intracostal waterway. Along the way we will talk about the Gulf of Mexico - its storms, tides, currents, shells, shark teeth, fish, turtles, gopher tortoises, plants, and of course, birds. Trip leader: Bud Doyle: 488-4158 or eldoil AT aol.com Wed. Dec. 3: Placida Boat Trip and Lunch Cruise Placida Harbor and Gasparilla Sound on a 40 foot catamaran to view wintering White Pelicans, shorebirds, and dolphins. Meet at Venice Audubon Center at 8AM, boat leaves at 9:30AM. Bring jackets, sunglasses, and binoculars. Lunch in Placida at the Fishery Restaurant. Limit 39 people. Registration at Oct and Nov meetings. Trip Leader: Ginny Koss 493-8812. Friday: Dec 5: Deer Prairie Creek Meet at the Audubon Center at 7:30 AM to carpool or at the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve Gate at 8:00AM. We will hike a minimum of 2 hours through one of the newer Birding habitats in the County. Trip leader: Belinda Perry. Manager of Sarasota County Natural Resources 861-1771 or bperrry AT scgov.net Thurs. Dec. 11: Myakka River State Park - SFBT Pg 5 #6 Meet at 7:30AM at the Venice Audubon Center to carpool or at St. Margaret's Church on Rt. 72 (Clark Rd.) at 8:00. Morning trip to the premiere state park and canopy walk noted for birds and other wildlife. Optional bag lunch at concession area. Trip leader: Margaret Dunson, 473-2534 mkdunson AT comcast.net Tues. Dec 16: Christmas Bird Count Rett Oren 486-1424 or rettoren AT gmail.com Sun. Jan 4: Sarasota Celery Fields - SFBT Pg 3 #4 Meet at the Audubon Center to carpool at 6:30 AM or the Celery Fields gazebo at 7:30. We will stop at Ackerman Lake on the way home at 10:30. The Celery Fields are a premiere Sarasota County birding hotspot. Large numbers of wintering birds frequent this area including sora, white pelican, and a variety of duck species. Trip leader: Barry Rossheim 485-1328 Thurs. Jan 8: Shell Creek in Charlotte County Shell Creek Preserve in Punta Gorda is the first land (370 acres) purchased by the Conservation Charlotte Land Acquisition Program. Quality longleaf pine flatwoods dominate the area along with scrub vegetation. The Barred owl, Swallow-tailed kite, Limpkin, Cooper's hawk, and American redstart are a few of the species viewed on this site. This walking tour is sure to be a delight. Carpool from the Venice Audubon Center at 7:00AM and proceed to the Charlotte County Environment & Extension Campus, 25550 Harborview Drive, Port Charlotte. This campus is the first complex on the right after exiting I-75 via exit 167 west. Participants going directly to the Campus should meet at the Environmental Campus grassy parking lot at 7:30. All should be prepared to travel to Shell Creek by 7:45am. Trip leader: Missy L. Christie, Environmental Specialist, Charlotte County Natural Resources Division. Office (941) 764-4392 www.CharlotteCountyFL.com Wed. Jan 14. Venice Landfill and Venetian Golf and River Club Meet at 7:30 AM at the Venice Audubon Center to carpool or at 7:45 AM in the strip mall parking lot just west of the BP station at I-75 Exit 195. Wintering birds will be viewed as well as other possible wildlife such as otter, hogs, deer, and gators. Hawks, eagles, meadowlarks, and bluebirds have been spotted on past trips. Trip leaders: Rett & Priscilla Oren 486-1424 or rettoren AT gmail.com Thurs. Jan 22: Oyster Creek & Cedar Point Parks - SFBT Pg 8 # 18 Easy walking trail thru flatwoods usually sighting Bald Eagles, Osprey, Red Shouldered Hawks and several woodpecker varieties. Just across the road is Cedar Point Park with a short trail to Lemon Bay. Migratory warblers might be seen and two bald eagle nests are located there. A community building with interesting exhibits and facilities. Carpool from the Audubon Center at 7:15AM or meet at the Oyster Creek Park parking lot just south of Lemon Bay High School at 8 AM. Wear comfortable shoes, take water, and binoculars. One-half day trip. Trip Leaders: Mary Dommermuth 474-6255 or dblbg AT comcast.net; Roberta Gregorchik 475-9047. Sat. Jan 24: VAAS Rookery Training - SFBT Pg 6 #12 Instructional course for Environmental Education Volunteers. Meet at the Venice Rookery 9AM. Friday, Jan 30 to Sun Feb 1 - Bus Trip to Storm Treatment Area - 5, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Green Cay & the Wakodahatchee Wetlands - SFBT Pg 17 #47, Pg 26 #81, Pg 27 # 82 & #83 Sign up now for the overnight bus trip of the year! Leave the car at home. Spend two nights enjoying the Southern Charm and Hospitality of the classic "Old Florida" Clewiston Inn on the shores of Lake Okeechobee. Arrangements have been made to tour STA-5, reputedly "the number 1 hotspot for birding in 'Southwest Florida." This site is only open for Tours on a very limited basis (in some months it is only open 1 day). If we are lucky we may see lesser scaups, long-billed dowitchers and roseate spoonbills. We will visit the 143,874 acre Arthur R Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in the northern Everglades. Snail kites, wood stork, teals, and neotropical songbirds are often seen in the winter here. Relax and chat with fellow Auduboners while our driver takes us to the Green Cay Wetlands and the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, where we should see wintering ducks, and possibly sora or bittern. Pick up more information at the Chapter meetings. Trip leader: Ann Lieberman 223-3789 or annlieberman AT comcast.net Wed. Feb 11: Myakka River State Park #2 - SFBT Pg 5 #6 Meet at 7:30AM at the Venice Audubon Center to carpool or at 7:45AM in the strip mall parking lot at I-75 Exit 195 (just west of BP station). Morning trip to one of the premiere birding spots in the area. Optional bag lunch at concession area. There will be an optional afternoon trip to the Celery Fields (SFBT Pg 3 #4). Trip leaders: Rett & Priscilla Oren 486-1424 or rettoren AT gmail.com Wed. February 18: Behind the Scenes Tour of Mote Marine Aquarium Venice Audubon members Gene and Lorry Stover are volunteers at Mote Marine. Gene will take us on a private tour of this famous facility. Our tour will start at the Mote Aquarium. You will see Molly, a 25 foot giant squid, sharks, and many other sea animals. We will then go across the street and see two manatees, Hugh and Buffet. In the large lagoon you can get great pictures of our two young jumping dolphins. Learn what animals we have had at our Dolphin, Whale and Turtle hospital. See how we handle large, sick marine animals. Learn about the longest ongoing bottlenose dolphin study in the world that has been conducted right here in Sarasota Bay for the last 37 years. Carpool from the Venice Audubon Center at 9:00 AM. Price of admission is $12.00 (group rate). Bring your lunch for a picnic at a nearby park. Registration at Dec. and Jan. meetings. Trip leaders: Ginny Koss 493-8812: Gene Stover 485-0094 or gstover1 AT webtv.net Tues. Feb 24: Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve and Lake City Park, Ft. Myers. - SFBT Pg8 # 18 Six-Mile Cypress is a meandering boardwalk next to a lakeside and thru a pine flat woods slough. We will observe water birds, woodpeckers, and occasionally migrating warblers. Night herons nest in the area. Facilities available. We will drive a short distance to Lakes City Park for lunch and perhaps more water birds and hummingbirds that frequent the park. Small parking fee. We will carpool from the Venice Audubon Center at 7:00AM. Bring lunch, binoculars, and water. Trip leaders: Mary Dommermuth 474-6255 dblbg AT comcast.net; Roberta Gregorchik 475-9047. Thursday, Feb 26: North Jetty Beach Walk Meet at the beach end of the North Jetty parking lot at 8:00AM for a leisurely stroll. We will cross the dunes via a short boardwalk, hike north along the back of the beach, then south at the water's edge to the North Jetty of the Venice Inlet. After exploring the Jetty, we will follow the inlet to the bay and then explore the bay side of Casey Key. Along the way we will talk about the Gulf of Mexico, the inlet, shells, fish, marine mammals, vegetation, and of course birdlife. Expect interesting beachcombing and lots of shore, wading, and scavenging birds at this time of the year. Also, there usually is a very active osprey nest close to shore on the bay side. Trip leader: Bud Doyle 488-4158 or eldoil AT aol.com Sat: Feb 28 - Fri. March 6: Tucson, Arizona Birding Trip Our Arizona guide will lead us to Madera Canyon, Sulphur Springs Valley, Chiricahua Mountains, Sweetwater Wetlands, Santa Catalina foothills and Phoenix area waterfowl hotspots. Mornings will be cool with some frost but warm to the 70's during the day. There will be some climbing but not strenuous. We expect to see 200 or more species. Trip is limited to 10 people and is FULL at this time. For additional information, contact Trip leader: Ron Salisbury at ronsal AT earthlink.net Sat. March 7: Highlands Hammock State Park One-Day Bus Trip - East Section Great Florida Birding Trail Pg 29 #122 See what Florida looked like before development. Virgin hardwood forest, 7 plant communities, and many bird species. Tram tour to remote areas of the park. Meet at Audubon Center at 6:30AM. Details and registration form in Jan Wings. Trip leaders: Cindy Julius 497-5984 csjulius AT earthlink.net and Robert Duncan 496-8191 rtduncan AT earthlink.net Sat. March 14:Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples - SFBT Pg 15 #42 All day carpool trip, leaving from Venice Audubon Center. Morning: Ranger led truck ride into backcountry not open to the public. Walk 2.25 mile boardwalk which meanders through virgin bald cypress swamp. Limited to 18 people. Details in the January Wings. Registration at the January meeting. Trip leaders: Carolyn Edmunds and Charlie Sample 497- 6463. Thurs. March 19: Oscar Scherer State Park - SFBT Pg 5 #9 Half-day tour to view Florida Scrub-Jays, Towhees, and wintering birds. Three and 5 mile hikes on sandy terrain. Carpool from Venice Audubon Center at 7:30AM to meet trip leader Rose Marie Nehrig at entrance to Oscar Scherer Park at 8AM. 484-4745. Tues. March 24: San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve and Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve - SFBT Pp. 12 #32, 10 #28 Carpool from Venice Area Audubon Center at 7:00AM or meet at Publix parking lot at Rte. 776 and Gasparilla Road in East Englewood at 8:00 AM; park near Rte. 776. If you can drive please let us know. We will arrive at Bunche Beach at low tide and spend about 1 ˝ hours there. Scopes would be helpful. We will lunch at Scnappers Hots or you can bring your own food. The stand has hamburgers, pizza, etc. and are famous for their hot dogs and ice cream. Benches are available where we can eat. We will proceed to Ding Darling and stop at the Information Center which has rest rooms. Pileated woodpeckers may be in the parking area. Then we will drive through Ding Darling stopping at vantage points. Bring your Golden Pass, if you do not, there will be a charge per car. Register at Feb chapter meeting or email us. Trip leaders: Abbie Banks amberina AT aol.com and Don Rippeon donrippeon AT aol.com or 941-698-9412 Thurs. April 2 Babcock-Webb, Punta Gorda - SFBT Pg 9 #23 Half-day trip, carpool from Venice Audubon Center at 7AM. Search for the elusive Red-Cockaded woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Eastern Bluebird. Trip leaders: Marry Dommermuth 474-6255 or dblbg AT comcast.net and Margaret Dunson Wed. April 8 Cape Coral's Burrowing Owls Meet at 7:30AM at Venice Audubon Center to carpool to Cape Coral. We will see Burrowing Owls and their chicks and also visit Rotary Park (SFBT Pg. 12 #30) to observe some shore birds. Easy walking. We will have lunch on the water at Cape Coral's Yacht Club on the Caloosahatchee River. Trip leader: Norma Lee Rhines 918-0187 or nlrhines AT verizon.net Sat. April 18 Sarasota Celery Fields #2 - SFBT Pg 3 #4 Meet at the Audubon Center at 6:15 AM to carpool or at Celery Fields gazebo at 7AM. We will stop at Ackerman Lake on the way home. The Celery Fields are a premiere Sarasota County birding hotspot. We will be in search of sora, king rail, purple gallinule, and bitterns. Trip leader: Barry Rossheim 485-1328 Tues. April 21 Palm Island All day trip to Palm Island to view shorebirds. Meet at Audubon Center at 7:00AM to carpool or in the parking lot at Leverock's Restaurant on Placida Rd at 7:45. Trip leaves promptly at 8AM and late arrivals will miss the ferry. Bring lunch or eat at Rum Bay Restaurant. Trip limit 20 people. Register with Trip leader: Missy Christie, Charlotte County Environmental Specialist (941) 456-0699 or missy.christie AT charlottefl.com Thurs. April 23 Ft De Soto Park St. Petersburg - West Florida Birding Trail Pg 22 #91 Prime area for spring migrants, e.g. warblers, tanagers and orioles. All day rip. Carpool from Venice Audubon Center at 7AM. Bring your own food for a picnic lunch. Trip leader: Mary Dommermuth 474- 6255 or dblbg AT comcast.net Sat April 25 Legacy Trail Bike and Bird Meet at the trail head on Laurel Rd at 7:30AM. There is limited vehicle parking. We will bike to Oscar Scherer State Park ($1 entry fee, please have exact change). Target birds will include Florida Scrub Jays, Bobwhite, and spring migrants. The pace will be leisurely and the bike trip will be about 7 miles. We will do some hiking inside Oscar Scherer without our bikes. A guard for the bicycles will be provided to watch your bicycle, and you should bring a bike lock. Bring bicycle, binoculars, water, and sunscreen. We should be back to the trail head by 10:30 Trip leader: Barry Rossheim 485-1328 Wed. April 29 Ft De Soto Park St. Petersburg #2 - West Florida Birding Guide Pg 22 #91 All day carpool trip leaving Venice Audubon Center at 7AM. One of the best birding spots on the west coast for spring migrants such as orioles and tanagers. Some of us will drive around the corner to Jo-Jo's Pizza for lunch or bring your own and picnic. There is a possibility of good Marsh Rabbit and Butterfly viewing too! Trip Leader: Ann Lieberman 223-3789 or annlieberman AT comcast.net ______________________________________ Here are the programs Programs for Venice Area Audubon Society 2008-9 September 23 - Eileen Cohen A local award winning bird photographer who has traveled the world photographing birds. Eileen will surprise us with interesting photos of birds of the World - possibly including China, Costa Rica and Africa. October 28 - Missy Christie - Environmental Specialist, Charlotte County Natural Resources Division. Missy is an expert on Shorebirds nesting. - She has studied over 5 years of data and will be giving a very informative program on their status. November 25 -Belinda Perry, Manager of Sarasota County Natural Resources Department - Belinda will present a program on the birds in some of the preserves in Sarasota County. This may include the Sleeping Turtles Preserve, Deer Prairie Preserve, or the Carlton Reserve. She will lead a fieldtrip on the 5th of December for those who would like to attend. December 9- Owen Comora - Where have all the birds gone? He has studied the status of local birds based on 9 years of Sarasota Audubon Reports - Some are in real trouble - others have actually increased in number. January 27 -Jerome Jackson - A nationally recognized ornithologist and faculty member at Florida Gulf Coast University and a Whitaker Eminent Scholar who has publications that include 15 books and more than 220 publications in scientific journals and 120 publications in popular magazines. His major research interests are in (1) the behavioral ecology of birds with special emphases on endangered species, woodpeckers, birds of barrier island and aquatic ecosystems; (2) the history of American ornithology; (3) bird-human interactions and problems, especially those associated with airports and aquaculture. He will present an exciting program about the "most prominent ornithologist of his time" George Miksch Sutton: Artist, Scientist, and Teacher. February 24- Julia Burch is the Public Outreach Coordinator, with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. Julia will give a very informative program about our estuaries and the impact on our avian population. Julia also will let us know what we can do to make our yards better for the bay. March 24- Rob Heath is an expert on Roseate Spoonbills. He has been involved in a banding program of spoonbills in Tampa Bay and has been studying the lives of these beautiful birds. He will be giving an exciting and informative program. April 28 - Charles Sobczak is an author from Sanibel Island. He will give a presentation related to his recent book Alligators, Sharks & Panthers: Deadly Encounters with Florida's Top Predator-Man. May 26 - Laurel Schiller - An owner of Florida Native Plants, Laurel will lead an informal program at our end of the year cookout at the Venice Audubon Center. Subject: Sarasota Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:27:46 -0400 Sarasota Audubon Society chapter events for 2008/2009 (I will provide the same type of information for the Venice and Manatee Audubon Society chapters in coming days) MONTHLY MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS - 2008/2009 Sarasota Audubon presents monthly programs, open to the public, featuring speakers on a variety of environmental issues and birding topics. All meetings are held on the second Monday of the month, October though May, 7 to 9 PM. Meetings are held at the First Congregational Church Fellowship Hall, 1031 South Euclid, Sarasota. DIRECTIONS: US 41 to Bahia Vista. Go east on Bahia Vista to Euclid (YMCA on northeast corner), then north on Euclid to the church. Monthly Programs, 2008-2009 Due to early scheduling, some programs may change. Please refer to our monthly newsletter, THE BROWN PELICAN, or check back to this website for current information. http://www.sarasotaaudubon.org/activities.htm OCTOBER 13 India: Its Cities and Wildlife A travelogue by Wade and Betty Matthews of their recent trip to the subcontinent NOVEMBER 10 Midnight Pass: Yes or No? Consulting engineer Karyn Erickson will describe her findings & discuss the plans on the highly-debated issue of whether to open the pass or keep it closed DECEMBER 8 Bird Rehabilitation Learn the ins and outs of bird rehabilitation from the experts at Save Our Seabirds, new tenants of the former Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary site JANUARY 12 The Felts Preserve Join us for a look at what our neighboring Audubon is up to. Manatee Audubon showcases the Felts Preserve and tells us how they have made this 30-acre site more attractive to wildlife FEBRUARY 9 Short Tailed Hawks: A Florida Specialty Avian researcher Ken Meyers talks about this uncommon hawk, a sought after species here in Florida MARCH 9 Bird Banding Master bird banders from Quest Ecology will tell us how their work helps ornithologists track bird movements around the world APRIL 13 Bird Photography Member and professional photographer Lou Newman will share his remarkable pictures, as well as his how-to tips on taking better bird photographs MAY 11 Cape May/Delaware Bay: A Key Migration Point Rick Greenspun will show highlights of the raptor and warbler migrations for which this northeastern funnel is world famous Prospective members are welcome to learn more about us by attending a monthly meeting. _________________________________________________________________________ SPECIAL ACTIVITIES 2008-2009 All day trips meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/ Cattlemen) unless otherwise noted. Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding, wildlife watching or exploring Florida's natural areas. Suggested donation of $2 for members, $4 for non-members appreciated. NO RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. For more information, contact each individual Trip Leader. Log on to www.sarasotaaudubon.org for directions to each day trip site (coming soon). TRIP WAIVER: Participation is on condition that Sarasota Audubon Society and its officers and volunteers will not be held liable for damage or injury to persons or property. TUESDAY, OCT 14: ROBINSON PRESERVE - This new Bradenton preserve is being restored to a native wetland with hiking trails and boardwalks. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. BRING LUNCH Leaders: John Ginaven, 383-5133 and Stu Hills. THURSDAY, OCT 16: PINECRAFT PARK - Look for fall migrants with Edith Miller (364-3637) at this local hot spot off Bahia Vista. Meet at Pinecraft at 9 a.m. BRING LUNCH TUESDAY, NOV 11: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP - See CELERY FIELDS. WEDNESDAY, NOV 12: SHOREBIRDS - Find resident and migrant shorebirds on Siesta Key. Meet at SK Public Beach parking lot at 8 a.m. Leader: Rick Greenspun, 284-2055. SATURDAY, NOV 15: PLANT WALK IN RED BUG SLOUGH - Join Catherine LaBrie, President of the Sarasota Butterfly Club and plant expert, on this plant and butterfly walk. Meet in parking lot, south of Proctor on Beneva, 10 a.m. Contact Kathryn Young, 924-5565. THURSDAY, NOV 20: BIRKING - What do you get when you combine birding and biking? Answer BIRKING. Join Kathryn Young, 924-5565 for a morning of Birking. This will be an easy bike ride of approx. 10-15 miles round trip. Meet at the Legacy Trail on Central Sarasota Pkwy at 8:30 a.m. with your bikes. BRING LUNCH. SATURDAY, NOV 22: FELTS AUDUBON PRESERVE - This 30-acre parcel of land in Manatee County has been restored to its natural state by Manatee Audubon. Join Jeanne Dubi, 355-1709. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot ) at 8 a.m. SATURDAY, NOV 29: LAUREL LANDFILL - Check out this birdy landfill site off Laurel Rd. Leaders Rick Greenspun /Lynn Jakubowicz, 355-4073. Meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. FRIDAY/SATURDAY, DEC 5/6: DING DARLING ON SANIBEL ISLAND - See Overnight trips on your Activity Schedule for details. TUESDAY, DEC 9: HOLIDAY LUNCH - See LET'S DO LUNCH on your Activity Schedule. THURSDAY, DEC 10: MYAKKA RIVER SP - This wildlife preserve always provides great birding. Meet at 8:15 a.m. in first parking lot on right just after park entrance (fee). Note: Park opens at 8 a.m. Leader: Owen Comora, 378-5166. BRING LUNCH. TUESDAY, DEC 16: LEMON BAY PRESERVE - Join Leaders Mark Leggett, 925-7220, and Stu Hills on this walk at Lemon Bay Preserve in south Venice. Meet at McDonalds (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. THURSDAY, JAN 1: NEW YEAR'S DAY AT SLEEPING TURTLES - Join leaders Mark Leggett, 925-7220, and Kathryn Young on a New Year's Day search for birds at this new county park. Meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 9 a.m. BRING LUNCH & A TREAT TO SHARE WEDNESDAY, JAN 7: NORTH LONG BOAT KEY - Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot opposite the former Chevron station at the very north end of LBK. Leaders: Wade and Betty Matthews, 923-0671. Optional lunch at Moore's restaurant. TUESDAY, JAN 13: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP See CELERY FIELDS. SATURDAY, JAN 17: LETTUCE LAKE - Bird the 3,500-foot boardwalk, observation tower and the nature trails at this Hillsborough County park with Lynn Jakubowicz, 355-4073, and Karen Jensen. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. BRING LUNCH WEDNESDAY, JAN 21: TECO PLANT & GEORGE SIMMONS PARK - Join Leader Stu Hills, 922-5261, to see manatees at the Teco plant in Apollo Beach and shorebirds at Simmons Park in southern Hillsborough County. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH WEDNESDAY, JAN 28: PHOSPHATE MINES, POLK COUNTY - Privately-guided tour of the phosphate reclamation ponds near Lakeland. Short-tailed Hawks, wintering warblers and thousands of shorebirds. Contact Rick Greenspun, 284-2055. Lunch included. Bring Snacks and drinks for an all-day outing. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7 a.m. A donation of $5 to Lake Audubon on the day is recommended. TUESDAY, FEB 10: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP See CELERY FIELDS. WEDNESDAY, FEB 10: CLAY GULLY & SIDELL ROADS - Round Trip behind Myakka SP. This area is good wintering habitat for specialties such as Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Leaders: Owen Comora, 378-5166, and Rick Greenspun, 284-2055. Meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH. FRIDAY/SATURDAY, FEB 13/14: STATION 5 HENDRY COUNTY - Overnight Friday in Clewiston, then an early visit to the water treatment plant to view all kinds of birds in these remote marshes. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Hotel at own expense. A donation of $5 to Hendry-Glades Audubon is recommended. Contact Kathryn Young, 924-5565 THURSDAY, FEB 19: COCKROACH BAY AQUATIC PRESERVE, RUSKIN - Join Kathryn Young, 924-5565, and Karen Jensen on a trip to this newly reclaimed and restored environmentally sensitive area, a reliable spot for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. BRING LUNCH MONDAY, FEB 23: VENICE ROOKERY, MANASOTA SCRUB AND LEMON BAY PARK - Great photo ops: Great birding. Leader: Mark Leggett, 925-7220. Meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 7:30 a.m. BRING LUNCH WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, FEB 25/26: FREE TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOPS See SPECIAL FREE CLASSES on your Activity Schedule. SATURDAY, FEB 28: PINECRAFT FESTIVAL See FESTIVALS. SATURDAY, MAR 7: HILLSBOROUGH RIVER STATE PARK & J.P. SARGENT PARK - Join Lynn Jakubowicz, 355-4073, and Wade Matthews for a visit to this beautiful state park divided by the swiftly flowing Hillsborough River. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. BRING LUNCH THURSDAY, MAR 19: CAREFREE LEARNER - Join us for a boat ride with SAS members to the Roberts Bay Rookery to see breeding birds. This is separate from the Carefree Learner with Sarasota High School students. Meet at the boat at 9 a.m. next to Le Barge at Marina Jack's. Lunch after at Marina Jack's at 11:30 a.m at your own expense. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Contact Kathryn Young, 924-5565. Cost $20. WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY, APR 1-3: AMELIA ISLAND/FERNANDINA BEACH - See Overnight trips for details. TUESDAY, MAR 31: CARLTON RESERVE - Join us to look for Hairy and Red-headed Woodpeckers, Swallow-tailed Kites and more. Meet at Carlton parking lot at 8 a.m. Take I-75 to Jacaranda Blvd exit; go east onto Jacaranda, right onto Border Rd., left at the end. BRING LUNCH Contact Kathryn Young, 924-5565. THURSDAY, APR 9: PLANT WALK AT OSCAR SCHERER SP - Join Catherine LaBrie, President of the Sarasota Butterfly Club, on a plant walk to learn about Florida plants and butterflies. Meet at the park at 10 a.m. (fee to enter). Contact Kathryn Young, 924-5565. TUESDAY, APR 14: FT. DESOTO PARK - Join leader John Ginaven, 383-5133, on a quest for migrants at this premier birding hotspot. Leave the first rest area just after the tollbooths on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH. THURSDAY, APR 16: CAREFREE LEARNER - Join us for a boat ride with SAS members to the Roberts Bay Rookery to see breeding birds. This is separate from the Carefree Learner with Sarasota High School students. Meet at the boat at 9 a.m. next to Le Barge at Marina Jack's. Lunch after at Marina Jack's at 11:30 a.m., at your own expense. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Contact Kathryn Young 924-5565. Cost $20. TUESDAY, APR 21: EMERSON POINT - This wonderful park has woodlands, shoreline, and mangroves. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. Optional lunch at Crab Trap II restaurant. Leaders: John Ginaven, 383-5133, and Stuart Hills. SATURDAY, APR 25: FT DESOTO PARK - Leader Edith Miller, 364-3637, will help us find migrants at this wonderful birding spot. Leave the first rest area just after the tollbooths on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH TUESDAY, APR 28: EGMONT KEY - Take the Ferry from Fort De Soto to this small island and help us find migrating birds. The island is also home to many Gopher Tortoises as well as Fort Dade. Leader Kathryn Young, 924-5565. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. BRING LUNCH. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 7:30 a.m. Ferry leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 1 p.m. Cost $20. SATURDAY, MAY 2: BUTTERFLY WALK - Join butterfly enthusiasts Stu Hills and Jeanne Dubi on a walk to locate and ID local butterflies. Location to be determined. Meet at McDonald's (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 10 a.m. Contact Stu Hills, 922-5261. TUESDAY, MAY 12: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP See CELERY FIELDS. Subject: NAMC From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:35:14 -0400 All, This Saturday, 20 Sep, is the nation-wide NAMC (North American Migration Count). I became a last minute compiler for Lee County, so if anyone goes out birding today and wants to have their numbers included let me know what you saw by email. This can even be just the birds in your yard, neighborhood, or what you saw driving around. Thanks! Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Subject: Brown Noddy at Lovers Key From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:28:49 -0400 All, I was passed word that a Brown Noddy was seen at Lovers Key State Park on Friday, 19 Sep. I don't have any details at this point, like if it was a roosting or fly-by individual, who it was seen by, if there are pictures, what part of the park, etc. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Subject: FW: Saturday Tour - Bunche Beach From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:24:10 -0400 FYI below re: a Lee County Bird Patrol guided walk at Bunche Beach this Saturday. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: Gayle Schmidt [mailto:gayleschmidt AT mac.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:51 AM To: BirdPatrol AT birdpatrol.org Subject: Saturday Tour - Bunche Beach * September 20, Saturday 8AM Bunche Beach Guides: Iver Brook and Bill Saunders. Located in So Ft. Myers off Summerlin Rd: Drive south on John Morris Rd until it deadends. Experience one of the best birding sites in Lee Co. Bring binoculars, sun protection, shoes that can get wet, a bottle of drinking water. Meet in the parking lot. Information: 239-707-3015 www.birdpatrol.org Subject: RE: recent local sightings - more From: "damsammy" <damsammy AT comcast.net> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 17:45:53 -0400 Hi all, My husband and I were out driving around southern Florida on Saturday and saw a male snail kite (along US 41 by Collier-Seminole State Park) and a female snail kite (saw along SR 835 south of Lake Okeechobee and Clewiston). It looks like apple snail eggs on the fence post of the female snail kite. Birdon, Dave and Sue Miller _____ From: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Charlie Ewell Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 5:34 PM To: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SWFLBirdline] recent local sightings All, I've received some belated reports from the weekend to pass along: Lakes Park (northern end of path that follows the east side of the lakes and passes the high ride condo) had the following warblers present: Black-and-white, No. Parula, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Prairie. Bunche Beach had the Long-billed Curlew present to the left of the parking area, and a Gull-billed Tern foraging along the wrack line. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: recent local sightings From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 17:34:12 -0400 All, I've received some belated reports from the weekend to pass along: Lakes Park (northern end of path that follows the east side of the lakes and passes the high ride condo) had the following warblers present: Black-and-white, No. Parula, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Prairie. Bunche Beach had the Long-billed Curlew present to the left of the parking area, and a Gull-billed Tern foraging along the wrack line. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: Sunday Evening at Bunche Beach From: "Bob" <rihargrave AT embarqmail.com> Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:37:06 -0000 I figured it was time to get back on the beach and brush up on the shorebirds. When I arrived at 6:30 pm the tide was coming in but the birds were concentrated on the flats still exposed. It turned out to be a really great evening. Hundreds, maybe a thousand or more individuals and 2 dozen species. For Charlie -- 8 to 12 (depending on whether the 4 I saw at the west end flew to the east end) Red Knots with at least 2 having the lime green flags. I was unable to read the flags. And 1 Snowy Plover (probably, I'm still not confident telling Snowy from Piping) with bands on both legs -- left leg, yellow above green on the foot and a green flag above the ankle; right leg, red above green on the foot. Other highlights were 10 Marbled Godwit and hundreds of Dowitchers, probably mostly short-billed but I'm not confident with the dowitchers either. Also a lone Oystercatcher. And as usual the sunset was magnificent. Happy birding. Bob Subject: NAMC Hendry Glades Sept. 20 From: "Margaret" <mlelighthouse AT embarqmail.com> Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:05:35 -0000 Subject: NAMC 2008: 3rd Annual Glades Hendry NAMC Sept. 20th You are invited to participate in the 3rd annual Glades Hendry North American Migration Count to be held on Saturday September 20th. Drivers, hikers, expert birders, birding enthusiastic all ages and skill levels, and compilers are needed for various teams and home surveys in Hendry and Glades Counties. The North American Migration Count in Florida is sponsored by Florida Ornithological Society, and is supported by local Audubon Societies, local bird clubs, and other interested organizations. PURPOSE: The mission of the North American Migration Count (NAMC) is to: • Obtain a "snapshot" of the progress and "shape" of spring and fall Migration. • Obtain information on the abundance & distribution of each species. • Initiate more participation among birders within a state and between states. • Create challenges and goals among birders while collecting useful information. • Aid in organization and centralization of date. • HAVE FUN. AREA OF COUNT: The area of a count is not a circle, but the boundaries of a County. The idea is to have a contiguous interlocking set of non-overlapping counts across North America. It is desirable to get as much of each county surveyed as resources and time permits. Meeting locations and times are set by individual teams. Last year there were 8 Teams and 1 home survey. 1. STA5 and Blumberg 2. Glades Northwest (Highlands Team) 3. Harney Pond, Ft. Center (Fisheating Creek East), Curry Island 4. Rainey Slough, Moore Haven, Lakeport, Brighton 5. Big Cypress Reservation and 835 6. Fisheating Creek West (Palmdale) 7. Okaloacoochee (OK) Slough meets at 7 a.m. at the Keri Fire Tower 8. LaBelle, Ft. Denaud, Riverside Retreat, 78 W, Muse, Wetherspoon Wetland 9. Home Surveys Survey forms are e-mailed or mailed to teams and participants doing home. Please reply if you will be helping with this year's count. Please forward this request to others you think might be interested. Participants are invited to an informal dinner at the Clewiston Inn where the NAMC results will be tabulated. Looking forward to this year's NAMC. Margaret England Hendry and Glades County Contact/Compiler: mlelighthouse AT embarqmai.com sta5birding AT embarqmail.com Cell: 863-517-0202 Home: 863-674-0695 website: www.hendrygladesaudubon.org Subject: Red Knot (REKN) sightings From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 09:39:22 -0400 The first REKN for the season have arrived down in the Ft Myers area. On Wed 30 Jul at Little Estero Island CWA (aka Little Estero Lagoon, Ft Myers Beach) Chris Burney (FWC) and I had a small group of REKN (10 individuals, 7 post alternate molt, 3 basic) roosting with a large mixed flock of WILL (Western), MAGO, RUTU, SAND, and WESA. The lime flagged individuals are resightings for this area. Always very cool to find out! They were lime flag VP5 and AN5. Here is the info I received from Bill Pitts previously on each bird: DATE YEAR LOCATION FLOCK Band combo USFWS BAND BANDING INFO 24-Feb 2007 Sanibel Island 25? -/-:FL(VP5)/m 1172-98318 Sanibel Island, FL 1/1/07 5-Aug 2007 Little Estero Lagoon, Estero Island, Ft Myers Beach (Lee County) 24 -/-:FL(AN5)/m 1172-98092 Sanibel Island, FL 1/1/07 Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://birdpatrol.org Below is a note re: Red Knots from Chris Burney of the FWC Hello All, Shorebird migration is almost in full swing, and once again, we would really appreciate any sightings of red knot. Please include the following information with your sightings: 1. location (lat/ long if possible or detailed description including an address or cross street): 2. total flock size 3. species composition of the flock 4. time 5. number of banded knots 6. band colors and flag codes (3 character combination of letters or letters & number) (Please note on which leg the bands are located.) All sightings should be sent directly to Bill Pitts (William.Pitts AT dep.state.nj.us) History of the project: We are trying to develop a better understanding of Florida's wintering red knot population. Florida, and especially the west coast of Florida, is one of three important wintering areas for red knot. A team of biologist from around the world working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has surveyed and banded red knots throughout southwest Florida over the last three years. In that time, we have banded about 700 birds with lime green flags inscribed with unique alpha-numeric IDs that can be read at a distance with a spotting scope. The Florida project is part of a larger effort aimed at developing reliable estimates of the flyway-wide population of red knots and they're population status. Our work over the last several years suggests the possibility of declining wintering numbers. It is extremely important that we supplement our trapping/banding work with an intensive resighting effort. We would like to enlist your help in locating flocks of red knots, recording the size of the flocks, and resighting as many marked birds as is possible. These data will be used to help biologist develop new estimates of the red knot population. The ultimate goal of the project is to determine the size of the Red Knot wintering population in Florida and the habitats important for their survival. Chris Burney Shorebird Partnership Coordinator Species Conservation Planning Section Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Southwest Regional Office 3900 Drane Field Rd Lakeland, FL 33811 Phone: (863) 648-3200 Fax: (863) 701-1248 Email: chris.burney AT myfwc.com Subject: Help with Mallard Ducks From: "bgunnels4" <bgunnels4 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:12:32 -0000 Howdy all, Would someone please tell me the location of a reliable population of mallard ducks in SW FL? Thanks, billY Gunnels Subject: Bunche Beach (Ft Myers, Lee) update From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:21:27 -0400 All, The Long-billed Curlew continues at Bunche Beach in south Ft Myers (Lee County) as of this past weekend (26-27 July). Hundreds of shorebirds are now present along the beach portion that you can walk, and thousands of shorebirds, larids, waders etc. are present beyond the two creeks that border each end of the beach. Species seen from the beach: Wilson's Plover Semipalmated Plover Black-bellied Plover Long-billed Curlew Willet Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling (seen Wednesday) Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper (seen Wednesday) Least Tern Royal Tern Sandwich Tern Black Skimmer Laughing Gull Roseate Spoonbill Wood Stork Great Egret Snowy Egret Tri-colored Heron Little Blue Heron Great Blue Heron White Ibis Magnificent Frigatebird Brown Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Turkey Vulture Mourning Dove Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: STA5 July 19th From: "Margaret" <mlelighthouse AT embarqmail.com> Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:42:05 -0000 Here's Saturday's STA5 list. Looks like I missed a great day. The next tour is August 16th. The 3rd Annual Hendry Glades NAMC will be held Sept. 20th. Our post count event will be in Clewiston. Volunteers are needed to cover areas surveyed in 06 and '07 plus other areas at Fisheating Creek . To volunteer for the NAMC or Sign up for tours Contact: Margaret England sta5birding AT embarqmail.com website: www.hendrygladesaudubon.org LaBelle STA5 is 20 miles south of Clewiston in the EAA. STA5 July 19, 2008 Participants: 15+ Species: 59 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -- 6 Fulvous Whistling-Duck -- 5 Wood Duck -- 5 American Wigeon -- 1 Mottled Duck Blue-winged Teal --1 Ring-necked Duck -- 2 Lesser Scaup --1 Northern Bobwhite Pied-billed Grebe American White Pelican -- 4 or 5 Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga Least Bittern -- >20 Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-heron -- 2 (one immature and one adult) White Ibis Glossy Ibis Roseate Spoonbill -- 1 Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Swallow-tailed Kite -- 35+ (staging over the cell/impoundment that borders Chuck Oberon's Organic Farm). This is the largest number of SWKIs we've seen at STA-5. Red-shouldered Hawk Crested Caracara -- 2 Purple Swamphen -- >6 Purple Gallinule -- 2 or 3 Common Moorhen American Coot Limpkin Killdeer -- 1 Black-necked Stilt -- >10 Forster's Tern -- 2 Black Skimmer --2 Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 1 Mourning Dove Common Ground Dove Barn Owl -- 2 Common Nighthawk -- 35+ sitting on telephone lines along Blumberg Rd. plus a dozen or so others found elsewhere Gray Kingbird -- 1 (new addition to STA-5 checklist) Loggerhead Shrike Purple Martin -- 2 Barn Swallow -- 20+ Northern Mockingbird European Starling -- 20+ Common Yellowthroat Eastern Towhee -- 1 Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Boat-tailed Grackle Subject: Bunch Beach shorebird walk tomorrow (Wed 23 July) From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:56:09 -0400 All, Tomorrow morning at 8:00 Walt Winton and I will lead a shorebird walk at Bunche Beach for the Lee County Bird Patrol. No pre-registration is required, no charge for attending or parking, and all are welcome! The tide and weather look like they will be accommodating, so with the blessing of the birding gods we'll have an interesting go at it with plenty to look at. The post below to the Birdbrains list by Tom Obrock, along with some scouting by Walt (the Long-billed Curlew was present to the left of the parking area), indicates that the shorebirds are present in good numbers and variety. This time of year, many of the birds will have a fair amount of breeding plumage remaining as an extra bonus for braving the heat and humidity! Bunche Beach is located at the south end of John Morris Rd, off Summerlin Blvd in south Ft Myers, a couple miles before the Sanibel Causeway toll booth. Click the "Get Directions" link at: http://www.conservation2020.org/preservedetails.cfm?proj_no=155 Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://birdpatrol.org/ -----Original Message----- From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History [mailto:BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Tom Obrock Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 7:26 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] White-crowned Pigeons .....I have visited nearby Bunche Beach, near Ft Myers Beach, several times this week and have sighted least terns, royal terns, brown pelicans, wilson's plovers, piping plovers, short-billed dowitchers, long-billed curlew, marbled godwits, ruddy turnstones, semipalmated plovers, roseate spoonbills, a spotted sandpiper, red knots, black-bellied plovers, both willets, an American oystercatcher, and lesser yellowlegs. Subject: house finch From: Thea Rhodes <alfredosdaughter AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:10:44 -0700 (PDT) Just checking in to see if anyone out there has seen the house finches that have been frequenting my backyard feeders (Venice) since June. Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 05 July 2008 - Pomarine Jaegar update From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 21:48:30 -0400 5 July - Don't go looking for the Pomarine Jaegar on Siesta Key. I saw it in a cage at the Wildlife Center in Venice today. It's a sick bird. Barry Rossheim SAS VAAS nethoppers AT msn.com _______________________________________ Peter Rice Subject: Re: Unknown gull? From: jbouton2 AT earthlink.net Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 20:03:32 +0000 Beat me to it! :) As suggested this is an adult jaeger in very worn plumage. I think Pomarine is likely a good guess as well. It seems somewhat slim but the bill is on the heavier side. Still this could still be within the range of variation (size wise) for a larger Parasitic Jaeger though. It's a bit unfortunate there isn't another bird in view for size comparison though. Neat find! Good birding, Jeff Bouton Port Charlotte, FL jbouton2 AT earthlink.net Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: "Mike" Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:12:42 To: ; SWFBirdline Subject: Re: [SWFLBirdline] Unknown gull? Hi Burt it's not a gull it is a skua (jaeger) and looks to me to be a Pomarine Best Regards Mike The Gloster Birder www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Subject: Re: Unknown gull? From: "Mike" <birder AT blueyonder.co.uk> Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:12:42 +0100 Hi Burt it's not a gull it is a skua (jaeger) and looks to me to be a Pomarine Best Regards Mike The Gloster Birder www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Subject: Unknown gull? From: "Burt Finkelstein" <bfinkelstein AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 13:36:44 -0400 I saw this bird this morning on Siesta Key Beach. I have never seen anything on the beach like it. Anyone have a clue? Thanks, Burt -- Burt Finkelstein 7156 Del Lago Dr Sarasota, FL 34238 bfinkelstein AT gmail.com (941) 735-9520 (Cell) (941) 932-8224 (Home) http://www.bfinkelstein.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- Try VistaPrint: http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=607503130358 This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited. Subject: Golden Eagle From: "vnjb63" <vnjb63 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 01:28:46 -0000 I'm fairly certain we saw a Golden Eagle in Sarasota on April 13, 2008. My husband, sister-in-law and her husband also saw it. I will try to find out where it was, as it was my sister-in-laws, girlfriends parents neighborhood. Has anyone else from Sarasota seen a Golden Eagle? I did some research on the internet and found on the Cornell website that they are primarily in the Western U.S to Mexico and North America, but are starting to appear in the Eastern part of the U.S. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Golden_Eagle.html Subject: Connecticut Warbler at Lakes Park! From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 20:57:29 -0400 All, Walt Winton reported finding a Connecticut Warbler this afternoon at Lakes Park in south Ft Myers. He will be leading a walk there tomorrow morning at 8:00 for the Bird Patrol, so anyone interested should enter the park off Gladiolus Rd, turn right after entering the park at the first stop, and continue to the end of the road to the last parking area. The group will meet in a covered pavilion (A-7 I believe) very close to the parking lot. Don't forget to pay the parking fee at the pay station. The Connecticut was later relocated by Vince McGrath at the north end of the park, located just beyond the high rise condo (Riva del Lago) where the wooded habitat begins. There were a number of warblers present, including a male Chestnut-sided singing! Multiple male Redstarts, male and female Black-throated Blue, Black-and-white, Prothonotary, Palm, Common Yellowthroat, and multiple Blackpolls (seen in the AM by another birder). Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 26 April 2008 From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:29:53 -0400 26 April 10 to 11 AM - Celery Fields (NE Sarasota County, Fruitville Road exit off of I-75, between Fruitville Road and Palmer Blvd to the south) - Seen in the yellowish reeds about 300 yards (or meters) or 2/10th of a mile west of the gazebo along the berm (opposite the second tall light pole west of the gazebo) we saw: Two least bitterns, purple gallinule, wood duck mother with six ducklings, bald eagle (flying overhead), anhinga, blue-winged teal, black-bellied whistling duck, red-winged blackbird, black-neck stilt, coot, moorhen, great-blue heron, great egret, eastern meadowlark, boat-tailed grackle, little blue heron, wood stork, turkey vulture, brown pelican, glossy ibis, and white ibis. Heard but not seen, African lions and Asian tigers*. Peter & Frances Rice * Residents of Big Cat Retirement Home (about 600 meters east of the gazebo) _______________________________________ Peter Rice Subject: RE: Flycatcher, Eagles, and owls From: Debbie Norris <basketdeb AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:09:41 -0400 Hi Charlie and all, Yes, this description fits my flycatcher exactly! "A treetop hunter of deciduous forests and suburban areas, the Great Crested Flycatcher is easier to hear than to see. The only eastern flycatcher that nests in cavities, it often includes snakeskin in the nest lining." I have searched for many minutes on several occasions to see this bird. I hear him, but can not see him. I just know that his voice is singing somewhere high in the trees of our back yard. We have a trunk of a King Sego Palm in our yard, with a large hole in the trunk, near the top. It is quite large, and I look often to see if there is a nest. Owls: a pair of Great Horned Owls have returned, we hear and see them often. The eagles: Now THEY are truely magnificant. The parents have 2 children, (excuse me for not) recalling what the fledglins are called (I am tired after 3-14 shifts in a row)!, but, they are growing fast, almost as tall as the parents. They have a molted white head, black tail feathers, and love to fly and talk! I could spend all day watching them. Thanks for your help with my flycatcher! Deb Debbie Norris Independent Longaberger Home Consultant® Shop with me on-line for Baskets, Pottery, Wrought Iron or Home Decor items 239-549-7009 Basketdeb AT hotmail.com or Longaberger.com/deborahnorris To: basketdeb AT hotmail.com; SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.comFrom: anhinga42 AT embarqmail.comDate: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:14:35 -0400Subject: RE: [SWFLBirdline] Flycatcher Hi Debbie and All, I would also check/compare the vocalization of Great Crested Flycatcher at the Cornell site, as that is the most likely (and very common this time of year through fall) flycatcher of Myiarchus genus (tyrant flycatcher family) in our area, and the descriptions you gave fit that bird as well. I would describe their calls as anything from a rolling, course weep, to wirp, to wip, (or the same sounds with a “kr” instead of a “w”, as Sibley’s guide describes it as krrreeep) with many variations mixed in while it is vocalizing. I have even heard/seen one that nested in my yard a few years back singing a low volume song much like a Catbird! It can be found in developed backyard habitats, as well as hardwood hammocks, gardens, mangroves, etc. Nutting’s is only known as a vagrant in the southwest US, as its range is from Mexico down into Central America. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Crested_Flycatcher.html Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com From: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of bsktrnSent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:52 PMTo: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.comSubject: [SWFLBirdline] Flycatcher I believe that I have a "Nuttings Flycatcher" in my back yard in Cape Coral. He has brown and cream on his back and tail feathers, gray neck {anterior}, vibrant yellow breast/belly. Song is several "whirp, whirp, whirp" like calls. He fits the description and calls that I found online at Cornell orthinology site. Yesterday he was sitting on the rail of my deck, then he came and perched on a chair and was looking at me in the dining room. He was very close to me, and oh so beautiful. Vibrant deep yellow color with the pale gray and browns. Debbie _________________________________________________________________ Spell a grand slam in this game where word skill meets World Series. Get in the game. http://club.live.com/word_slugger.aspx?icid=word_slugger_wlhm_admod_april08 Subject: RE: Flycatcher From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:14:35 -0400 Hi Debbie and All, I would also check/compare the vocalization of Great Crested Flycatcher at the Cornell site, as that is the most likely (and very common this time of year through fall) flycatcher of Myiarchus genus (tyrant flycatcher family) in our area, and the descriptions you gave fit that bird as well. I would describe their calls as anything from a rolling, course weep, to wirp, to wip, (or the same sounds with a "kr" instead of a "w", as Sibley's guide describes it as krrreeep) with many variations mixed in while it is vocalizing. I have even heard/seen one that nested in my yard a few years back singing a low volume song much like a Catbird! It can be found in developed backyard habitats, as well as hardwood hammocks, gardens, mangroves, etc. Nutting's is only known as a vagrant in the southwest US, as its range is from Mexico down into Central America. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Crested_Flycatche r.html Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of bsktrn Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:52 PM To: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SWFLBirdline] Flycatcher I believe that I have a "Nuttings Flycatcher" in my back yard in Cape Coral. He has brown and cream on his back and tail feathers, gray neck {anterior}, vibrant yellow breast/belly. Song is several "whirp, whirp, whirp" like calls. He fits the description and calls that I found online at Cornell orthinology site. Yesterday he was sitting on the rail of my deck, then he came and perched on a chair and was looking at me in the dining room. He was very close to me, and oh so beautiful. Vibrant deep yellow color with the pale gray and browns. Debbie Subject: Flycatcher From: "bsktrn" <basketdeb AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:51:43 -0000 I believe that I have a "Nuttings Flycatcher" in my back yard in Cape Coral. He has brown and cream on his back and tail feathers, gray neck {anterior}, vibrant yellow breast/belly. Song is several "whirp, whirp, whirp" like calls. He fits the description and calls that I found online at Cornell orthinology site. Yesterday he was sitting on the rail of my deck, then he came and perched on a chair and was looking at me in the dining room. He was very close to me, and oh so beautiful. Vibrant deep yellow color with the pale gray and browns. Debbie Subject: Flycatcher From: "bsktrn" <basketdeb AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:49:31 -0000 I believe that I have a "Nuttings Flycatcher" in my back yard in Cape Coral. He has brown and cream on his back and tail feathers, gray neck {anterior}, vibrant yellow breast/belly. Song is several "whirp, whirp, whirp" like calls. He fits the description and calls that I found online at Cornell orthinology site. Yesterday he was sitting on the rail of my deck, then he came and perched on a chair and was looking at me in the dining room. He was very close to me, and oh so beautiful. Vibrant deep yellow color with the pale gray and browns. Debbie Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 23 April 2008 - Whooping Crane at Myakka State Park From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:25:18 -0400 23 April - This morning at 9 am we had a Whooping Crane at Myakka State Park. The crane was seen flying north above the trees at the burned out area on the right side of the main road, after the first bridge. We spoke to a ranger who said she saw one yesterday flying north over Clark Rd near the entrance to the park. Others have also reported Whooping Crane sightings at the Park over the past three months. We suspect the Whooper (s) are hanging out near Lower Myakka Lake. Rett & Priscilla Oren North Venice _______________________________________ Peter Rice Subject: Radar birding! From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:54:51 -0400 All, I can't get out today, but yesterday and this mornings radar shows large movements of birds out of Cuba, and with the southeast wind in the west coast's direction. I'll pass along any reports I may hear later today. Go to Badbirdz2 Reloaded to check out the radar: http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/ Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: Beach Nesting Birds article From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:34:44 -0400 FYI: Link to an article in the Naples Daily News about posting off nesting areas for beach nesting species: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/15/authorities-rope--portions-marcos -beach-protect-sh/ Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 14 April 2008 From: "SRQ Bird Alerts - Peter Rice" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:41:01 -0400 14 April - Celery Fields (Fruitville Road exit off of I-75, 1/2 mile east of I-75 and 1/2 mile south of Fruitville Road. Early this morning Rick Greenspun and I saw 2 King Rails walking in front and slightly to the north of the pond close to the gazebo - they were out in the open for at least 15 min.'s. As we walked the path north and were making the turn to the left an American Bittern was up in the reeds and then flew back toward the Gazebo. Continuing on between the ponds we spotted a Least Bittern, then 15 feet farther up the path we saw another Least Bittern. Both males in breeding plumage. They each let us watch them for approximately 5 min.'s and were only 6 feet from us. I have never seen Least Bitterns this close. See attached picture. Also seen were two Purple Gallinules. Celery Fields looks beautiful with all the water, sedge plants and native grasses. Kathryn Young Sarasota 14 April - I saw a limpkin on the far edge of the pond behind our house on the second fairway of our golf course in the Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club (a limited access compound) located about three miles east of I-75 and 1/2 mile south of Bee Ridge Road. This the second time I have seen a limpkin in this location, the other was about one month ago. Those living in Misty Creek and Bent Tree might see it also, perhaps it may move about a bit further. Peter Rice 14 April - From time to time we continue to see one or two white-winged doves sitting on the wires along Bee Ridge Road Extension between the entrance to Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club and Coash Lane, in particular late in the afternoon. Peter Rice _______________________________________ Peter Rice Subject: Question Sternes From: "georgeslachaine" <georgeslachaine AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:50:47 -0000 Hi, I am just back from an ornithological trip in South-West Florida. My wife and I have appreciated all the sites we have visited. We saw 123 species and took a lot of pictures. Looking at them made us wandering about the identification of 3 Terns and we would appreciate your opinion on it. We put the photos in 3 different galeries of our pbase site. Here is the address: http://www.pbase.com/elainegeorges/nonident About the one who we think is a Sandwich Tern :- The black bill with pale tip and the black legs match the illustration in the Sibley book at page 231. But we are puzzled by the pink tone of the usual white parts. Question: Is this bird really a Sandwich Tern ? About the one who we think is a Roseate Tern :- We see that the bill is thick and long and it has red at the base unlike the illustration in the Sibley book at page 235. Question: Is this bird really a RoseateTern ? About the one who we think is a Forster's Tern :- What makes us feeling uncertain is that the nape is darker than the one on the illustration in the Sibley book at page 234. Are we right with our identification of a Forster's Tern ? Thanks for your help. Georges Lachaine, Montreal, Quebec Subject: bell's vireo at the Sanibel lighthouse From: "mayhill10" <mayhill10 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:48:00 -0000 Today, Thur., 4 of us identified a bell's vireo at the lighthouse about 9 am this morning. Could someone let me know if I need to document that bird, and if so, how do I do that here in florida? There were not many birds by way of numbers but we did also have a yellow billed cuckoo, blue headed vireo, 2 blue grosbeaks. Others saw a merlin and one person thought he either had a philadelphia or warbling vireo(in addition to the bell's). Hopefully migration is picking up since I leave Monday am. Julie Long, St Charles, Ill and Sanibel Subject: bell's vireo at the Sanibel lighthouse From: "mayhill10" <mayhill10 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:48:00 -0000 Today, Thur., 4 of us identified a bell's vireo at the lighthouse about 9 am this morning. Could someone let me know if I need to document that bird, and if so, how do I do that here in florida? There were not many birds by way of numbers but we did also have a yellow billed cuckoo, blue headed vireo, 2 blue grosbeaks. Others saw a merlin and one person thought he either had a philadelphia or warbling vireo(in addition to the bell's). Hopefully migration is picking up since I leave Monday am. Julie Long, St Charles, Ill and Sanibel Subject: FW: Saturday - Birding at Bunche Beach From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:13:38 -0400 FYI below. Wish I could attend because this is a pretty good time to catch shorebirds before they migrate out of FL, but will be out of town this weekend. A few species should be starting to show their breeding plumages adding to the pleasure of seeing them! Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: Gayle Schmidt Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 10:41 AM Subject: Saturday - Birding at Bunche Beach * April 12, Saturday 8AM Bunche Beach Guides: Bill Saunders and Iver Brooks. Located in So Ft. Myers off Summerlin Rd: Drive south on John Morris Rd until it deadends. Experience one of the best birding sites in Lee Co. Bring binoculars, sun protection, shoes that can get wet, a bottle of drinking water. Meet in the parking lot. More information: Bill Saunders 454-1598. www.birdpatrol.org Subject: RE: Spring migration presentation, Tuesday 8 April From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 08:48:21 -0400 Reminder: Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com -----Original Message----- From: Charlie Ewell [mailto:anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 9:00 AM To: 'swflbirdline AT yahoogroups.com' Subject: Spring migration presentation, Tuesday 8 April All, Below is an announcement for a presentation I will be giving this Tuesday. All are welcome: Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife needs volunteers to help find and mark burrowing owls nests and gopher tortoise nests. If you have nests in your neighborhood that are over grown or new nests that need staking, please contact us at 239-980-2593. If you would like to try and attract a burrowing owl to your front yard, please call us or email us at www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org for information on how to construct a starter burrow. If you would like to learn how to preserve our wildlife on the Cape, please contact us or attend our general meeting at Rotary Park, Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00pm. Our speaker will be Charlie Ewell of the Lee County School District, who volunteers with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, Lee County Bird Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and Florida Ornithological Society.  His topic will deal with the dynamics of spring migration in SW FL, including pictures of some of the bird species involved. Rotary Park is located at the intersection of Pelican Blvd, Eldorado Pkwy, and Rose Garden Rd. Take Pelican Blvd south from Cape Coral Parkway. The park is located on the southeast corner of the 4-way stop at Eldorado Pkwy. For a map go to: http://maps.google.com/maps and type "Rotary Park, Cape Coral, FL" into the search box. If you need human delivered directions or have any questions, call me at 239-542-6007! Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://birdpatrol.org/ Subject: RFI -- red-cockaded woodpeckers From: Diana Pesek <keesiemom AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 04:17:22 -0700 (PDT) Hi all, I'll be traveling to Florida the first week of May for work, based out of Tampa. Have a couple of extra days for birding. One bird I'd love to see is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. I am following the various Florida list-servs and have the 2005 edition of A Birder's Guide to Florida, but would still appreciate the most up-to-date information on these birds' current locations. Thanks much! Please respond offline to: keesiemom AT yahoo.com Diana Pesek Cedar Rapids, IA keesiemom AT yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com Subject: Spring migration presentation, Tuesday 8 April From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 08:59:36 -0400 All, Below is an announcement for a presentation I will be giving this Tuesday. All are welcome: Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife needs volunteers to help find and mark burrowing owls nests and gopher tortoise nests. If you have nests in your neighborhood that are over grown or new nests that need staking, please contact us at 239-980-2593. If you would like to try and attract a burrowing owl to your front yard, please call us or email us at www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org for information on how to construct a starter burrow. If you would like to learn how to preserve our wildlife on the Cape, please contact us or attend our general meeting at Rotary Park, Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00pm. Our speaker will be Charlie Ewell of the Lee County School District, who volunteers with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, Lee County Bird Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and Florida Ornithological Society.  His topic will deal with the dynamics of spring migration in SW FL, including pictures of some of the bird species involved. Rotary Park is located at the intersection of Pelican Blvd, Eldorado Pkwy, and Rose Garden Rd. Take Pelican Blvd south from Cape Coral Parkway. The park is located on the southeast corner of the 4-way stop at Eldorado Pkwy. For a map go to: http://maps.google.com/maps and type "Rotary Park, Cape Coral, FL" into the search box. If you need human delivered directions or have any questions, call me at 239-542-6007! Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://birdpatrol.org/ Subject: FW: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 08:28:53 -0400 Reminder below... Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: Charlie Ewell [mailto:anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com] Subject: FW: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour I will be leading a Bird Patrol sponsored walk (Open to anyone that shows up! No registration needed.) at Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area (aka Little Estero Lagoon) this Saturday morning. Some details are below, and please email or call (239-542-6007) with any questions. Here is some additional info on the area: http://www.ecotrail.com/little_estero_island.htm Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: Bird Patrol [mailto:BirdPatrol AT birdpatrol.org] Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 10:46 AM To: BirdPatrol AT birdpatrol.org Subject: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour * April 5, Saturday 8:00AM Estero Lagoon Preserve Guide: Charlie Ewell. Meet at Santini Plaza parking lot (in NW corner) just south of Holiday Inn on Ft Myers beach. Wear beach shoes for possible wading. Expect to walk 2 or 3 hours. Shorebirds, wading birds, gulls, terns, possible peregrine falcon. More information: Charlie Ewell 542-6007 Subject: Nesting Cooper's Hawks in Naples From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 08:24:19 -0400 All, Here is an article in the Naples Daily News about nesting Cooper's Hawks and a construction project. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/03/construction-downtown-parking-gar age-stopped-after/ Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: FW: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 10:15:36 -0400 I will be leading a Bird Patrol sponsored walk (Open to anyone that shows up! No registration needed.) at Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area (aka Little Estero Lagoon) this Saturday morning. Some details are below, and please email or call (239-542-6007) with any questions. Here is some additional info on the area: http://www.ecotrail.com/little_estero_island.htm Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: Bird Patrol [mailto:BirdPatrol AT birdpatrol.org] Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 10:46 AM To: BirdPatrol AT birdpatrol.org Subject: This Sat: Estero Lagoon tour * April 5, Saturday 8:00AM Estero Lagoon Preserve Guide: Charlie Ewell. Meet at Santini Plaza parking lot (in NW corner) just south of Holiday Inn on Ft Myers beach. Wear beach shoes for possible wading. Expect to walk 2 or 3 hours. Shorebirds, wading birds, gulls, terns, possible peregrine falcon. More information: Charlie Ewell 542-6007 Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 29 Marchl 2008 From: "SRQ Bird Alerts" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:00:44 -0400 29 March - Returned to Celery Fields in Sarasota this AM for another attempt at seeing the rails. Much better luck today. Within 10 minutes of sunrise I had seen the sora rail. In the same stretch of weeds near the gazebo I found the king rail who eventually came out in the open for me. And eventually I also found a little virginia rail in the same area. Stopped at the Skyway Bridge on the way home and did not see one gannet this time. What a difference 2 weeks makes. Matt Paulson His two pictures of rails ought to be attached and/or below depending on what one permits to be loaded onto your computer. Note: The Celery Fields are in north-eastern Sarasota County immediately south of Fruitville Road, immediately east of I-75 (take the Fruitville Road exit), immediately north of Palmer Blvd, and immediately west of Center Road. Look for the gazebo along the north side of Palmer Blvd and park there. Below ought to be a proper link to Google maps for the Celery Fields area. As for the name, once celery was grown in this area. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fruitville+Rd,+Sarasota,+FL,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=image _______________________________________ Peter Rice Subject: Recent photos of uncommon Florida birds From: "John Dougherty" <johndrty1 AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:09:18 -0000 I created a new photo album on this site today. It contains some of the uncommon birds in our area. All photos were taken during the past week. Canon 20D with 100-400 IS lens used. Some Photoshop processing. John Dougherty Fort Myers Beach Subject: Dancing bronzed cowbirds From: "calidris55" <calidris55 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:49:43 -0000 We watched the bronzed cowbirds at Naples Community Park (on 41 near/west of 951) for an hour. The attraction was the mating ritual of 2 of the males. A male would flutter up and hover several feet over one of the 4 females, then drop down almost bill to bill with the female where it would puff up most of its head and body feathers, all the while doing a slow "bounce," i.e., slowly sqatting to the ground and rising back up repeatedly. Quite entertaining and exotic, especially with the intense red eyes, although the females didn't seem to think so; we didn't observe any copulation.(They do not breed here, of course.) The birds were with a flock of b-t grackles along the fence opposite the gezebo. Of interest might be the 12 marbled godwits and 18 red knots in a mixed flock of others resting on the beach in the rain (no people) on the beach at Tigertail Beach on Marco at high tide. Has anyone seen whimbrels this winter? They are very conspicuous by their absence this year. Bill Jones Bonita Beach Subject: Bunche Beach pictures From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:25:48 -0400 All, I stumbled onto this set of pictures from Bunche Beach on the News-Press website. There are some spectacular spoonbill shots! http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=A4 &Date=20071003&Category=LIFESTYLES&ArtNo=710030801&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1 Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: upcoming Bird Patrol tours From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:07:14 -0400 FYI on the upcoming Bird Patrol guided walks: March 22, Saturday 8 a.m. Estero Marsh Preserve Guide: Pat Gladstone. Meet north end of Publix shopping center corner of US 41 & Island Park Rd in San Carlos Park. No trails or restrooms, some wading. Hike about 2 hours through saw palmetto, scrub, and black needle rush. Recent renovation work completed on site. More information: Pat Gladstone (239)992-6968 - April 5, Saturday 8 a.m. Estero Lagoon Preserve Guide: Charlie Ewell. Meet at Santini Plaza parking lot (in NW corner) just south of Holiday Inn on Ft Myers beach. Wear beach shoes for possible wading. Expect to walk 2 or 3 hours. Shorebirds, wading birds, gulls, terns, possible peregrine falcon. More information: Charlie Ewell 542-6007 - April 12, Saturday 8 a.m. Bunche Beach Guides: Bill Saunders and Iver Brooks. Located in So Ft. Myers off Summerlin Rd: Drive south on John Morris Rd until it deadends. Experience one of the best birding sites in Lee Co. Bring binoculars, sun protection, shoes that can get wet, a bottle of drinking water. Meet in the parking lot. More information: Bill Saunders 454-1598. - April 19, Saturday 8 a.m. Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve Guide: Judy Harvey. The site is located in NW Cape Coral west of the intersection of Old Burnt Store Rd & Durden Pkwy. From US 41, take Colonial Blvd(SR884) over the Midpoint Memorial Bridge (pay toll) to Cape Coral. Colonial becomes Veteran's Pkwy over the bridge. Follow Veteran's Parkway about 8 miles as it turns north & becomes Burnt Store Rd(CR765). Proceed north about 9 miles to Durden Pkwy. Turn left & head west to the end where Durden & Old Burnt Store Rd intersect. Parking is on the side of the road where Judy will be waiting in her red Bird Patrol vest. Expect to walk about 2 miles in 2 1/2 hours on a rough trail that may be wet. Bald eagles, hawks, warblers, wading birds. More information: Judy Harvey (239) 218-3467 At the www.birdpatrol.org site you can learn more about Bird Patrol itself: Lee County volunteers dedicated to protect, monitor, observe and educate our public regarding the contribution that birds make to the delicate balance of our ecosystem in the Lee County parks and Conservation 20/20 acquisitions. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com Subject: SRQ Bird Alerts 16 March 2008 - Ross's Goose location information From: "SRQ Bird Alerts" <SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:20:14 -0400 15 March - The Ross's Goose referred to in your email was seen in the Colony Cove Mobile Home Park. It was here between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm feeding on cracked corn put out by a resident. It has not been seen here since. Chris Beaton Colony Cove Ellenton, FL Comment: As I understand, this location is along US-301 about 4/5th of a mile east of I-75 and the Ellenton Mall (Prime Outlets). This Ross's Goose was first seen in this area (with BBWDs) more than a month ago in a restricted access area. Those searching for this Ross's Goose might look through out the area east of the Ellenton Mall, in particular in grassy areas and near water. Also, one might be alert for a flock of BBWDs for the Ross's Goose may be near or with them. Peter Rice _______________________________________ Peter Rice To subscribe, please send an E-mail to SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com To unsubscribe, please send an E-mail to SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com To CHANGE your address, use your OLD E-mail address to send an E-mail to the UNsubscribe address above and use your NEW E-mail address to send an E-mail to the subscribe address above. Subject: Looking for Volunteers for a Shorebird Nesting Project [CharlotteCountyNatureAlert] From: "Charlie Ewell" <anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:18:35 -0400 FYI re: Charlotte County volunteer opportunity. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ From: CharlotteCountyNatureAlert AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:CharlotteCountyNatureAlert AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Christie, Missy Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:45 AM To: CharlotteCountyNatureAlert AT yahoogroups.com; Shackelford, Holly; thomas duch; Edwards, Kevin; Brenda Bossman; John Taylor Cc: Thomson, Jim; Stevens, Andy Subject: [CharlotteCountyNatureAlert] Looking for Volunteers for a Shorebird Nesting Project Do you enjoy taking a stroll along the beach, and interacting with other beachgoers? If so, we may be looking for you! Charlotte County Natural Resources, in cooperation with Florida Department of Environmental Protection Parks Services, is looking for volunteers to assist in a shorebird nesting project. The goal of the project is to provide information to the public on shorebirds that use our beaches for nesting. It would involve walking beaches in Charlotte County, distributing literature, and providing information. If this is something that may interest you, or if you would like more information, please contact Missy L. Christie, at Charlotte County Natural Resources Division, 941-764-4360 or email at missy.christie AT charlottefl.com Please pass this message along to others. Thank you Missy L. Christie Environmental Specialist Charlotte County Natural Resources Division Office: (941) 764-4360 Cell: (941) 456-0699 www.CharlotteCountyFL.com ecountyfl.com/> "To Exceed Expectations in the Delivery of Public Services" ***************************************************************** Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from officials regarding county business, are public records available to the public and media upon request. 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