May 2007 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society
Content
May 2007 VOLUME XXXVI ,NUMBER 4
The Newsletter of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Panhandle Audubon Family Retreat
Shoal Sanctuary
2 2
Fort Morgan Bird Banding
3
Memorial Update
3
Thank you to our Sponsors
4
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: CAS monthly meetings are held the First Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM at OWC Niceville Learning Resources Center (LRC), Room 131. Non members are welcome.
TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN…….. Decoys Reinstalled: Last spring, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission in Panama City provided the CAS Tern Team with least tern decoys, which we placed on the “remodeled” roof of the Regional Sewer Treatment Plant in Niceville. We didn’t get any tenants that season. This year Carole Goodyear, Karen Newhouse, and Cindy Pettit (sewer plant biologist) reinstalled the decoys on March 20. The vacancy sign is out, and we hope some terns see it! A big thank-you goes to Cindy and the new plant manager, Rick Helms, for continued support of this project. —Carole Goodyear
May Program: Cuban Snowy Plover Dr. John G. Himes, Biologist with FWC will talk about the stateendangered Cuban Snowy Plover. Please join us to learn how help FWC ID their habits.
Fieldtrips & More:
May 4: Eventures W/Nonie at Grace Brown Trail Hurlburt Sound side at 7:15pm RSVP at 862-9588 May 5: Bird Walk for Shorebirds of Okaloosa Island. Meet at Destin Bridge West Parking lot.
John Himes & Bob Penhollow 368-8630 Photo caption: Carole Goodyear (left) and Cindy Pettit (right) install decoys on
May 12: North American the sewer plant roof. Spring Migration Count & International Migratory Bird Day. To volunteer call
Donald M. Ware 862-6582
May 29-31 Panhandle Family Retreat
Please contact Nonie if you would like to be a part of the CAS Tern Team and help rescue shorebirds that have left crowded beaches for quiet gravel roofs.
CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.
Page 2
VOLUME XXXVI, NUMBER 4
Panhandle Audubon Regional Family Retreat Join CAS and our youngest members for a family fieldtrip to the Tallahassee area May 29-31, 2007. Here is our itinerary as it is right now: Day one: Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science for a tour and special program. $8 per person Day two: Bear Creek Education Forest for an Orienteering Program and guided trail hike. FREE Day three: Birdsong Nature Center for a Florida Wildlife and Birding tour and hiking. $5 per person You can join us for all or some of the days. We will be tent camping in Quincy at Pat Thomas Park, $10 a night 4 people. There are lodges, cabins and hotels in the area also. We are also considering adding some kayaking to our plans so please let us know if you have boats and would like to join in the fun! Please contact Nonie Maines for additional info. Non-members are invited but encouraged to join Audubon to help us further our wildlife protection and education missions.
For our monthly bird walk in April, we went to the Shoal Sanctuary [S. S.]. The S. S. is a very unique place. "It is a 50 acre private nature preserve and sculpture trails" located in Walton Co. at Mossy Head owned by Chris and Robert Larson. We carpooled from Niceville and arrived just after 8am. The Larsons were kind enough to be our tour guides. We were not too successful at finding a large variety of birds, but the birds we did find were still great and the setting with the sculptures and plants certainly made the trip worthwhile. We did see lots of Bluebirds and a life bird for me, a Northern Bobwhite, along with several others. Also the Larson's chickens are a South American variety that lay Robin's-egg-blue eggs. I am sure that another couple of weeks and we would have seen many more birds. Last year was more successful. If you would like to visit on your own, contact -Bob Penhollow the Larsons at 598-0392 to schedule a visit.
S h or e l i n e s
Page 3
Charlie Parkel Memorial Update The committee has been hard at work preparing a suitable memorial for our beloved friend Charlie Parkel. They report that all of the items needed for the kiosk are in except for the three central signs. The images are being collected for the species and habitats that will be pictured. The graphics company will then use the photographs to create lasting fiberglass imbedded signs. When all of this is completed, the rangers at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park will then build the wood kiosk. Charlie’s family and friends should be proud, people have already began to call the park inquiring as to when the project will be finished. We are hoping for a Fall dedication ceremony so keep a sharp eye on the web site and plan to help us celebrate his legacy! Thank you to all of the hard working committee members who have invested so much time to honor his memory. Theresa Dennis
Fort Morgan Bird Banding Experience On the morning of March 31, we set out for Fort Morgan long before the sun rose in order to be at the bird banding station early when we would most likely see more birds. We arrived with great expectations which were soon dashed. The area was packed with people, but there were no birds in sight. It was a very slow morning, and every bird was greeted as a celebrity. The birds that stopped by for a visit were all very interesting birds, and we learned a lot about each species. I was fairly excited to see a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I have seen many males but I believe this was the first female that I have seen in this area. She never stopped talking the entire time that she was being weighed, measured, photographed and talked about. And she took a few bites of Fred Moore’s hand. He was much happier showing off Chipping Sparrows and Swainson’s Warblers. We did have an enjoyable day learning many bird facts from Bob Sargent. We had a great lunch in Foley at the Gift Horse Restaurant, visited the Farmer’s Market and the Cheese Factory in Elberta. As we headed for home, we agreed that it was day well spent. —Thelma At left: Banders show off a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Chipping Sparrow . At Right: And here is Ms. Yakkity Yak… a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker held by Fred Moore.
Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership Name:_____________________________________ Address:_________________________________________ City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:____________________ Phone: ___________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________
□Introductory New Member- $20.00 □Individual Member Renewal- $35.00 □Introductory Student/Senior- $15.00 □Renewal Student/Senior-$15.00 When you join you will be part of national, state, and local Audubon groups and will receive... • Audubon magazine
Chapter Representatives President:
Nonie Maines
[email protected]……....862.9588 Vice President:
Thelma Phillips
• • • •
•
Florida Naturalist Magazine Our local Shorelines newsletter Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures
To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to; NAS Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.
[email protected]…………651.0508 Treasurer:
Karen Newhouse
CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY.
[email protected]…..897.3745
To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.
Recording Secretary:
□New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 □Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00
Kathy Tidwell
[email protected]………...651.5156 Corresponding Sec’y: Sharon Weaver [email protected]..……………..897.5464 Bird Count Coord: Donald M. Ware [email protected]……..862.6582 Conservation:
Position Open
Education:
Nonie Maines
FL Dept of Agriculture REG # CH4619 A copy of the Official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free (800-4357352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. Chapter Code: E-11 7XCH
[email protected]……….862.9588 Field trips Coord:
Bob Penhollow
Printed on Recycled Paper © 2006 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
[email protected]……..729.2602 Hospitality:
Sharon Weaver
[email protected]……………….897.5464 Membership: Publicity:
Position Available Linda Daugherty
[email protected]…..269.0665 Programs:
Thelma Phillips
[email protected]…..….…651.0508 Shorelines Editor:
Theresa Dennis
……………[email protected] Historian:
Pat Baker
[email protected] .…………….678.2953
A great big THANK YOU to all CAS sponsors ! Winn Dixie of Bluewater Bay for Refreshments for our meeting. Donations are welcome, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free to specify a particular fund/event that you’d wish to sponsor.
P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
Contact Theresa Dennis If you would like to receive Shorelines in color with links via e-mail.
We’re on the Web! CHOCTAWHATCHEEAUDUBON.ORG
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Fort Walton Beach, FL Permit No. 110
The Newsletter of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Panhandle Audubon Family Retreat
Shoal Sanctuary
2 2
Fort Morgan Bird Banding
3
Memorial Update
3
Thank you to our Sponsors
4
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: CAS monthly meetings are held the First Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM at OWC Niceville Learning Resources Center (LRC), Room 131. Non members are welcome.
TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN…….. Decoys Reinstalled: Last spring, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission in Panama City provided the CAS Tern Team with least tern decoys, which we placed on the “remodeled” roof of the Regional Sewer Treatment Plant in Niceville. We didn’t get any tenants that season. This year Carole Goodyear, Karen Newhouse, and Cindy Pettit (sewer plant biologist) reinstalled the decoys on March 20. The vacancy sign is out, and we hope some terns see it! A big thank-you goes to Cindy and the new plant manager, Rick Helms, for continued support of this project. —Carole Goodyear
May Program: Cuban Snowy Plover Dr. John G. Himes, Biologist with FWC will talk about the stateendangered Cuban Snowy Plover. Please join us to learn how help FWC ID their habits.
Fieldtrips & More:
May 4: Eventures W/Nonie at Grace Brown Trail Hurlburt Sound side at 7:15pm RSVP at 862-9588 May 5: Bird Walk for Shorebirds of Okaloosa Island. Meet at Destin Bridge West Parking lot.
John Himes & Bob Penhollow 368-8630 Photo caption: Carole Goodyear (left) and Cindy Pettit (right) install decoys on
May 12: North American the sewer plant roof. Spring Migration Count & International Migratory Bird Day. To volunteer call
Donald M. Ware 862-6582
May 29-31 Panhandle Family Retreat
Please contact Nonie if you would like to be a part of the CAS Tern Team and help rescue shorebirds that have left crowded beaches for quiet gravel roofs.
CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.
Page 2
VOLUME XXXVI, NUMBER 4
Panhandle Audubon Regional Family Retreat Join CAS and our youngest members for a family fieldtrip to the Tallahassee area May 29-31, 2007. Here is our itinerary as it is right now: Day one: Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science for a tour and special program. $8 per person Day two: Bear Creek Education Forest for an Orienteering Program and guided trail hike. FREE Day three: Birdsong Nature Center for a Florida Wildlife and Birding tour and hiking. $5 per person You can join us for all or some of the days. We will be tent camping in Quincy at Pat Thomas Park, $10 a night 4 people. There are lodges, cabins and hotels in the area also. We are also considering adding some kayaking to our plans so please let us know if you have boats and would like to join in the fun! Please contact Nonie Maines for additional info. Non-members are invited but encouraged to join Audubon to help us further our wildlife protection and education missions.
For our monthly bird walk in April, we went to the Shoal Sanctuary [S. S.]. The S. S. is a very unique place. "It is a 50 acre private nature preserve and sculpture trails" located in Walton Co. at Mossy Head owned by Chris and Robert Larson. We carpooled from Niceville and arrived just after 8am. The Larsons were kind enough to be our tour guides. We were not too successful at finding a large variety of birds, but the birds we did find were still great and the setting with the sculptures and plants certainly made the trip worthwhile. We did see lots of Bluebirds and a life bird for me, a Northern Bobwhite, along with several others. Also the Larson's chickens are a South American variety that lay Robin's-egg-blue eggs. I am sure that another couple of weeks and we would have seen many more birds. Last year was more successful. If you would like to visit on your own, contact -Bob Penhollow the Larsons at 598-0392 to schedule a visit.
S h or e l i n e s
Page 3
Charlie Parkel Memorial Update The committee has been hard at work preparing a suitable memorial for our beloved friend Charlie Parkel. They report that all of the items needed for the kiosk are in except for the three central signs. The images are being collected for the species and habitats that will be pictured. The graphics company will then use the photographs to create lasting fiberglass imbedded signs. When all of this is completed, the rangers at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park will then build the wood kiosk. Charlie’s family and friends should be proud, people have already began to call the park inquiring as to when the project will be finished. We are hoping for a Fall dedication ceremony so keep a sharp eye on the web site and plan to help us celebrate his legacy! Thank you to all of the hard working committee members who have invested so much time to honor his memory. Theresa Dennis
Fort Morgan Bird Banding Experience On the morning of March 31, we set out for Fort Morgan long before the sun rose in order to be at the bird banding station early when we would most likely see more birds. We arrived with great expectations which were soon dashed. The area was packed with people, but there were no birds in sight. It was a very slow morning, and every bird was greeted as a celebrity. The birds that stopped by for a visit were all very interesting birds, and we learned a lot about each species. I was fairly excited to see a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I have seen many males but I believe this was the first female that I have seen in this area. She never stopped talking the entire time that she was being weighed, measured, photographed and talked about. And she took a few bites of Fred Moore’s hand. He was much happier showing off Chipping Sparrows and Swainson’s Warblers. We did have an enjoyable day learning many bird facts from Bob Sargent. We had a great lunch in Foley at the Gift Horse Restaurant, visited the Farmer’s Market and the Cheese Factory in Elberta. As we headed for home, we agreed that it was day well spent. —Thelma At left: Banders show off a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Chipping Sparrow . At Right: And here is Ms. Yakkity Yak… a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker held by Fred Moore.
Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership Name:_____________________________________ Address:_________________________________________ City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:____________________ Phone: ___________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________
□Introductory New Member- $20.00 □Individual Member Renewal- $35.00 □Introductory Student/Senior- $15.00 □Renewal Student/Senior-$15.00 When you join you will be part of national, state, and local Audubon groups and will receive... • Audubon magazine
Chapter Representatives President:
Nonie Maines
[email protected]……....862.9588 Vice President:
Thelma Phillips
• • • •
•
Florida Naturalist Magazine Our local Shorelines newsletter Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures
To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to; NAS Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.
[email protected]…………651.0508 Treasurer:
Karen Newhouse
CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY.
[email protected]…..897.3745
To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.
Recording Secretary:
□New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 □Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00
Kathy Tidwell
[email protected]………...651.5156 Corresponding Sec’y: Sharon Weaver [email protected]..……………..897.5464 Bird Count Coord: Donald M. Ware [email protected]……..862.6582 Conservation:
Position Open
Education:
Nonie Maines
FL Dept of Agriculture REG # CH4619 A copy of the Official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free (800-4357352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. Chapter Code: E-11 7XCH
[email protected]……….862.9588 Field trips Coord:
Bob Penhollow
Printed on Recycled Paper © 2006 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
[email protected]……..729.2602 Hospitality:
Sharon Weaver
[email protected]……………….897.5464 Membership: Publicity:
Position Available Linda Daugherty
[email protected]…..269.0665 Programs:
Thelma Phillips
[email protected]…..….…651.0508 Shorelines Editor:
Theresa Dennis
……………[email protected] Historian:
Pat Baker
[email protected] .…………….678.2953
A great big THANK YOU to all CAS sponsors ! Winn Dixie of Bluewater Bay for Refreshments for our meeting. Donations are welcome, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free to specify a particular fund/event that you’d wish to sponsor.
P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
Contact Theresa Dennis If you would like to receive Shorelines in color with links via e-mail.
We’re on the Web! CHOCTAWHATCHEEAUDUBON.ORG
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Fort Walton Beach, FL Permit No. 110
