Summer 2010 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

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MAY/JUN/JUL 2010 VO LUME XXXVIII ,NUMBER 9

The Newsletter of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

Proposed Slate for May Elections!!! Our chapter will be selecting new leaders for the upcoming year at our May meeting. Please consider running for one of these elected positions. As many of you know, 90% of the work in a volunteer organization such as our is done by 10% of the members. Help us protect CAS from volunteer burn-out by sharing the load! We are also in dire need of people to assist with following responsibilities: Membership Chair, Programs, and editing of the quarterly newsletter Shorelines. Thank you to the dedicated members that have agreed to run for the following Board positions in May: President Vice President Treasurer Recording Secretary Corresponding Secretary

Gary Parsons Sylvia Cowen Karen Newhouse Phyllis Cheney Linda Holloway

Thanks also go to our Nomination Committee; Don Ware (chairman), Gary Parsons, and Phyllis Cheney.

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership Survey April 2010 By: Gary Parsons, Vice President

This winter the Board issued a survey of the members to find out if the Chapter was offering meetings at the best place and the right time, if chapter events were the ones the members wanted, how the members wanted communications from the Board, whether members wanted to volunteer for specific activities, what members felt were the most pressing local environmental issues and member demographics. Out of a population of over 400 members in the Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa Counties we received 23 surveys. I would interpret this to mean that most of the members contribute to Audubon National and are not connected to the local chapter. In response to our questions about programs, 15 attended while the remainder had time conflicts, had to drive far or were not interested. Those 15 people wanted to keep the meetings in Niceville on weekday nights. No surprise there! For events, a majority favored the Bird/photo walks and field trips. Paddling, Social Activities and Hiking were each favored by 8 or 9 people. This suggests we might want to seek volunteers to offer/coordinate these activities. Seventeen responders wanted their newsletter and chapter correspondence by e-mail. We did have several people volunteer to be on committees including conservation, hospitality, field trips and newsletter. In local issues, 20 were concerned over loss of habitat, 14 over oil well drilling and 15 over water conservation. All of our responders were full time residents and all but one were between 50 and 70+ years old. On Thursday night, after our regular program, we held a drawing for those members who submitted surveys. The prize was $50 cash donated by the Chapter. The winner was Jean Johnson of Niceville. Jean has been a member of Audubon since 1976. We congratulate Jean not only for winning but for her loyal support. We also thank all those that responded to the survey. CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.

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Calendar of Events: CAS monthly meetings are held the First Thursday of each month August thru May at 6:30 PM at NWFSC Niceville Learning Resources Center (LRC), Room 128. Non-members are welcome.

CAS Programs:

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR OWN BEVERAGE MUGS!

May 6: “Digging up the Dirt on the Eglin Reservation” Joseph Meyers, an archaeologist at Eglin AFB, will use old photographs and actual artifacts to take us into the past of our region’s largest natural area. Note: This is also our annual meeting for the purpose of electing new chapter officers. June and July: Summer break. See you in August!

Outings: May 7: Eventure in South Walton, 7 PM. RSVP to Nonie 862-9588. May 8: North American Spring Migration Count. Don Ware 862-6582.

Other: May 1: Choctawhatchee Estuary Family Festival. Rocky Bayou State Park, Niceville. http://www.nwfstatecollege.edu/ MattieKellyInstitute/env-estuary-festival.cfm. June ?: FWB Kids’ Day. Fort Walton Landing. Volunteer to help with the CAS display and activities for the kids. Nonie Maines 862-9588.

12--15 Feb 2010 Choctawhatchee Audubon Society retreats to Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, 12 By Gary Parsons, Conservation Chair

Despite the most snow in 15 years, an intrepid group attended our annual retreat headquartered at Lake Point Resort State Park adjacent to the Refuge. Donald and Carol Ware were returning from a month long trip to Thailand and actually drove through the snow to arrive on Friday. Kay and Gary Parsons, Carole and Phil Goodyear and Margaret Benner drove up Saturday through brilliant sunshine and snow covered trees and fields. We rendezvoused at the Resort’s Marina grill for lunch and then headed out for the refuge. Since the Wares arrived earlier, they had already reconnoitered the area, shrugged off jet lag and were eager to show us what they had found. The refuge consists of 11,000 acres of uplands and diked wetlands much of which is planted in food for the wildlife, especially birds. We found the dirt trails throughout the Refuge easily navigable although a certain red Prius did get stuck at the area treatment ponds. Self guided auto tour brochures may be found at the Refuge entrance. Saturday evening we had happy hour at the Ware’s room followed by a terrific dinner at the Lodge restaurant. The next morning, after breakfast at the Lodge, we birded the Lake Point State Park woodlands, picnic area and campgrounds. We found warblers and common passerines and along the lake front, more ducks and close looks at Red-Headed Woodpeckers, Canadian Geese and herons. Great Blue Herons were mating and building nests on an island rookery southwest of the picnic grounds. Later that morning we went through the town of Eufaula and searched the Alabama and Georgia Lake Eufaula shorelines. We had lunch at Parsons’ and Benner’s cabin and then went back to the refuge where we walked the dikes in search of more ducks and shorebirds. The Wares departed that afternoon and the rest of the party again had dinner at the Lodge. Over night light rain moved in and continued the next morning so after a brief visit to the Refuge, and a trip to the visitor’s center, which was closed for President’s Day, we departed for home. The Refuge is a wonderful site for birding. We counted 83 species including 12 species of ducks. Raptors were also abundant and we saw mature and immature Bald Eagles, lots of Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and Cooper’s hawks, a Northern Harrier and Kestrels. The accommodations at Lake Point include a very nice Lodge with rooms on the water, cabins, waterfront suites and campgrounds. Lake Eufaula is noted for excellent bass fishing and the resort/marina is designed to support the fisherman. It wasn’t crowded when we were there but I imagine it gets very busy during the warmer months. The food was good and staff very accommodating. The drive is about 3 hours. Click on the link for more details. http://www.alapark.com/LakePointResort/.

CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.

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Conservation Corner: Water--Water---What ---What are we doing to the Floridan Aquifer? By: Gary Parsons, Conservation Chair, Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

Aquifers are the principle source of our drinking water and, in Florida, feed hundreds of our beautiful springs. The Floridan aquifer is impacted by issues of both quantity and quality. According to a recent article in National Geographic, of all the water on the planet, 97% is salty, 2% is tied up in snow and ice and of the remaining 1% about a third is underground. Our groundwater is replenished by rainfall. But in the Floridan aquifer most of the recharge surface has low permeability and only about 2% of the rain penetrates into the aquifer the remained runs off in streams, evaporates or gets taken up by plants and animals (especially humans). While we are drawing down the aquifer in many parts of Florida (south Okaloosa County has seen salt water infiltration and a huge drop in the potentiometer surface) we have plenty of water available from local rivers and could even obtain water from the Bay using reverse osmosis. The County and Northwest Florida Water Management District have plans to move away from the Floridan aquifer as our major source of domestic water. Perhaps a more serious problem with the Floridan aquifer is nutrient contamination from nitrates. Nitrates come from agricultural over fertilization, concentrated livestock operations, from septic tanks, wastewater infiltration and from atmospheric deposition. Nitrates and phosphates are fertilizer. Because our springs flow through limestone the water is naturally supplied with phosphates. Historically, nitrates have been the limiting ingredient on excess plant growth once our spring waters reach the surface and sunlight. Nitrate concentrations of 10-20 PPB are typical. But researchers are finding nitrate concentrations of 6000 PPB in Silver and Fanning Springs. Such levels of nutrients are capable of precipitating algae blooms that smother native plants. Please see the recent article in the Orlando Sentinel http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-04-11/news/os-floridas-dyingsprings-20100411_1_nitrate-alexander-springs-native/3. Once the recharge water becomes contaminated, it will take a very long time to “clean out the system” even if all surface contamination is stopped. State senator Lee Constantine has introduced SB 550. The bill calls for closer regulation of septic tanks, waste treatment effluent and agricultural operations but it may not go far enough. Please make sure your legislators know that you are concerned about the quality of water recharging our aquifer and that you want to see better regulation of nutrient contamination of our land. Use the link below to learn more and contact your legislators: https://secure3.convio.net/nasaud/site/Advocacy? cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=785&JServSessionIdr004=uthw63v2le.app305a.

We Say No to Expanded Oil Drilling At the start of the 2010 Florida legislative session, CAS informed our legislators about our opposition to the expansion of oil drilling off the coast of Florida. In a discussion of the issue at the January chapter meeting, members voiced their opposition to drilling and approved development of a resolution to express this view. Written (special thanks to Gary Parsons) and approved by the CAS Board, the resolution was sent to our State senators, State and U.S. representatives, Governor Crist, and Florida’s two U.S. senators. To read our resolution, go to protectfloridasbeaches.org or our chapter website choctawhatcheeaudubon.org.

March 6, 2010 Bird Walk By: Gary Parsons

Eleven people showed up, 4 Canadians, 2 north US snowbirds and 5 local Auduboners. The Friday before I went behind the Badcock furniture and south of the AMVET post and decided both sites were to trashy to take visitors to. Our tour covered the head of the bayou that was accessible from the parking lot and then a walking tour from Lincoln Park around Val-P to Glen Argyle Park and back. Although the park was closed, Rob Holloway removed the closed signs for our group to pass through. Some of our visitors wanted to see Red-Headed Woodpeckers so we finished by driving to Florida Park. Unfortunately, we found neither woodpeckers nor much of anything else. This being said, all in all, it was a beautiful day. No migrants as yet, but a good time. Don recorded 34 speCAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.

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Field Trip to Ft. Morgan

White Point and Bluewater Bay Bird Walk By: Carole Goodyear, Chapter President

CAS members Stacy Meader, Bob Penhollow, and Phil & Carole Goodyear spent the morning of April 10 in the White Point/Bluewater Bay area. The reason for the small turnout at this scheduled walk could not have been the weather; it was a glorious morning for birding. Our first stop at a wooded, brushy corner in Raintree Estates quickly produced 19 species plus the first of many active osprey nests we would see during the morning. Far out in the bay, off Raintree Beach Park, was a very large flock of common loons and ring-billed gulls. A loon near shore gave us a good view of its breeding plumage. Gunter Recreation Area at the tip of White Point provided some excitement as we identified a dark coppery raptor as a very out-of-range Harris’s hawk and then found the falconer who was flying it. Of course, we didn’t see or hear a single songbird here! As we scanned the bay for least terns, we stood near the osprey nest that was active last year. Thanks to Stacy, we realized the nest was still active -- with a great-horned owl. Sitting just outside the nest was a napping, fuzzy owl fledgling. In Bluewater Bay, the large oaks in the marina parking lot plus the habitat in Tom & Robin Stiles’ yard were busy with singing parulas, noisy great crested flycatchers, a few colorful yellow-rumped warblers and goldfinches, green heron, and a singing white-throated sparrow. The attractions at the Bay Drive swamp were three great blue heron nests and two osprey nests, all with sitting birds. By this time it was almost noon, and we had identified 48 species. The Goodyears continued birding and added cedar waxwing and pied-billed grebe to make 50 species.

by Don Ware On March 27th I led a caravan of four vehicles from Uptown Station in Ft. Walton Beach and the public parking lot in Navarre to the bird banding station at Ft. Morgan, AL. The 11 people at our tally before lunch had accumulated a trip list of 63 species, species 50 of which I saw personally. I enjoyed the company of Lenny Fenimore, and Sylvia Cowen from Ft. Walton Beach and Tom Sayjawa from Navarre Beach in my Prius, and I think they were impressed that my 900-mile average fuel consumption increased from 50.3 to 51.7 on the trip. Nelda and Noreen continued west after the visit. Karen Wagoner and two visiting relatives continued to Dauphin Island when we left as did Melissa Carter and her friend from Niceville. I had reports that Jerry Litynski and wife were driving from Crestview, and Tom Church was picking up his grandkids from Gulf Breeze to watch the banding, but there were so many people birding the fort that we did not see them. Each spring and Fall during the migration season the Hummer/Bird Study Group mans two banding stations. Birders are encouraged to stay away from the mist nets to avoid distressing the birds. The banders survey each net every 15 minutes, and after detailed data is recorded on each bird the groups of school children, scouts, and just bird lovers are taught about the habits of each species. Some are allowed to hold and release the birds. Some donate to the work by "adopting" a bird they fall in love with, and this entitles them to a report on future knowledge acquired about that bird. The banding station is also a great place to purchase new hummingbird feeders and other useful items for bird lovers. The best birds that some of us had very good looks at were an unusually cooperative Henslow's Sparrow that Lenny got us on near the grass runway and the WormWorm-eating Warbler at the nearby banding station.

Pictured below: Great Horned Owl fledgling: courtesy of Stacy Meader

Pictured above: Worm-eating Warbler and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; Courtesy of Nelda.

In the newspaper……. Don Ware, with a letter to the NWF Daily News in opposition to fox penning (March 28). Murray Cragin, with his photo of the Swainson’s hawk (April 4).

Earth Day at Fort Walton Landing By: Theresa Dennis, Shorelines Editor

Last Friday CAS joined many other conservation groups to educate thousands of elementary age school children in downtown FWB. The turn out was the best I have seen it! Gary Parsons, myself and my mother had the opportunity to speak to many interested children and quite a few adults about ways they can help wildlife and how to join and become active in our chapter. I was very excited to see local, state, and national groups teaching along side of us. FWC had a fabulous “Be a Bear” exhibit and both of our local Wildlife Rehabilitation organizations were there with their stunning animal ambassadors. I would like to thank Nonie Maines for her wonderful ‘biofacts’ or dead things that make our table a popular hands-on destination for festival goers! CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.

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When the Weather Channel Came to Town By: Sharon Weaver

I absolutely love springtime in Northwest Florida and apparently so does the weather channel. To me the signal that spring is on its way is when those first buds on Azaleas, Hawthorns and Dogwoods suddenly pop out providing a much-needed blast of color after the ho-hum drab days of winter. The beaches of Destin provided a different spring background for the Weather Channel’s Stephanie Abrams and Mike Betts on" Your Weather Today and Wake Up with Al. " For an entire week, the theme of "Why I love spring" was intermixed with the many attractions drawing tourists to our little corner of the world. Of course the focus on Destin's beaches provided many segments included making sand angels, Para gliding, kite flying and beach games. On Thursday, April 1, 2010, the morning segment included the following: Eglin AFB weather squadron was consulted to discuss their importance and support for not just the base but for the entire viewing area. The oil drilling controversy was touched upon. Much to the delight of animal lovers a segment of time was devoted to wildlife and wildlife protection. Patrick Gault, Assistant Director of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, explained the importance of his facility to our area with clips of some of his rescued animals. Don Ware, our resident bird expert and Choctawhatchee Audubon's Bird Coordinator, presented his thoughts about the importance of the landfill to the survival of migratory birds and facts on birding in Okaloosa County. JVO and I talked about photographing birds-equipment to use, where to go, and the fun of doing it. Linda Holloway, Murray Cragin, Sharon and JVO Weaver contributed photos to the birding segment. If you look carefully, you will see that they were given photo credit. Viewers had an opportunity to see what our area is like from the inside out and upside down. The Weather Channel definitely did an excellent job of promoting tourism to the Emerald Coast.

Thank You to Our Volunteers for February -- April Activities

Meeting refreshments: Phyllis Cheney, Margaret Benner, Tom & Alice Rhodes. Bird Conservation Alliance conference call on the feral cat problem: Gary Parsons. FWS Winter Shorebird Survey: Lenny Fenimore. Walton Co. Tourist Development Council, New Products Committee meeting: Gary Parsons. Meeting with county administrators, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, and feral cat support group about feral cats on Okaloosa Island: Gary Parsons. Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance membership meeting: Gary & Kay Parsons, Nonie Maines. Wildlife Education Seminar in Marianna: Nonie Maines, Theresa Dennis, Gary & Kay Parsons. Instructor for Master Naturalist Upland Birds class: Gary Parsons. Earth Day at FWB Landing: Theresa Dennis, Bonnie Locke, and Gary Parsons. Dedication of memorial plaque at Kellogg property: Nonie Maines, Gary Parsons, and Karen Newhouse.

CAS Helps Florida Park Service The Florida Park Service requested help from CAS with activities at its Volunteer Appreciation Day at Eden Gardens State Park on February 27. The event was to thank volunteers for their many hours of service to the state parks in the FPS Northwest Region. Tom and Robin Stiles agreed to lead a morning bird walk and had 18 participants, from as far away as the state of Washington. The weather was chilly with a north wind and uncomfortable for some people who weren’t dressed for this kind of Florida weather. The birds also seemed to be hiding from the weather, and only nine species were found. There were, however, good scope views of birds on the bayou, and some of these were life birds for participants. Thank you, Robin and Tom!

Great Backyard Bird Count Results Participants from communities throughout our CAS region turned in 52 checklists to the GBBC over the weekend of February 12-15. Counters in Niceville and Fort Walton Beach submitted 14 and 13 checklists respectively, and the total number of species for each town was the same at 41. DeFuniak Springs was close behind with 39 species. Almost 2 million birds of 277 species were reported for Florida overall. This total was dominated by 1.4 million American robins counted in a roost in St. Petersburg. Results can be explored at www.birdcount.org. Thanks to all those who counted their birds. CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.

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:

Carole Goodyear

[email protected]…. 897-2666

Gary Parsons [email protected] ……….678-1461

• • • •

Florida Naturalist Magazine



Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures

Our local Shorelines newsletter Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers

To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to;

Vice President: Treasurer:

Karen Newhouse

[email protected]….897.3745

Recording Secretary: Position available Corresponding. Sec: Linda Holloway [email protected] ……850-376-0327

National Audubon Society, P.O. Box 422250, Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250

CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY. To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.

□New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 □Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 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 (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. Chapter Code: C9ZE110Z

Bird Count Coordinator: Donald M. Ware……………....862.6582 [email protected] Conservation:

Gary Parsons

[email protected] ……….678-1461 Education:

Nonie Maines

Printed on Recycled Paper © 2007 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.

[email protected]……...862.9588 Field trips Coord : Position available Hospitality: Phyllis Cheney [email protected] …..862-4757 Membership: Position available Publicity: Nonie Maines [email protected]……...862.9588 Programs: Shorelines Editor:

Position available Theresa Dennis

[email protected]……………. Historian:

Position available

A great big THANK YOU to all CAS sponsors ! 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

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