Sept 2009 Wingspan Wingspan Newsletter St. Petersburg Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Sept 2009 Wingspan Wingspan Newsletter St. Petersburg Audubon Society

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St. Petersburg Audubon Society

WingSpanSeptember 2009

Celebrating 100 Years of Conservation 1909 - 2009

Calendar of EventsSEP - OCT 2009

Sept. 5 - Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way

S., St. Petersburg. Leader: Ron Smith - Meet 8 a.m., Nature

Center parking lot.

Sept. 12 Lake Seminole CP, 10015 Park Blvd., Seminole.

Breakfast with the Birds . Meet 8 a.m., shelter #10. Contact

Mauri Dietrich 727-398-4124 for reservations.

Sept. 19 North America Migratory Bird Count (NAMC).

All levels of birders needed to count species throughout Pinellas

County. Contact Don Margeson, 727-527-0227, to volunteer.

Sept. 26 - Ft. DeSoto Park CP, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra

Verde. Fall migration birding. Leader: Ron Smith. Meet 8 a.m.,

at the flagpole at park headquarters. Contact Judi Hopkins, 727-

526-3725 or [email protected]

Oct. 3 - Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way S.,

St. Petersburg.Leader: Ron Smith. Meet 8 a.m., Nature Center

parking lot.

Oct 3 - Ft. DeSoto Park CP, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra

Verde. Leader: Ron Smith TERNS, TERNS, TERNS! Meet

4 p.m., at the flagpole at park headquarters. Group will go to

JoJos for dinner afterwards. Contact Judi Hopkins.

Oct. 10 - Honeymoon Island SP. Leader: Dave Gagne. Meet

7:00 a.m. in the parking lot behind McDonalds, Bayshore Blvd.

(Alt. US 19) and Curlew Rd. (CR586), Dunedin. No fee will be

charged when going in as a group. This year Dave is offering

or full day of birding. If birding the full day, bring a lunch.

Contact Judi Hopkins.

Oct. 17 - John Chesnut CP, East Lake Blvd., Palm Harbor.

Meet 8 a.m., first restroom on the left, after the stop signs going

into park. Contact Judi Hopkins

Oct. 23 & 24 - Audubon Assembly. Feather Sound area at,

Carillon Park Hilton. Details at www.audubonofflorida.org.

Project Eagle WatchBarbara Walker, Project Chair

7:00 p.m., Science Center of Pinellas Co.,

77001 22nd Ave., N., St. Petersburg. 727-384-0027

For the past 15 years, many volunteers

have participated in Audubon of FloridasEagle Watch program observing eagles

throughout their recovery and the delisting

process.

The population of Bald Eagles around

Tampa Bay and Merritt Island is, according

to sources, among the densest breeding

concentrations of a large raptor known anywhere on earth.

Barbara will discuss the current status of Bald Eagles in Pinella

County and how their population compares to state number

from 2008. She will provide a current status of the eagle boom

in Pinellas County, as well.

Eagles need a lot of space, so theyre taking space where they

can find it, Barbara says. Increasingly, thats on man-made

structures such as cell phone towers and power poles, which can

be risky for eagle pairs and their offspring.

The power lines are worrisome, because we fear that one of th

eagles, particularly a young eagle, could run into a power line

and be injured or killed, she explains.

Walker says people are fascinated by eagles, possibly because we

came so close to losing them, but also because theyre part of ou

national pride. Theyre our national bird. They really stand fo

our strength and our freedom and people love that.

Bald Eagles are a species of greatest conservation need, she says

Come and learn how you can help.

This Months Presentation

Don Margeson 2009

SPAS History TriviaIn 1958, SPAS was incorporated as a non-profit organization.

The home of SPAS third president, Mary Lou Mills, designated

SPAS official headquarters, was built in the 1930s. Still standing,

it is located on Bayou Grande in St. Petersburg. -- Saskia Janes

No Place to Tern?Do you live near the beach? We have updated our Least Terns-No

Place to Tern presentation and Pat Edmond is great at delivering

this fun and informative talk to your condo or neighborhood

association. Contact Pat at [email protected] to schedule a

presentation.


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As you know, this year is the anniversary of the beginning of St. Petersburg Audubon and we have had some wondeevents to celebrate: our banquet in April, the opening of our exhibit in the St. Petersburg Museum of History and, recently, the dedication and renaming of a part of Pinellas Point Park in honor of Katherine Bell Tippetts. If you get a chadrive down to 14th Street S. and go to the end of the street. Take a look at the beautiful sign and the native plantings, wwere a collaborative effort among SPAS, the Pinellas Point Neighborhood Association and the City of St. Petersburg.

This July we held our first ever Florida ecology workshop for teachers, initiated by our Education Committee (see article

is our hope that this will become an annual event and perhaps be a model for other chapters to follow.

We have been blessed recently with a couple of rather large donations, one that went directly into the Lucy Rising Trust Fund. Fromother we used a portion towards our Centennial events and the majority went into our investments. Your Board is very conscientious aboutinvestments and is reluctant to spend this money on day-to-day expenditures. However, when an opportunity arises, its nice to be able to hthe funds to support the need. One such opportunity came our way last November. We presented the Friends of Boyd Hill a pledge chec$10,000 to help build an addition to their aviary at Boyd Hill. Not having a facility of our own, the Board was morethan willing to support a group and a cause which benefits us both.

Iwant to welcome to our Board Saskia Janes and thank retiring Board members Barb Howard and Jeanne Murphy.Returning to serve again are Harold Albers, Maureen Arnold, Rick Potter, Dave Kandz, Wanda Dean, Lee Snyder,Mark Mueller, Judi Hopkins, Mary Brazier, Nancy Ogden and Alice Tenney. I also want to recognize and thank JoanneWilson for a stupendous job keeping our membership records up to date. A little bird told me the Linda Emslie will betaking over that position; thanks Linda!

One last note: In honor of our 100th Anniversary the Audubon Assembly will be held in St. Petersburg this year. This is a wonderful opportufor our members to attend the Assembly and to see what Audubon of Florida and the other chapters throughout the state are doing. I sure hwe have a huge turnout of SPAS members that weekend. Log on to www.audubonofflorida.org to learn more and to register; its the first tyoull see when you log on you cant miss it!

Im looking forward to this coming year. I hope you are too.

Mauri (Peterson) Dietrich, President.

Presidents Messageby Mauri Dietrich

The 2009-2010 SPAS season is about to get going and it looks to be anoth

great year--not that up to now hasnt been.

Pinellas Birdsby Ron Smith

The Least Tern rooftop monitoring and banding season was a huge success and so were the general birding discoveries. The first and mexciting bird this past summer was the adult Brown Booby that Joe Zarolinksi found at Philippe Park on July 9th. It was the first record ospecies for Pinellas County. Though other Brown Boobies had been reported in the past, this one was the first one that remained in one plong enough for photographs to be taken and a documented, positive identification made. The bird stayed for four consecutive days, incluthe weekend, so the working-birder was able to get there to see it.

For the second consecutive summer a male Surf Scoter was found in Pinellas. This years duck shoup at Eagle Crest Lake (north side of St. Petersburg College) on May 30th. Greg Brecht found the scwhich remained until June 8th. A Louisiana Waterthrush was found at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve on 4th, breaking, by several days, the earliest-for-fall date for the species in Pinellas County. It was so earwas uncomfortable. Didnt it seem like spring migration ended just a few weeks before? Barbara Wa

our areas Eagle Watch coordinator, reported 22 active Bald Eagle nests in Pinellas this past winter/sprForty years ago the species was nearly extirpated due to pesticide use.

Back in late May, Pinellas was inundated with a week of heavy rains, wiping out all of the Black-necStilt nesting activity along 28th Street North, south of Roosevelt Blvd. In late July and into August, at least one persistent pair of stilts raisbrood of two chicks at the Roosevelt Wetlands. Speaking of chicks, a pair of Purple Gallinules raised five at Sawgrass Lake Park. Gallinnest sparingly in Pinellas, but it seems were hearing more positive reports of the species in our county.

As the summer season came to a close, a pair of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (BBWD) were discovered at the Roosevelt Wetlands by Bloomfield. Now there have been BBWDs seen in Pinellas quite a few times in the past decade, but never any that were so cooperativeleast one was still seen in the second week of August. Could it be that the other duck is hidden somewhere in the dense vegetation incubatBy the time this article reaches your hands we may have an answer to that question.

Go to www.PinellasBirds.com for daily birding updates around the county.

If you experienced the summertime blues, you stayed indoors more than you shouhave because Pinellas birders would have to say that this past summer season was

anything but blue.

Lee Snyder 2009

Don Margeson 2009


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Field Trip Notesfrom Judi Hopkins

Its time for a new season of SPAS field trips. I was very pleased with theturnout last year. Thank you all for participating. Please call or email aheadtime again this year. It is very helpful for planning.

Printed on recycled paper

This year three away-trips are scheduled. The first one is a Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26th - 29th. This will be extended to a three-day trip. Birding the panhandle at this time of year can produce some unusual species. The second away trip is an overnight campout

at Highlands Hammock State Park, Jan. 16-18 (contact Mauri Dietrich for reservations). Finally, the third trip will be to Clewiston, Ja

30th, STA 5. This is also an overnight trip.

The Boyd Hill Nature Preserves monthly bird walks, led by Ron Smith, are also on our schedule this year. Each

walk is held the first Saturday of the month.

Begin putting a team together for SPAS Rich Paul New Years Day Birding Open at Ft. DeSoto. New this year,

thanks to Dave Kandz who obtained permission for this trip. is the Solid Waste Operations Area, Feb. 13th, 20th, &

27th . This is limited to 10 people per trip. In the past, an area such as this has been a great way to see wintering

gulls, shorebirds, warblers, hawks, ducks and who knows what might be hiding. Not to be left out, you are encou

aged to budget for the Florida Specialties Bus Trip, Mar. 13th. This trip covers areas of Florida you would not

believe exist. One of our leaders, Dave Goodwin, is knowledgeable on birds and can fill you in on some unknown Florida history.

Ft. DeSoto CP is scheduled for fall and spring migration times--the place to be for birding!

Looking forward to a new season!

Gail DeTerra2009

Florida Updating Species Listing CriteriaFlorida is proposing changes to the states listing process (the process by which species are named Endangered, Threatened, o

Species of Special Concern), with implications for many declining species in our state. Comments about this process are being ac

cepted up to September 9th. To learn more about what this means and how you can help continue the necessary protections for bird

and wildlife, visit http://audubonaction.org/campaign/species_listing_process

Climate change is already happening and presents real threats to Floridians, including sea level rise, increased storm intensity and oceacidification. Without immediate action to reduce its underlying causes, these and many other impacts will only continue to worsen.

Fortunately, representatives in the US House have already taken a positive step by passing the American Clean Energy and Security A

(ACES). While not perfect, this bill represents a strong first step toward limiting the human causes of climate change, while also boost

nnovative green jobs and our long-term energy independence and security.

Read about the top 10 reasons the US Senate should strengthen and pass ACES:

http://www.usclimatenetwork.org/resource-database/ACEStop10leg0709_01.pdf

This important legislation now moves on to the Senate, where Floridas Senators will be hearing a lot from lobbyists opposed to doi

anything about this serious threatso be sure your voice is also heard by contacting our senators. (If Gov. Crist has not yet appointed a

placement senator, contact his office to ask that his appointment reflects the governors own views that climate change action is critica

Senator Bill Nelson:

D.C. office: 202-224-5274

Tampa office: 813-225-7040

Email: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Gov. Charlie Crist:

850-488-7146

[email protected]

From the Desk of Mark Mueller, SPAS Climate Action Liason --


4/6

Conservation Newsfrom Dave Kandz

What started as a promising season for Least Terns on our beaches ended suddenly on July 3rd when theSunset Beach colony abandoned their chicks and eggs. Our Eckerd College interns (Jim Rutledge and Evan

Bollier) recorded extremely high predation rates (multiple chicks and eggs per hour) by Laughing Gulls

and Fish Crows. Likewise, Least Terns were unsuccessful at Three Rooker Bar and the northern islands. A

mall colony of Least Terns did manage to fledge about 20 birds behind an abandoned restaurant on south

Clearwater Beach.

Black Skimmers did a little better--nine Black Skimmer chicks fledged from Sunset Beach, and approximately

40 fledglings were produced behind the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. Shell Key hosted three families of

American Oystercatchers. At least, two produced young. But storms overwashed the Black Skimmers that

attempted to nest there. Overall it was a disappointing year for birds on the beaches.

However, the permanent conservation area at Ft. DeSoto CP provided a safe refuge for hundreds of birds each day, and the numbers are grow

f you havent visited this birding hotspot at the south end of North Beach, you should! Bring your scope and spend a morning looki

hundreds of shore and water birds!

Rooftop nesters did better. An industrial warehouse off 118th Ave. hosted a huge Least Tern colony of over 650 birds. The Ulmerton Indu

Mart supported several hundred at its peak with several smaller rooftops contributing to nesting success. This year, for the first time, over

Least Tern chicks that fell from these rooftops were banded with metal and color coded USFWS bands. They were weighed, measured and

eturned to their rooftops. We are currently identifying these birds on area beaches. Every sighting increases our knowledge of post-breedispersal patterns. In the future, we should be able to answer questions such as: Do birds return to the same rooftop to breed yearafter yeDo birds return to breed on the rooftop where they hatched?

Our thanks to Clearwater Audubon member and master bander Marianne Korosy who coordinated the banding portion of our project and to

Hood and Beth Forys, our two banders-in-training. Special thanks to the volunteers (over 40!) who checked buildings for downed chicks at

five times each day, caught and safely kept the chicks until they could be banded, and then returned them safely to the rooftops.

Finally, a special thanks to John Hood for devising ingenious improvements to our Chick-a-Booms and for creating the Chick-a-Lift.

When you are out birding, or just visiting a beach, keep an eye out for banded Least Terns, and report any sightings to Marianne at mkorosy@g

com. We will have more reports on the 2009 season in future newsletters, and on our web site. Stay tuned!

Each summer we put our lives on hold and strive to give our beach nesting bi

a chance to raise a new generation.

Dave Kandz 2009

City Park Named in Honor of Audubon Founder

Pinellas Point is the very tip of Pinellas County. Surrounded on three sides by warm Gulf waters, it is known as a neighborhood of ive oaks, beautiful homes and the famous pink streets. Now, this historic area has a new landmark. A small strip of city-owned, mang

edged shoreline has been named for Katherine Bell Tippetts, a former resident and founder of

he St. Petersburg Audubon Society (SPAS). As owner and manager of the Belmont Hotel at 6th

Avenue (later renamed Central Avenue) and 6th Street, Tippetts was a powerhouse of civic activity

during her many years as a St. Petersburg resident, earning her the title of the Citys Queen. As

a writer, activist and humanitarian, she was involved in numerous city, state and national clubs and

organizationsmany times as a founding member.

With SPAS Celebrating their 100th anniversary, the Greater Pinellas Point Civic Associationand SPAS joined in an effort to name the pasture-like setting after Tippetts by donating the parks sign. SPAS board member Alice Te

pearheaded the effort through city channels with a strong assist from St. Petersburg councilman Jamie Bennet.

A brief dedication ceremony was held Saturday morning (July 25) with members of both organizations congratulating city park opera

foreman Steve Ellis for his landscaping efforts. At the request of SPAS a native mulberry tree, beauty berries, elderberries and wax myrtles

planted beside the sign. Ellis explained that later efforts will be made to erect several other such islands in the park to attract migrating b

As special guest, William Tippetts, Jr., grandson of the parks namesake, led visitors to his grandmothers luxurious home on 14th Street in

of the newly named park, for a street-side walking tour. He described the home as her primary summer residence explaining that his grandm

preferred staying at the Belmont in the winter where many of the residents were winter visitors and old friends.

The park is open to the public without a fee and is located between 14th and 20th streets on Pinellas Point.-- Lee Snyder

Dave Kandz 2009


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Education Newsby Wanda Dean

SPAS First Annual Florida Ecology Summer Camp for Elementary

Teachers An Overwhelming Success

MEMBERSHIPAPPLICATION

INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP

$20.00 (New membership only)

Q Please enroll me as a member in the National AudubonSociety. Start my subscription toAUDUBONmagazine & senmy membership card.

Q I do not wish to receiveAUDUBON magazine.

Name ________________________________

Address _______________________________

City ______________ State___ Zip_________

Phone __________________

Q I wish to receive the SPAS WingSpan electronically.

E-mail address___________________________

Please enclose a check, payable to theNational Audubon Society, and mail to:

St. Petersburg Audubon SocietyPost Office Box 49087

St. Petersburg, FL 33743-9087

QNational Audubon occasionally makes its membership listavailable to carefully selected organizations whose mailingsyou may find interesting. To have your name omitted from list, please check here.

Q I would also like to help my local chapter. I have a specialinterest and/or skills in:

Q Local conservation issues Q Board of DireQEducation /Audubon Adventures Q National Bird

Counts Q Legal Q Publicity Q Financial Matt Q Hospitality - Greeters / Refreshments Q Insurance Q Membership Q Exhibits at fairs and festivals

C9ZE060ZThis form is only for new memberships, not renewa

In the past, scholarships have been awarded each year to two teachers to attend the National AudubonTeachers Camp at Hog Island, Maine. Due to economic and restructuring issues, the Audubon camps at

Hog Island were cancelled. SPAS board member and Education Chairman, Dr. Harold Albers turned those

unfortunate events into one spectacular achievement for our chapter--our first teachers ecology camps.

Planning began early in the fall of 2008. Dr. Albers successfully engaged the enthusiastic cooperation ofJulie Poth, Science Supervisor for Pinellas County Schools, Bruce Rinker, Environmental Lands Division

Director for Pinellas County, and Phyllis Kolianos of Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center. Jeanne Murphy and B

Lane, of Sensing Nature, were contracted to teach, organize, and facilitate presenters. Their collaborative efforts and expertise, with the

of the SPAS Education Committee, produced an excellent schedule. Examples of topics were: Introduction to Florida Ecology; Estua

Freshwater and Terrestrial Biodiversity and Adaptations; and Human Impacts and Conservation Efforts. Two highlights of the camp

n the field: Canoeing an Estuary and Shell Key Experience.

As a beginning model, two July camps were offered to teachers of kindergarten through 5th grades. Julie Poth notified teachers of the schola

opportunities. In addition, they would also earn science component points toward certification and a two-year membership to SPAS.

response was overwhelming. A total of 28 teachers attended.

Responses from the teachers evaluations were excellent! Some stated they wanted to attend an advance camp next year.

The following are excerpts from an email sent by Julie Poth to the SPAS Board:

I have received feedback from several teachers from each of the Audubon camps... eachhas been nothing but positive. The most powe

mpact I see from these elementary teachers is their desire to continue their professional growth in environmental education. A great th

you to the Audubon Society of St. Pete in their ability to be insightful and to take this risk in changing what they fund in teacher educatio

our district.

Take a look at this from a recently released report on birdwatching

from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Birding in the United States:

A Demographic and Economic Analysis, http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/birding_natsurvey06.pdf):

Birding News !

An astounding one of out of every five Americans watches birds. Birdwatchers

contributed $36 billion to the U.S. economy in 2006 alone, the most recent year forwhich economic data are available.

Participation rates vary, but are generally greater

in the northern half of the country. The five top states

with the greatest birding participation rates include

Montana (40 percent), Maine (39 percent), Vermont

(38 percent), Minnesota (33 percent) and Iowa (33

percent).

Birding has grown since 2006 because

a) Baby Boomers and Retirees have continued to grow in numbers, and

b) many Americans have chosen not to travel abroad for their vacations

this year, but are looking for inexpensive ways to relax.

The 2006 survey is the eleventh in a series of surveys conducted about every 5 years.

The survey, according to USFWS, helps quantify how enjoyment of the outdoors

and wildlife contributes to society and promotes a healthy economy.

This report on bird watching offers a great opportunity to build awareness of the

Audubon mission and our local efforts to connect people with birds, nature and the

power to protect us all.


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The St. Petersburg Audubon Society

P.O. Box 49087 St. Petersburg, FL 33743-9087

www.stpeteaudubon.org 727-384-0027

Address Service Requested

Chapter Representatives

President: Mauri Dietrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398-4124

Vice Pres.: Maureen Arnold . . . . . . . . . . . . .577-0448

Treasurer: Rick Potter (Ways & Means) . . . 822-9637

Secretary: Nancy Ogden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894-5940

Board Members and Duties:

Harold Albers (Education) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864-1113

Mary Brazier (Finance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867-7151

Wanda Dean (Newsletter & Special Events) 321-3995

Judi Hopkins (Field Trips) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526-3725

Saskia Janes (Historian) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481-7839

Dave Kandz (Conservation & BNB). . . . . . . 471-0699

Mark Mueller (Climate Coord.) . . . . . . . . . . . 686-3179

Lee Snyder (Newsletter & Publicity) . . . . . . . 865-2293

Alice Tenney ((Membership) . . . . . . . . . . . . 894-2062

Shell Key: Ron Smith . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-4782

NON-PROFIT ORG.

US POSTAGE

PAIDSt. Petersburg, F

Permit #6340

Feathered Facts - Avian feet

Most birds have four toes. Exceptions include the Ostrich with its two toes and birds with three toes and a rudimentary hallux as i

some shore and sea birds. The toes are numbered as the hallux (1), inner toe (2), middle toe (3) and outer toe (4).Examples of the five toe configurations are:

anisodactyl as in perching species (warblers, thrushes, etc.) where toes 2, 3 & 4 are forward and the

hallux is in back;

syndactyl where toes 3 & 4 are (at least partially) united sharing a broad sole (Belted Kingfisher);

zygodactyl where toes 2 & 3 are forward and 1 & 4 are backward as in woodpeckers;

heterodactyl birds have toes 3 & 4 in front (not united as in syndactyl), 1 & 2 behind (trogons);

and pamprodactyl with all 4 toes in front (swifts). -- ANIPA

Please join Audubon of Florida on October 23 and 24 in St. Petersburgfor the 2009 Audubon Assembly on Coastal Conservation and Climate Change.

Celebrated oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Ph. D., is the Assemblys keynote speaker. The two-day program brings together conserv

eaders and scientistsas well as policy makers, and business people from across Florida to discuss strategies to protect our coasts, b

and wildlife, and secure our quality of life. Come and enjoy two days of Audubon fellowship. Connect with nature and birds on exper

and self-guided field trips. Celebrate Audubon chapter milestones, too: St. Petersburg Audubon turns 100 and Clearwater Audubon

his year. Deepen your knowledge at exciting learning sessions. And share your stories of how climate change is affecting your life

he places you care about.

--Register Online Today www.audubonofflorida.org--

2009 Pinellas Coastal CleanupCross Bayou Canal and Joes Creek Cleanup

in partnership with the Ocean Conservancy InternationalCoastal Cleanup Campaign.

Saturday October 3, 2009.

8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Bring or borrow a canoe or kayak. No sea

legs? We still need your help on land.

Map, directions and info. at

www.pinellascounty.org/volserv/Events.htm.

Register by September 11.

Keep close to Natures heart... and break clear away, on

in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in t

woods. Wash your spirit clean. --John Muir

Documents

Sept 2009 Wingspan Wingspan Newsletter St. Petersburg Audubon Society