The St.

Petersburg Audubon Society

WingSpan November 2006

Tuesday November 21st, 7:00pm at the SCIENCE CENTER,
Calendar of Events - 7701 22nd Avenue N.,
November 2006 + St. Petersburg 727-384-0027

“ALLIGATORS: ANCIENT REPTILES

Nov. 4-5 - Art Arbor Festival at Boyd Hill Nature IN A MODERN WORLD”
Park, 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg.
Call Wanda Dean, 321-3995, to volunteer at our Kent A. Vliet, Ph.D. University of Florida
booth.

Nov. 7 - SPAS Board meeting; 6:30pm at The Alligators are found in almost all natural ecosystems as well as
Science Center. urban settings in Florida. Join us for this wonderful presentation on
the natural history and complex social behaviors of these
Nov. 11 - Ft. DeSoto County Park – Leisurely bird magnificent creatures. Dr. Vliet will also
walk at various locations throughout the park. This be talking about interactions and conflicts
walk will be geared toward beginners, parents with with humans.
school-aged children, and the elderly. Binoculars You’ll go home with a greater
will be provided. 9am – Noon. Meet at the flagpole,
understanding of these ancient reptiles and
park headquarters. Leader: Mauri Peterson, 893-
why they do the things they do.
4124.

Nov. 18 - Pack Light Camping Workshop. Learn

what to take and how to pack for a day hike,
Mark your calendars NOW
overnight trip or a weekend of camping. Boyd Hill CONSERVATION CELEBRATION
Nature Park, 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Wednesday, December 6th 6:30-10pm
Petersburg. 9am – 2pm. Call Lourdes Bielsa to
register, 577-9193. Fee
Pinellas County Native Plant and St Petersburg Audubon Societies
Dec. 2 - Shorebird Refresher, Ft. DeSoto County present the annual Conservation Celebration on Wednesday, December
Park - Get those winter shorebird brain cells working 6th, 2006 from 6:30 – 10pm at the Pinellas County Extension Service
again. Meet 8am by the flagpole at park head- in Largo. As always, this will be a fun-filled evening with a silent
quarters. Leader: Lee Snyder, 540-0583. auction, environmental information from local groups, food and our
guest speaker, John Moran.
December 6 (Wed.) - Conservation Celebration,
REFRESHMENTS: Everyone please bring some appetizers or finger
6:30pm at the Pinellas County Extension, 12520
foods to share – it makes for a delicious assortment sure to please
Ulmerton Road, Largo. 727-582-2120. See info on
everyone.
page 1 of this newsletter and inside.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Successful events are easy with a little
Dec. 9 - Scout for Christmas Bird Count. help from a lot of people. If you can help out with set up 4-6:30pm
(room, auction, or refreshment set ups) or cleanup after the meeting,
Dec. 16 - 107th Annual Christmas Bird Count. please let me know. We’ll need help during the event selling raffle
Participate in a day of full contact birding. Call Mauri tickets for some great gift baskets. Contact Barb at 343-1272 or
Peterson, 398- 4124, to volunteer. Countdown [email protected].
dinner 6pm, at Panera Bread, 2285 Ulmerton Rd,
Feather Sound. Dave Goodwin, compiler. Contact: AUCTION ITEMS: Silent auction items are needed. Gift items, gift
Mauri Peterson, 398-4124. certificates, or services - be creative. Weeding, handyman, technical
help, cookie of the month, drive someone to the airport…you’re sure
to have a skill someone could “purchase.” You will need to send a
written description of your donation and its value to Jeanne at
Happy [email protected] or Barb at [email protected] by
Thanksgiving, November 30th. Bring items to the general meeting on Nov. 20th or
call Barb to make arrangements for drop off at the Extension office in
one and all! Largo or a location in Gulfport. It is difficult to accept items the day
of the event, so please plan ahead.
 PRESIDENT’S M ESSAGE by Mauri Peterson, SPAS President

Finally, I can turn off the AC let them know that we want and need portions of our county
and open the windows. I can left undeveloped. The elections will soon be here and gone
hear my wind chimes and the but, regardless of the outcome, it behooves us to contact our
b i r d s c h i r p i n g i n th e county commissioners and representatives to voice our
Bougainvillea. And I have opinions. How else are they going to know? If you choose
finally discovered what dug a to contact someone in public office might I make a
tunnel under the fence! Around suggestion? More clichés: “You get more flies with honey
11:30pm as I lay in bed I heard a scraping noise that could than with vinegar.” An adversarial tone to your conversation
only come from something crawling under the fence. I got or letter will only put the recipient on the defensive. Try the
the flashlight out and, sure enough, a large armadillo was “sandwich” approach: Start with a compliment or a positive
waddling past my window into the backyard. In this highly statement, followed by your concern, then end with
urbanized county it’s good to know wildlife can still survive. something positive again. Imagine yourself on the receiving
But for how long? More and more I read about over- end of your letter and see if you don’t agree.
development, road construction, the tearing down of trailer In the meantime, I hope you get a chance to enjoy this fine
homes in order to build UP, or the threat to our preserved land weather. Join us for a walk in the park on one of our field
by pumping water from wellfields to water a golf course. It’s trips. Visit Brooker Creek Preserve and see for yourself how
downright depressing. Talk about paving paradise to put up beautiful a wilderness area can be. In lieu of that you can
a parking lot. Not to mention the cliché “You don’t know come to our Conservation Celebration in December to see
what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” I hope our elected officials John Moran’s program Journal of Light: The Visual Diary of
keep that in mind as they try to chip away at the remaining a Florida Nature Photographer. For a preview, go to his web
green spaces in this county. But it sure would help if we all site: www.johnmoranphoto.com

IT’S GREAT TO BE GREEN by Barb Howard

The Whooping Cranes are coming our way… species need suitable habitat to be successful. It’s important
There is a wonderful project underway to restore a migrating that we set aside undeveloped areas and safe greenways
flock of Whooping Cranes from Wisconsin to Florida. The between them for our wildlife. If humans continue to sprawl
cranes are captive hatched then taken to Necedah National throughout the countryside, there won’t be suitable habitat left
Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to be raised and trained to for wildlife.
follow ultralite aircraft on a migration to Chassahowitzka The National Wildlife Refuge Association (www.refuge
NWR in Florida. The birds never see humans as they are net.org) has an action site where you can send letters to your
raised and taught the migration route by handlers elected officials to help the National Wildlife Refuges
wearing “crane” suits. To date there are 68 Whooping keep areas safe for wildlife. Audubon also has an
Cranes that have learned this migration route. History action site excellent for habitat issues (www.aud
was made this year when a pair successfully raised ubon.org). The US Farm Bill has a program that pays
chicks. Information on the whooping crane project landowners to set aside land in conservation easements
can be found at www.bringbackthecranes.org. This (www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/ 2002, click on
year’s class of 18 youngsters left their home in 2002 Farm Bill Conservation Programs then search for
Necedah NWR on Oct. 5th and are working their way Wetlands Reserve Program). If you’ve ever wanted to
to Florida. You can follow their progress with daily purchase environmentally-sensitive lands or lands
logs from the ultralite pilots and their ground staff at contiguous to Refuges or other natural areas this might
www.operationmigration.org. The group will arrive be a program to look into.
between mid-November and mid-December, On a smaller scale, we can put native landscapes
depending on weather conditions. On the final day of in our yards so that wildlife has appropriate food and
the migration, the pilots will guide the whoopers over the shelter. It doesn’t matter if your yard is big or small, or even
Dunnellon Air Park so the public can see them. Directions: a planter box on your condo patio. Native plants will benefit
I-75 North to CR 484, west to SW147th Ct, north to SW 111th the wildlife that exists among us. The Pinellas Native Plant
St West. You can call the Chassahowitzka NWR at Society website describes native plants (www.pinellas.
352-563-2088 or USFWS hotline at 904-232-2580 x124 for fnpschapters.org). We also need to eliminate all invasive
daily updates. exotic plants from our yards. They may be pretty but their
What does this have to do with Being Green? Habitat!!! seeds and new plants can devastate the natural areas we have
The operation migration team has found that many of the set aside for wildlife. Be an advocate for the wildlife we love
overnight sites they stopped at on prior migrations have started and give them a suitable place to live and habitat for their
to be developed. The whooping cranes as well as all other migrations. See you at the FLY OVER!
 CONSERVATION NEWS by Dave Kandz

Monique Borboen-Abrams nominated Will Davis, director of environmental management for

to AOF Board of Directors the county, announced that the equestrian center “is no
longer a Brooker Creek facility.” Instead, the county plans
As many of you know, our dear Joyce King recently moved
to locate it at or near Walsingham Park in Largo. This is a
to Melrose, FL, where she’s enjoying a relaxed country
logical choice since that area already features horseback
lifestyle and the occasional birding trip. Joyce represented
riding and existing private stables.
the Gulf Coast region (comprising 10 Audubon chapters) on
This decision shows that conservation activism by
the Audubon of Florida Board of Directors, and her departure
Pinellas residents and organizations can influence county
from the region left a vacancy which will be difficult to fill.
officials to do what is right.
Fortunately our own Beach Nesting Bird
project leader Monique Borboen-Abrams Ball Fields in Brooker Creek Preserve
agreed to take on this difficult task, and
she was unanimously nominated to fill Pinellas County staff announ-
Joyce’s spot at the last Gulf Coast ced that the East Lake Youth
regional conservation comm ittee Sports Association’s plan for
meeting. expansion into 38 acres of the
Monique’s unquestionable commit- Brooker Preserve will require a
ment to conservation education and special exception to the land’s
action will raise Audubon’s Beach Nesting Bird protection zoning and an amendment to
efforts to a new level, and help ensure continued protection the county’s land use plan. This
for our precious natural resources statewide. will mean the expansion must
From all of us, but especially from the Birds, thanks go through six public hearings to be approved. With
Monique, and congratulations! conservation organizations such as SPAS, FNPS and the
Friends of Brooker Creek standing ready to oppose the
Two victories for conservation in Pinellas expansion at each opportunity, the likelihood is that the ball
fields will not be built in the Preserve. Constant vigilance
Equestrian Facility
is needed, but those 38 acres may be preserved after all.
Pinellas’ conservation activists can celebrate a victory. The
Preserve the Preserve!
County has decided not to build an equestrian center in the
Brooker Creek Preserve.

Some Enchanted Evening!

by Barb Zias I thought, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
And then it did!
A flock of birds flew in almost perfect
I had an amazing wildlife viewing formation from the direction of Bird
experience on Friday, October 6th and Island. They landed almost in unison on
wanted to share it. the sand right in front of me.
When I looked at my engagement Eleven Roseate Spoonbills.
calendar on Friday morning, I saw the full Even when the light had drained from
moon symbol on the page. I looked in the the day, I stayed and watched them for
paper to find out what time the moon over an hour. It was incredible! They
would be rising. Moonrise at 6:55pm. stayed right in front of me all that time! I
Sunset at 7:11pm. I arrived at the North watched them walk back and forth. I
Shore, around the bend from Coffee Pot watched them raise their heads and softly
Bayou, at 6:50pm and sat on one of the honk to each other, as if in conversation. It
benches by the water just north of the was almost like some ritual. Then they
tennis courts. The tide was fairly low, walked single-file to the right. I thought of shrimp marching
about 40 feet of sand exposed. The sky and water were on the Gulf floor. Then I watched them as they moved
shades of pink, blue, and lavender - each color blending quickly back and forth along the shore, their spoonbills
imperceptibly into the next. The moon rose right on cue, stirring the water in front of them for tender morsels.
huge on the horizon, full and golden behind a thin cloud veil It was a holy moment in time - full moon rising on the
of mauve lace. I sat in serenity, embraced in the moment by water, 11 Roseate Spoonbills - some enchanted evening!
the experience.
Were You Around Then? Test Your Memory - or Bird-Naming Knowledge!
One hundred years ago some American birds were also called by other names. See how many you can match up correctly.
Answers appear elsewhere in this newsletter. (Courtesy of Larry Albright)

1. Swamp Blackbird A. American Robin

2. American Swift B. Belted Kingfisher
3. Bee Martin C. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
4. Blue Robin D. Brown Thrasher
5. Indigo Bird E. Carolina Wren
6. Halcyon F. Cedar Waxwing
7. Carolina Dove G. Chimney Swift
8. Sylvan Flycatcher H. Common Nighthawk
9. Mocking Wren I. Common Yellowthroat
10. French Mockingbird J. Eastern Bluebird
11. Oldfield Lark K. Eastern Kingbird
12. Piramidig (Pisk) L. Eastern Meadowlark
13. Cherrybird (Canada Robin) M. Grasshopper Sparrow
14. Yellow-winged Sparrow N. Indigo Bunting
15. Savanna Bunting O. Mourning Dove
16. Meadow Chippy P. Northern Cardinal
17. The Teacher (Golden-crowned Accentor) Q. Ovenbird
18. Yellow Redpoll Warbler R. Palm Warbler
19. Black-masked Ground-warbler S. Red-winged Blackbird
20. Virginia Nightingale T. Savannah Sparrow
21. Smooth-headed Redbird U. Scarlet Tanager
22. Pocketbird V. Seaside Sparrow
23. Migratory Thrush W. Summer Tanager

Leave it to the Birds! Partnerships Offer Rewards

In establishing your estate plan, please consider a bequest to Alva Sholty, a SPAS member and Skipper of the Shell Key
St. Petersburg Audubon Society. Your legacy will help fund Shuttle, generously provides the Shuttle to ferry us to Shell
Key for bird counts, work days, and much more.
our environmental projects and the education of children to
Thanks, Captain Alva!
appreciate our wonderful world of birds and nature.

Local store owner and Audubon member Jan

Anschuetz continues the program to reward Shell Key Shuttle Shell Out
the Chapter when members shop at Nature’s $22/adult
Focus. She’ll make a monthly donation of 10% & Sunset Cruises $11/child <13
of all sales paid by cash or check and 5% of credit card pur-
chases. Just identify yourself as belonging to SPAS before
the purchase so she can keep a record for monthly totals.
(Sale and discounted items may not apply.)
MERRY PIER
Nature’s Focus is located within the Environmental Education
801 Pass-A-Grille W ay Ž St. Pete Beach, Florida
Center at the Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road,
727-360-1348
Clearwater. Phone 727-453-6959.
www.shellkeyshuttle.com
You’ll find something for nature lovers of all ages at Nature’s
Focus. C aptain A lva S holty
 Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc. is Learn to Draw and Sketch
the First BNB Corporate Sponsor Nature at Boyd Hill
Nature Park
Ms. Michelle Collet-Kriz, Manager
of Public Relations & Training for Open to kids of all ages,
SECI, was genuinely impressed and scholarships are available!
with our Beach-Nesting Birds
Project and made a special effort to Local artist and instructor Douglas Land will teach a series
American Oystercatcher
round up $500 for us even though of classes at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and Park this fall.
chick by Tom Dunkerton they had apparently given away all Three classes are planned. Each will be on a Saturday, 2-
their contribution money for 2006. 4pm at the Education Center in the Park:
Project expenses in 2006 included:
Dec. 3rd - Drawing Birds
! Educational signs near nesting areas Dec. 10th - Drawing Animals
! Brochures to hand out to interested people and neighbors Dec. 17th - Drawing Plants and Trees
! Fuel for boats checking on birds on barrier island beaches
The class sessions are designed for beginning to more
! Temporary fencing to protect birds during their short
experienced artists. Focus will be on applying drawing skills
nesting season to working in the natural environment. Each class will
! “Bird Steward” vests and other equipment for trained consist of instruction, handouts, practice exercises and
volunteers posted at nesting sites to provide public working outdoors, weather permitting.
education. Materials to bring to each class: a pencil, some plain
Approximately $1,000 was spent on the project last year, and paper, an eraser, and a pencil sharpener.
Seating is limited, so please register early. For
plans are underway for an expanded project for the 2007
registration contact Boyd Hill Nature Park at 893-7326 and
nesting season.
for additional information call Douglas Land at 643-2554.
Thanks, SECI and Michelle!
Cost for each session is $15 for members and $18 for non-
members.
Enjoy an Evening of John James Audubon Art and St. Petersburg Audubon has applied for a grant
Support the Clearwater Audubon Society’s from the Southwest Florida Water Management
District to provide scholarships for the classes.
Education Fund
Call Harold Albers at 864-1113 for scholarship
information.
Clearwater Audubon is partnering with Syd Entel Gallery in
Safety Harbor for a first-time showing of re-created John James Classroom Curriculum on Invasive
Audubon original prints. The show will run from Nov. 11th
through Dec. 1st. Prints are for sale and a percentage of the sale Species is Now Available!
will go to the Clearwater Audubon Society.
John James Audubon’s “The Birds of America” Audubon The first teaching guide to invasive
Centennial Edition is published in association with the National species in Florida is now available!
Audubon Society’s 100th Anniversary. The prints of this edition Designed for middle-school stu-
are first generation facsimiles dents, “Intruders in Paradise” contains
produced to the same image 12 classroom activities, web site
and paper size as the original references, a master vocabulary list, 29
Havell edition. The edition Fact Sheets about individual invasive
included all 435 images from plants and animals, and additional
“The Birds of America” resources - all as downloadable web-based files. Activities
original edition. are aligned with both FCAT learning benchmarks and
A special showing on Sunshine State curriculum standards for grades 6-8.
Friday Nov. 17th from 6pm - The “Intruders in Paradise” guide was developed by
8pm will include hors Debbie Berger and her staff at The Florida Aquarium with
d’oeuvres, wine and refreshments for a donation of $20/person or assistance/funding from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program,
$30/couple at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased by Florida Sea Grant and the Cooperative Extension Service.
sending your check, made out to Clearwater Audubon Society, to A teacher’s workshop incorporating the guide will be
Syd Entel Galleries, 347 Main Street, Safety Harbor, FL 34695. held at The Florida Aquarium in February 2007.
100% of the entrance fees for this event will go to the Clearwater To view and download the guide, visit our website at
Audubon Society education fund. For more information contact http://www.tbep.org/isteachersguide/index.html or e-mail
Barbara Carmen at 776-2336 or Debbie Trunk at 447-4785. [email protected] to receive it on CD.
 Florida Ethnobotany Event Nov 11-12! of information for naturalists, scientists and native plant
enthusiasts, offering many humorous insights. He is Emeritus
Noted author and lecturer Dan Austin will be participating in Professor at FL Atlantic Univ. and has published over 35 book
a special event at Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and chapters and books, as well as hundreds of papers and popular
Natural History Center on Nov. 11-12. Author of the award- articles.
winning book Florida Ethnobotany, he will discuss the many Lecture Sat. 4-5:30pm, registration fee $5.
uses of plants by people in Florida from the ancient past to Sun. hike - “Walk and Talk in the Preserve” - 10am-noon,
today, including plants from the Caribbean, Central and South limited to 30 lecture participants only, $5 registration fee.
America, and the Eastern U.S. Dr. Austin is a treasure trove To register or for more information call 727-453-6500.

The St. Petersburg Audubon Society NON -PROFIT ORG .

P.O. Box 49087 St. Petersburg, FL 33743-9087 US POSTAGE
http://stpeteaudubon.org 727-384-0027
PAID
Chapter Representatives St Petersburg, FL
President: Mauri Peterson (Field Trips) . . . . . . . . 398-4124
Permit #6340
Vice President: Maureen Arnold (Membership) . . 577-0448
Treasurer: Rick Potter (Ways & Means) . . . . . . . . 822-9637
Secretary: Robbie Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526-1292
Board Members and Duties:
Harold Albers (Education) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864-1113
Lourdes Bielsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577-9193
Mary Brazier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867-7151
Suzanne Cooper (Newsletter) . . . . . . . . . . . . 813-287-8709
Wanda Dean (Special Events) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321-3995
Barb Howard (Programs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343-1272
Dave Kandz (Conservation & Publicity) . . . . . . . . . 471-0699
Jeanne Murphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391-8362
Nancy Ogden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894-5940
Gabe Vargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864-2683
Neighborhood Outreach: Barb Zias . . . . . . . . . . 521-4997
Least Tern Project: Monique Abrams . . . . . . . . . 230-0732
Shell Key: Barb Ranck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374-7039

Printed with soy ink on recycled paper

knowledge of available contacts and resources available to

Tampa Bay’s Guide to Environmental assist with their education programs by searching environ-
Education Resources (GEER) mental terms and other categories.
Now Available If you would like to register your organization to be
by Jeanne Murphy displayed on this site, email the Suncoast Earth Force:
[email protected].
To check out GEER, go to: http://www.earthforce.org/
Y o u c a n n o w se a rc h fo r suncoast/geer.
environmental education organi-
zations in Tampa Bay with a few
simple keystrokes. This is a CO2 emissions tip:
valuable tool to find out what Don’t idle your car
organizations are in our area and the while waiting for a
resources they have to offer. drawbridge. Turn the car
The Pinellas County Environ- off (and open your
mental Fund and the Tampa Bay windows if necessary)
Estuary Program funded the Tampa to cut down on your
Bay Guide to Environmental Education Resources. personal CO 2 emissions.
According to Pinellas County Environmental Fund’s 2003
Environmental Education Survey, a critical need in Tampa
Bay is a central source for information on environmental
education programming and materials. Key to Brainteaser inside this newsletter:
The Tampa Bay Guide to Environmental Education
Resources is a searchable online database that will be used 1. S. 2. G. 3. K. 4. J. 5. N. 6. B.
7. O. 8. C. 9. E. 10. D. 11. L. 12. H.
not only by Earth Force educators but any educator, citizen,
13. F. 14. M. 15. T. 16. V. 17. Q. 18. R.
or organization in Tampa Bay. This guide will provide the
19. I. 20. P. 21. W. 22. U. 23. A.