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Recent Postings from
SouthWest Florida

Updated on Wednesday, October 17 at 08:24 PM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.

Your picture is an immature Rose-breasted Grosbeak that is molting into
adult male plumage.

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

  _____  

From: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of ginetmat
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:18 PM
To: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SWFLBirdline] unknown bird

 

Can someone i.d. the bird I have posted in the photo section under 
unknown bird by ginetmat? It is the last two pics.
Thank you

 

Can someone i.d. the bird I have posted in the photo section under 
unknown bird by ginetmat? It is the last two pics.
Thank you

All,
Between Gayle's message and going away this weekend I decided to check
out Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve East 20/20 area early this morning.
It was a great morning to be out--lots of birds showing up.
Great Egret	1
Snowy Egret	3
Little Blue Heron	10
Tricolored Heron	8
White Ibis	25 (at least 100 flew over)
Glossy Ibis	6
American Kestrel	1
Mourning Dove	4
Common Ground-Dove	2
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Northern Flicker	2
Pileated Woodpecker	1
Loggerhead Shrike	1
Blue Jay	4
Fish Crow	6
Carolina Wren	2
House Wren	1
Gray Catbird	16
Northern Mockingbird	4
Palm Warbler	6
American Redstart	3
Ovenbird	1
Common Yellowthroat	7
Northern Cardinal	1
Common Grackle	15

Bob

This morning I paid an early morning visit to Lakes Regional Park on  
Gladiolus in south Ft. Myers.  I followed the children's railroad  
tracks heading north past the railroad maintenance shed to an area  
planted with loads of natives - oaks, strangler figs, gumbo limbo,  
etc.  Charlie Ewell had mentioned to me that a cold front was about  
to come through , and David Puma, who hosts the badbirdz migration  
web site    http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com  sent a message out saying  
that "all radars over Florida were showing very high densities of  
migrants heading almost due south."  Thought I'd better get out there!!!

Here's what I saw:


2
Bald Eagle

1
Downy Woodpecker

1
Pileated Woodpecker

7
Blue Jay

25
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

11
Gray Catbird

21
Northern Mockingbird

1
Black-throated Blue Warbler

2
Prairie Warbler

13
Palm Warbler

1
Common Yellowthroat

1
Summer Tanager

5
Northern Cardinal


Everything was actively feeding and unconcerned by those walking or  
biking by.

Gayle Schmidt
Bird Patrol Volunteer
Ft. Myers, Florida
www.birdpatrol.org

Today at Pine Lake Preserve on a visit from 7:30 am to 11, we saw:

1
Great Blue Heron

1
Tricolored Heron

5
Black Vulture

1
Osprey

1
Cooper's Hawk

1
Red-shouldered Hawk

1
Killdeer

5
Mourning Dove

10
Red-bellied Woodpecker

3
Pileated Woodpecker

3
Eastern Phoebe

1
Loggerhead Shrike

12
Blue Jay

1
Carolina Wren

10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

12
Gray Catbird

2
Northern Mockingbird

1
Brown Thrasher

15
Pine Warbler

10
Palm Warbler

1
Black-and-white Warbler

2
American Redstart

1
Common Yellowthroat

5
Northern Cardinal

1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

6
Boat-tailed Grackle


The catbirds were actively feeding and in small groups - feeding at  
all levels of trees and bushes. The Redstarts were a male and female.  
The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak was a female non-breeding adult.

Pine Lake Preserve is in southern Lee County and bordered by East  
Terry Street on the north, Bonita Grande Dr. on the east, and Kent  
Road to the west.  A pedestrian-friendly entrance can be found on  
Kent Road across the street from the southern most end of  the YMCA  
parking lot.

Gayle Schmidt
Bird Patrol Volunteer
Ft. Myers, Florida
www.birdpatrol.org

I would like to thank the group for there quick and always 
informative response.
As to the ovenbird feeding on the ground, the bird is feeding on 
sprouted and softened seed. Every day I empty the water fountain on 
the ground where there is a lot of seed that becomes soft and some 
sprouted after a twenty- four hours. I would aslo like to mention 
something that may be of interest to the club.
 Seven years ago I set up feeders in my back yard and the first year 
I hade one female painted bunting come in on Oct. 1st. and left May 
1st. Every year the puntings have returned within five days of 
Oct.1st. and left within five days of May 1st. and increased in 
numbers to the point that last year I had aprox. 25 females and 
exactly six males. This year I have only two females both came in in 
full molt and no other buntings except these two which are now in 
prestine feather. I am assuming a tragic migratory flight accident 
with this group of painted buntings. You may say that these birds 
aren't of the same group that returned every year but the second 
year I had one female trying to get on the feeder where the other 
female grabed the wing with her beak and hert that female and 
couldn't fly. I took the injured bird and quarintined it in one of 
my cages and banded the bird and after three weeks returned it to 
the feeders where she has returned every year until now. Any ideas 
or thoughts? 
Ron Crandall
Ft. Laud. Fl   

Group ,
I cannot i.d this bird. Pics are in the photo section under unknown 
bird ginetmat. It feeds only on the ground and it is eating seed 
although its beak is not the shape of a seed eater. This bird has been 
at my feeders for fifteen days and can be observed at least every half 
hour feeding and comes in just after day break and is here until 
sunset. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Ron Crandall
Ft. Laud. Fl.

Sarasota Audubon Society chapter is organizing two trips in 2008. Please join 
us. 

 

May 18-30: Seven night Alaska cruise on Holland America's Volendam through the 
inside passage from Vancouver to Seward. Trip includes air to/from 
Tampa/Anchorage. Stops along the way include shore birding trips. 


 

March 13-14: Two night trip to winter Park. Includes bus transportation, all 
meals and entry fees. Visit Birds of Prey Center and Morse Museum. Birding in 
Mead and Leu Gardens and boat ride on chain of lakes. 


 

For more information on either of these trips, contact Karen Jensen at ( 


_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

16 September - I forgot to mention that right before the line of thunderstorms 
moved through Pinellas tonight, we saw a flock of 33 Common Nighthawks feeding 
as they migrated south over Mangrove Bay Golf Course. Don Margeson St. 
Petersburg 


16 September - At 7 PM I saw about a dozen common nighthawks flying south 
together three miles east of I-75 and one mile south of Bee Ridge Road in 
eastern Sarasota County. Peter Rice 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

Subject: Little Estero Island CWA/Lagoon survey AM (Thur 13 Sep)

All,

I made it out to Little Estero Island CWA/Lagoon this morning with Judie Von
Eiff and Marie Di Rosa.  Overall, lots of birds at a very low tide.  An
early count of 600 or so Sandwich Terns grew to ~1200 on the mid-lagoon
mudflat south of the cut by the time we doubled back past that area.
Sandpiper numbers were lower than usual (the lack of "peeps" was odd), but
plover numbers were about right for this time of year.  Judie and I rescued
an immature Laughing Gull that could not fly and sent it to CROW.  

Willet
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit
Sanderling
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Piping Plover
Wilson's Plover
Roseate Spoonbill
Great Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tri-colored Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Foster's Tern
Sandwich Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Laughing Gull
Magnificent Frigatebird
Brown Pelican 
Double-crested Cormorant
Mottled Duck
Morning Dove
Common Ground-dove


Charlie Ewell
Cape Coral, FL
anhinga42 AT earthlink.net
  cell

12 Sept - I went to Upper lake of Myakka State Park (birdwalk) 10:00 am very 
quiet. Then went for a short loop walk from High Fox Rd to Clay Gully and saw a 
Yellow-throated Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Hermit Thrush and heard Bobwhites. 
Ruth Ellen Peipert Sarasota, Florida 
ruthellen3 AT comcast.net 


_______________________________

Non alert, perhaps of interest. About five years ago we spent eleven days bird 
watching in Belize with the Sarasota Audubon Society. We saw a total of 253 
species. We spent on day at Chan Chich. It is very nice and there are many 
birds there. Their Internet site is: 
http://www.chanchich.com/ The St. Petersburg Audubon 
Society chapter information follows: 


St. Petersburg Audubon Society is planning a winter vacation and we want 13 of 
you to come along! 

  
Tropical Mayan Paradise in January

Join SPAS on a 6 day/5 night (Jan 15-20) stay at exotic Chan Chich Lodge in 
Belize (former British colony in Central America). Chan Chich is an 
extraordinary wildlife resort boasting luxury accommodations in the middle of a 
tropical jungle setting. With more than 500 avian species, monkeys and all 5 
spp of cats, a camera and a check list are a must. Trip includes canoeing, 
horseback riding and guided trail rides on miles of refuge roads. Or you can 
just kick back with a cold cerveza and watch the jungle go by. 


The 6 day/5 night package includes all meals, amenities and accommodations, 
transportation to Chan Chich from the Belize airport (RT Tampa/Belize airfare 
not included). Price $1,850 per person double occupancy. 


This trip is open to all. You do not have to be an Audubon member to enjoy this 
amazing adventure. Deadline for reservations is 15 November. Check the St 
Petersburg Audubon Website (www.stpeteaudubon.org) for more 
information or to make reservations contact Lee Snyder at 
lee.snyder2 AT verizon.net. 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

To subscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


To unsubscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

It never stays the same from one visit to the next. A very cloudy morning,
temperature pleasant on the beach.
Crossing the bridge to the beach, One Little Blue Heron, an immature White
Ibis, 3 Willets and heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (my first for this area).
 
Scattered on the Beach:
9 Black-bellied Plovers
15 Sanderlings
2 Snowy Egrets
22 Ruddy Turnstones
1 Semipalmated Plover
 
One mixed group:
20 Short-billed Dowitchers
11 Black-bellied Plovers in breeding plumage
3   Marbled Godwits plus a flock of 25-30 flying low 50 yards off the beach.
 They did not land.
Many Terns, Royal, Least and Sandwich
Many Laughing Gulls
 
Also Flying:
Several Pelicans
3 Cormorants
2 Ospreys
1 immature Black Skimmer

South Florida Birding Trail:  STORMWATER TREATMENT AREA 5 BIRD-WATCHING TOURS 

Through a partnership with Hendry-Glades Audubon, the South Florida Water 
Management District will offer to the public escorted birding tours at 
Stormwater Treatment Area 5 (STA-5) south of Clewiston in eastern Hendry 
County. Tours are open to anyone, but participants must register to reserve a 
space on the trips. 


To sign up for the STA-5 Birding Tour: Send an e-mail to Margaret England, at 
sta5birding AT embarqmail.com with your name 
and contact information including an emergency cell number for the tour day, 
the date you want to go, and the number in your party. You may also leave a 
message at  or . 


2007
Sept. 29th 
October 20
Nov. 11 (Reserved for ABA Convention Tour: Sunday)
Nov. 24 
Dec. 1
Dec. 15 (Christmas BC)

2008
Jan. 5th
Jan. 26 (Reserved for Big O Birding Festival Tour) 
http://www.bigobirdingfestival.com/ 

Feb. 2
Feb. 16 (Great Backyard BC)
March 15
March 29
April 12
April 26 
May 17 ( Migratory Bird Count)

Hendry-Glades Audubon Society Website: 
http://www.orgsites.com/fl/hgaudubon/ 

Hendry County Tourism: Visit Hendry County 
http://www.visithendrycounty.com/ 

Clewiston Chamber of Commerce: Hotels and Restaurants 
http://www.clewiston.org/ 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

To subscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


To unsubscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

Walking the beach at Lovers Key.  Perfect morning, only a handful of people.
 
A large group of mixed shorebirds resting for the most part with a lot of
Least Terns in the air.
 
51 Red Knots
A group of Black-bellied Plovers most still in breeding plumage (about 25)
plus several lone ones along the beach.
 7 Willets
 12 Ruddy Turnstones
2 Juvenile Skimmers
3 Dowitchers
5 Piping Plovers
Only 3 Sanderlings
75+ Laughing Gulls
Least Terns
Sandwich Terns
Royal Terns
Several Osprey
Several Brown Pelicans
 
Ruth Woodall

We just came back from a trip to Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa 
Rica.  We got 53 new birds in three days....Toucans, Toucanettes, many 
new hummingbirds, Parakeets, etc.  Strongly recommend staying at Fonda 
Vela Hotel in Junior suite...1 lg king and queen and fold out couch 
overlooking large area....can bird with a beer in one hand and binos in 
the other.  All meals, incl. drinks, hotel, air, tours into the Cloud 
Forest was less than $1000.  Spirit Air was $105 r/t each from 
Lauderdale (incl in the above $1000 )....no need to pay for a guided 
trip. Fonda Vela has guides availabe.  

I would be happy to provide the 2007/8 activity and contact information for the 
other Audubon Society chapters and bird watching clubs in Manatee, Sarasota, 
Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee Counties. Below is this information for the 
Sarasota Audubon Society chapter to include their meetings and trips from now 
until May 2008. Peter Rice 

____________________________________________________________

The Sarasota Audubon Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 15423, Sarasota, FL ,, website: 
www.sarasotaaudubon.org 


A Chapter of the National Audubon Society, Inc., 700 Broadway, New York, NY 
10003, 


Audubon of Florida, 444 Brickell Avenue � Suite 850, Miami, FL ,  


OFFICERS
President: Jeanne Dubi, , 
jeanne AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

First Vice President: Rick Greenspun, ; 
rick AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Second Vice President: Stuart Hills, ; 
stuart AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Treasurer: Penney Rist, ; 
penney AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Secretary: Carolyn Primus, ; 
carolyn AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Members At Large: Julie Byrne, ; Karen Jensen, 

The Executive Committee consists of the Officers and Members At Large. The 
Board of Directors consists of the Executive Committee and the Board Committee 
Chairs. Board meetings are held each month except June and August. 


STANDING COMMITTEES

Bald Eagle Monitoring
Dale Nauman, ; 
eaglesdn AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Beach Monitoring
Bonnie Samuelsen, bluemrble9 AT aol.com
Bird Recorder
Edith Miller, 
The Brown Pelican newsletter
editor AT sarasotaaudubon.org
Conservation
Wade Matthews, ; 
wade AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Endowment
Dick Joseph, ; 
endowment AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Greeter
Sara King, ; 
greeter AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Hospitality 
Maria-Elisabeth Mantius, 
Membership
Lynn Jakubowicz, ; 
membership AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Programs
Rick Greenspun, ; 
programs AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Public Information
Susie Bowie, ; 
publicinfo AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Publicity
Sid Deutsch, 
Roberts Bay Watch
Rick Greenspun, ; 
rick AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Sales
Wanda Strickland, 
Telephone
Veronica Tarnowski, ; 
veronica AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Trips
Day: Kathryn Young, ; 
kathwren1 AT verizon.net 

 Overnight: Karen Jensen, ; 
karensarasota AT yahoo.com 

Website
David Munro, dave AT sarasotaudubon.org
Wetlands Conservation
Julie Byrne, ; 
julie AT sarasotaaudubon.org 


SPECIAL PROJECTS

Celery Fields Conservation
Jeanne Dubi, ; 
jeanne AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Celery Fields Walks
Mark Leggett, ; 
mark AT sarasotaaudubon.org 

Christmas Bird Count
Coordinators: Jeanne Dubi, ; Edith Miller, 
Birding Hot Spots
Stuart Hills, ; 
stuart AT sarasotaaudubon.org 


MONTHLY PROGRAMS & MEETINGS, 2007-08

Programs and programs are held the second Monday of the month, Oct through May, 
at 7pm at the Fellowship Hall, First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave, 
Sarasota (behind the YMCA just north of Bahia Vista) 


October 8: Birds of Papua New Guinea World traveler and birdwatcher Carole 
Breedlove will share incredible photos and remarkable tales of her travels in 
New Guinea 


November 12: Planting for Wildlife Laurel Schiller of Florida Native Plants, 
Inc. will share her extensive knowledge of native plants and wildlife habitat 


December 10: Nature Photography of Larry Allen Enjoy an evening of fabulous 
photos of birds and wildlife of Florida 


January 14: The State of Our Environment Commissioner Jon Thaxton looks toward 
the future of Sarasota County 


February 11: The Celery Fields Peter Peduzzi of Sarasota County discusses the 
wetlands restoration project and what it will mean for birds and Audubon 


March 10: Bird Migration: Trans Gulf and Caribbean Migrants Photos of migrant 
gems and discussion by experts on the migratory birds that come through Florida 
every spring and fall 


April 14: Sarasota�s Butterflies Catherine LaBrie and Stu Hills of the Sarasota 
Butterfly Club will show us slides of nature�s most beautiful creatures Annual 
General Meeting in which officers are elected for the coming year 


May 12: Nesting Shorebirds with Ted Mase Great photos and information about the 
endangered and threatened birds that allow us to share their beaches 


TRIPS, 2007-08

All day trips meet at McDonald�s (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) unless otherwise noted. 
Field trips are open to anyone interested in birding, wildlife watching or 
exploring Florida's natural areas. A suggested donation of $2 for members and 
$4 for non-members is most welcome. NO RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY UNLESS 
OTHERWISE INDICATED. For more information, contact each individual Trip Leader. 
Log onto www.sarasotaaudubon.org for 
directions to each day trip site. NOTE: Checks for paid day trips are deposited 
after the completion of the trip. In the event of a cancellation, a refund will 
be made to the issuer of the check only. Deposits/Payments for overnight trips 
are made right away. 


TRIP WAIVER: Participation is on condition that Sarasota Audubon Society and 
its officers and volunteers will not be held liable for damage or injury to 
persons or property. 


Roberts Bay on the Carefree Learner with Sarasota High School students to 
monitor breeding birds on the mangrove islands. Members more than welcome. Two 
trips on most days: 9:40 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Boat is docked next to Le Barge at 
Marina Jack�s. Call Rick Greenspun at  to secure a spot. Dates will be 
posted each month in The Brown Pelican. 


SPECIAL CLASSES:
Introduction to Birding�5 Sessions Two classroom sessions with handouts, 
slides, and tips for beginners, followed by three field trips to practice 
skills. First two sessions will be held on Mondays, Jan 21 & 28 in the Bee 
Ridge Park building (on Wilkinson between Swift and Beneva), Room D, from 6:30 
to 8:30 p.m. Field trip locations will be determined but will be held on 
Friday, Jan 25; Thursday, Jan 31; and Saturday, Feb 2 all at 8 a.m. Cost of the 
classes is $50 for members; $65 for non-members. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 
Send a check made out to SAS and mail it to Sarasota Audubon Society, P.O. Box 
15423, Sarasota, FL 34277. Mark the envelope �Birding Class�. Call Jeanne Dubi 
at  for more details. 


Recapturing Habitat: Friday, Feb 8/Saturday, Feb 9: 9 to noon, FREE. Twin Lakes 
Park Two identical workshops. Take back the wilderness! Help in the drive to 
recapture wildlife habitat by making your backyard friendly to the birds and 
the bees. Local native plant and wildlife habitat experts will provide material 
and tips. Each participant will receive a 10� x 10� plan for a backyard 
wildlife plot and a free plant to get started. We will be giving away one free 
10� x 10� backyard makeover; winner will be selected at random from the list of 
participants. 


FESTIVALS
SARASOTA READING FESTIVAL: Saturday, Nov 3 Sarasota�s annual event to stimulate 
reading. Famous authors in attendance. Come visit our table. 


E-FEST, Lakewood Ranch Polo Grounds: All day Saturday, Nov 17 SAS will have a 
booth to help in the effort to spread the green and environmental word. 
Thousands of visitors expected at this collaborative event. 


PINECRAFT FEST: Saturday, March 1, 9 a.m. to noon Join SAS members and various 
local kids� groups and schools for a great morning working together to rid this 
tiny park of exotic plants and garbage. This is a sponsored event with prizes 
for the ugliest, biggest, longest, smallest air potato. We need donated prizes 
suitable for kids, such as gift certificates to B&N, Target, movies or new 
books and games. Call Jeanne Dubi at  to help in any way you can. 


EARTH DAY AT OSCAR SCHERER: Sunday, April 20 This annual event draws huge 
crowds. Check out plants and critters. Fun for kids. Visit us at the SAS booth. 


CELERY FIELDS
Celery Fields Walks Explore birdlife with a different leader on the second 
Saturday of each month, Oct through April. Oct 13; Nov 10; Dec 8; Jan 12; Feb 
9; Mar 8; Apr 12. Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8 a.m. Coordinator: 
Mark Leggett, . 


Celery Fields Cleanup Help us keep our adopted road free of garbage. Tuesdays: 
Nov 13; Jan 22; Mar 18; Apr 22. Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8 a.m. 
Coordinator: Jeanne Dubi, . 


CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Christmas Bird Count: Myakka River SP, Monday December 17 Coordinator Ken 
Alvarez, kencalverez AT msn.com. Sarasota: Saturday, 
January 5 Coordinators Jeanne Dubi, , and Edith Miller, . 


TRIPS & EVENTS
Nov 1-3: Audubon Assembly, Cocoa Beach Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 
www.hiltoncocoabeach.com. Special hotel rate 
of $119 per night if you register by Oct 2. 


Saturday, Nov 3: Sarasota Reading Festival Check FESTIVALS for details

Wednesday, Nov 7: Laurel Landfill Check out this very birdy landfill site in 
Laurel. Leader: Mark Leggett, . Meet at McDonald�s (Bee 
Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. 


Wednesday, Nov 14: Plant Walk Nancy Edmondson, land manager for Sarasota 
County, will lead a plant/nature walk at Lemon Bay Preserve in south Venice. 
Meet in the parking lot of the preserve at 8 a.m. Contact: Kathryn Young, 
. 


Saturday, Nov 17: Rye Wilderness A very nice Manatee County park that hosts 
scrub-jays and wintering warblers and sparrows. BRING LUNCH. Leave McDonald�s 
at 8 a.m. Leader: Lynn Jakubowicz, . 


Saturday, Nov 17: E-FEST at Lakewood Ranch Polo Grounds Check FESTIVALS for 
details 


Monday, Nov 19: SRQ Water Treatment Plants Check out the birds at our local 
water treatment plants with Jeanne Dubi, . Leave McDonald�s (Bee 
Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. 


Tuesday, Dec 4: Holiday Lunch at Misty Creek Country Club Join SAS board 
members and friends for a lunch to celebrate the holidays. Fun slide show too. 
Three course lunch $21, 11:45 a.m. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Contact: Jeanne Dubi, 
. 


Thursday, Dec 6: Snook Haven Boat Ride & Lunch/Birding at Jelks Preserve 
Kathryn Young () & Mark Leggett. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Cost $20 per 
person for the boat ride only. Lunch at your own expense. Leave McDonald�s (Bee 
Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. 


Wednesday, Dec 12: Myakka River SP This wildlife preserve always provides great 
birding. Meet at 8 a.m. in parking lot inside park (fee.) SR 72, 9 miles east 
of I-75. Leader: Owen Comora, . BRING LUNCH. 


Christmas Bird Count: Myakka River SP, Monday December 17 Coordinator Ken 
Alvarez, kencalverez AT msn.com. Sarasota, Saturday, 
January 5 Coordinators Jeanne Dubi, , and Edith Miller, . 


Tuesday, Jan 1: New Year�s Day at Sleeping Turtle! Join leaders Mark Leggett 
() and Kathryn Young on a New Year�s search for birds at this new 
county park. Meet at McDonald�s (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 9 a.m. BRING LUNCH & A 
TREAT TO SHARE. 


Thursday, Jan 3: TECO Plant and George Simmons Park Join leader Stu Hills, 
, to see manatees at the TECO plant in Apollo Beach and shorebirds at 
Simmons in southern Hillsborough County. Meet at McDonald�s (Bee 
Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH. 


Tuesday, Jan 8: North Longboat Key Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot opposite 
the Chevron station at the very north end of LBK. Leaders: Betty & Wade 
Matthews, . Optional lunch at Moore�s restaurant. 


Tuesday, Jan 15: Phosphate Mines, Polk County Privately-guided tour of the 
phosphate reclamation ponds near Lakeland. Guide is Paul Fellers of Lake 
Audubon. Short-tailed Hawks (possible), wintering warblers and thousands of 
shorebirds. Leave McDonald�s (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 7 a.m. Contact: Rick 
Greenspun, . LUNCH INCLUDED. Bring snacks and drinks for an all-day 
outing. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. A donation of $5 to Lake Audubon on the day is 
recommended. 

Monday, Jan 21, 28, Friday, Jan 25, Thursday, Jan 31, & Saturday, Feb 2: 
Introduction to Birding. See SPECIAL CLASSES for details. 


Wednesday, Jan 30: Clay Gully & Sidell Roads Round trip behind Myakka SP. This 
area is good wintering habitat for specialties such as Scissor-tailed 
Flycatchers. Leader: Owen Comora, . Meet at McDonald�s (Bee 
Ridge/Cattlemen) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH. 


Tuesday, Feb 5: Venice Rookery, Manasota Scrub, Lemon Bay Park Great photo; 
great birding. Mark Leggett, . Leave McDonald�s at 7:30 a.m. BRING 
LUNCH. 


Friday/Saturday, Feb 8/9, 9 to noon: Recapturing Habitat Two identical 
workshops on creating backyard habitat. See SPECIAL CLASSES for more details. 


Friday/Saturday, Feb 15/16: Station 5 in Hendry County Overnight Friday in 
Clewiston, then an early visit to the water treatment plant to view all kinds 
of birds in these remote marshes. Trip is led by Margaret England of 
Hendry-Glades Audubon. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Hotel at own expense. A donation 
of $5 to Hendry-Glades Audubon on the day is recommended. Contact Kathryn 
Young, . 


Saturday, Feb 23: Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, Ruskin Jeanne Dubi () 
& Lynn Jakubowicz will lead a trip to this newly reclaimed and restored 
environmentally sensitive area in southern Hillsborough County. This is a 
reliable spot for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Leave McDonald�s at 7:15 a.m. 
sharp. BRING LUNCH. 


Saturday, Mar 1: Pinecraft Fest Check FESTIVALS for details.

Tuesday, Mar 4: Red Bug Slough Ken Pearlman () will lead us on a walk 
through pine and oak hammocks. Meet in the parking lot of Red Bug Slough, just 
south of Proctor on Beneva, at 8 a.m. 


Wednesday-Friday, Mar 12-14 Two-night trip to Winter Park. Jeanne Dubi and 
Karen Jensen (). See GETAWAY TRIPS for details. 


Thursday, Mar 20: Potter Park & Stoneybrook Park Edith Miller and Kathryn Young 
() will help us find wintering birds at these two small parks in 
mid-Sarasota County. Meet in the YMCA parking lot on Central Sarasota Parkway 
at 8 a.m. 


Saturday, Mar 29: Carlton Reserve Join Charlie Sample and Carolyn Edmunds of 
Venice Audubon, , for a rare opportunity to bird the back country of 
the reserve. Meet in the Carlton parking lot. Jacaranda Blvd exit off I-75; 
east onto Jacaranda, right onto Border Road, left at the end. Field trip is 
from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call Kathryn Young at  if you want to carpool 
from McDonald�s. BRING LUNCH. 


Apr 4-6: Audubon Academy, Vero Beach Workshops and seminars for chapter leaders 
and future leaders. 


Tuesday, Apr 8: Emerson Point This wonderful park has woodlands, shoreline, and 
mangroves. Depart McDonald�s at 7:30 a.m. Optional lunch at Crab Trap II 
restaurant. Leaders: John Ginaven, , and Stuart Hills, . 


Tuesday, April 15: Ft DeSoto Join leader John Ginaven () on a quest for 
migrants at this marvelous park and premier birding hotspot. Leave the first 
rest area just after the tollbooths on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (1-275) at 8 
a.m. BRING LUNCH. 


Saturday, Apr 19: Ft DeSoto Leader Edith Miller () will help us find 
migrants at this wonderful birding spot. Leave the first rest area just after 
the tollbooths on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) at 8 a.m. BRING LUNCH. 


Sunday, Apr 20: Earth Day at Oscar Scherer State Park Check FESTIVALS for 
details. 


Monday, April 28: SRQ Triple Loop Join Rick Greenspun () and Jeanne 
Dubi in search of migrants at our local hot spots. Meet at 8 a.m. in the 
parking lot of Phillippi Estate Park, west side of U.S. 41 at Constitution 
Blvd. 


Saturday, May 3: Butterfly Walk Join butterfly enthusiasts Stu Hills and Jeanne 
Dubi on a walk to locate and ID local butterflies. Location to be determined. 
Meet at McDonald�s (Bee Ridge/Cattlemen) at 10 a.m. Contact: Jeanne Dubi, 
. 


GETAWAY TRIPS

WINTER PARK Wednesday-Friday, March 12-14 Two-night trip to Winter Park. Birds 
of Prey Center, Morse Museum to view Tiffany glass, birding in Mead Gardens and 
Leu Gardens, boat ride on Chain of Lakes and lunch/dine in charming Winter 
Park. Jeanne Dubi and Karen Jensen (). RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. 


STATION 5, CLEWISTON AREA Friday/Saturday, Feb 15/16 Optional overnight Friday, 
then meet at the McDonald�s in Clewiston at 7:30 a.m. Saturday for an escorted 
driving trip to view all kinds of birds in the remote marshes of Hendry 
County�s water treatment facility. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Hotel and meals at 
your own expense. Contact: Kathryn Young, . 


ALASKA CRUISE May or June 2008 Join us and members of nearby Audubon chapters 
for a 7-night cruise along Alaska� spectacularly scenic inside passage with 
additional nights on the mainland. Call Karen Jensen () for more 
details. 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

SARASOTA AUDUBON ALASKA CRUISE
Aboard Holland America�s Volendam
Choose from 7-Night Cruise or 7-Night Cruise plus 5-Night Kenai Land Trip
Leaders: Karen Jensen and Jeanne Dubi

7-Night Cruise: May 18-25, 2008

7-Night Cruise from Vancouver to Seward visiting: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, 
Glacier Bay & College Fjord 


FROM $1999 pp                                              FROM $2299 pp
INSIDE CABINS                                               OUTSIDE CABINS
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY                                 DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Inside Cabins from $2475 single occupancy
Outside Cabins from $2910 single occupancy
(3 & 4 person cabins also available)
 
7-Night Cruise plus 5-Night Kenai Land Trip: May 18-30, 2008

Cruise as above plus Fjords National Park cruise, see bird rookeries, whales & 
more. Travel Sterling Mountains, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on the way to 
Homer. Optional Kayak tour to Kachemak Bay State Park. Will visit Cooper 
Landing & Kenai River. Will see Portage Glacier on the MV Ptarmigan to look for 
Beluga whales & abundant bird life. Last Night in Anchorage to dine & shop. 


FROM $2549 pp                  FROM $2975 pp                     FROM $3549 pp
INSIDE CABINS                  OUTSIDE CABINS                  BALCONY CABINS
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY    DOUBLE OCCUPANCY        DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
 Inside Cabins from $3298 single occupancy
Outside Cabins from $3868 single occupancy
(3 & 4 person cabins also available)
 
Not included: Meals on Kenai extension, tips and side trips.
Included: Cruise taxes, transfers and air from Tampa, return from Anchorage. 
(You have the option of handling your own air arrangements.) 
Insurance is not included but highly recommended.

$400 per person deposit due with application for Cruise Only
$650 per person due with application for Cruise + Kenai Land Trip
Deposit includes $50 non-refundable charge
For more info contact: Karen Jensen  / cell  
karen AT sarasotaaudubon.org 


To make reservations contact: 
pieter AT fantasytravel.net 
 or 
6630 Cortez Rd W., Bradenton, FL 34210
_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

From Gayle Schmidt:

 

Today at Yellow Fever Creek we saw the following on a visit from 8:30 am to
12:15:

 

Northern Bobwhite

Little Blue Heron

Green Heron

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Red-shouldered Hawk

Common Moorhen

Mourning Dove

Common Ground-Dove

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Blue Jay

Bank Swallows

Barn Swallows

Carolina Wren

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Yellow-throated Warbler

American Redstart - female

Prothonotary Warbler

Northern Parula

Eastern Towhee

Northern Cardinal

Common Grackel

 

This Preserve is bordered by Del Prado Boulevard (Cape Coral/N. Ft Myers) on
the west and north sides and is in north Lee County.

 

Gayle Schmidt

Bird Patrol Volunteer

Ft. Myers, Florida

www.birdpatrol.org

 

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

 

Hi there -- Trying to understand where the SW Sarasota County wellfield 
might be where all these swallows were seen.

Based on prior years, I would expect that at least 400 of the 500 'Cliff' 
Swallows were actually Barns. But would really like to check the place out.

Ken
Ken Blackshaw -- (Better, Better & Better)
Amateur Radio W1NQT (Never Quits Talking)
Englewood on Florida's SW Coast

24 August - There were at least 500 cliff swallows (and one bank swallow) over 
a wellfield in Englewood (in south-west Sarasota County) and an American 
bittern in the Myakka River State Park. Tim Mann Lutz 
tmann3 AT tampabay.rr.com 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

All, 

 

We had a fun morning checking out the denizens of Bunche Beach Saturday.
Birds of the shore seen included:

 

Piping Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Wilson's Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Least Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Marbled Godwit

Ruddy Turnstone

Sanderling

Willet

Spotted Sandpiper

American Oystercatcher

Least Tern

Forster's Tern

Sandwich Tern

Royal Tern

Black Skimmer

Laughing Gull

 

A few Barn Swallows and Purple Martins passed by overhead as well.

 

I have it on good word that a Whimbrel and a Long-billed Curlew were seen
during the week prior to the field trip.

 

Go to http://www.birdpatrol.org   for future
field trip dates!  Look for the 2007 site tours at the top of the Bird
Patrol home page.

 

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

  _____  

From: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Charlie Ewell
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 7:12 AM
To: SWFLBirdline AT yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SWFLBirdline] Bunche Beach shorebird walk

 

All,

 

Walt Winton and I will be co-leading a walk to check out the migrating
shorebirds at Bunche Beach tomorrow morning, Sat 18 Aug, at 8:00.  The walk
is part of the monthly series sponsored by Lee County Parks and Rec's
volunteer group called the Bird Patrol.  No registration is required.  There
are also walks and canoe tours of the bird rookery at Lakes Park scheduled
the first Saturday of each month.  The Lakes Park tours do require
registration ahead of time.  Information on the Lakes Park tours can be
found at http://www.birdpatr  ol.org

 

A map to Bunche Beach can be found at this link:

 

http://www.mapquest

.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=18201%20John%20Morr
is%20Rd&city=Fort%20Myers&state=FL&zipcode=33908&country=US&geodiff=1

 

It is located at the south end of John Morris Rd, a mile or so east of where
McGregor Blvd intersects with Summerlin Blvd in south Ft Myers.

 

Charlie

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

  

All,

 

Walt Winton and I will be co-leading a walk to check out the migrating
shorebirds at Bunche Beach tomorrow morning, Sat 18 Aug, at 8:00.  The walk
is part of the monthly series sponsored by Lee County Parks and Rec's
volunteer group called the Bird Patrol.  No registration is required.  There
are also walks and canoe tours of the bird rookery at Lakes Park scheduled
the first Saturday of each month.  The Lakes Park tours do require
registration ahead of time.  Information on the Lakes Park tours can be
found at http://www.birdpatrol.org  

 

A map to Bunche Beach can be found at this link:

 

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address

&addtohistory=&address=18201%20John%20Morris%20Rd&city=Fort%20Myers&state=FL
&zipcode=33908&country=US&geodiff=1

 

It is located at the south end of John Morris Rd, a mile or so east of where
McGregor Blvd intersects with Summerlin Blvd in south Ft Myers.

 

Charlie

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

 

Observed a Common Myna in Fort Myers today.  Easy to find: located in 
the 'B" in the sign at the "B"urlington Coat Factory on Highway 41, 
south of the flyover at Colonial and Hwy 41.  Mickey and Priscilla Coe, 
Fort Myers 

Looked like it might not rain much this afternoon. So I went out east 
on 41 to the Cypress Ben Boardwalk. Started out with a male Northern 
Parula and what looked like a juvenile. Red eyed Vireo started to 
sing in the tree tops. Carolina Wren called out, then a Great-crested 
flycatcher called out. Got to the end, lots of water. Then a 
Waterthrush called out. Then 4 Titmouse came out into view, a couple
more Red-eyed Vireo's, 3 Bluegray Gnatcatcher, female Parula, then a 
Black and white Warbler showed up. Other birds seen, Downy, Pileated, 
and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
        Then I drove east on 41 and turned north on 29 not much. 
Turned right and went toward the Hendry Corr. Facility. Went pass it 
and on the left was a Caracara and E. Meadowlark. Turned around 
heading back west crossed over 29 and about 8 to 10 miles. I think 
its old oil well rd on your right. Just a hundred yards up the fields 
on the left have water in them. Had Greater yellowlegs, Mottled 
ducks, White Ibis, 2 Sandhill Cranes,and possibly others in the 
distance. Last year I had Wood Duck and Black-bellied Ducks here. 
Another good birding day in paradise.

Kenneth P. Williams
Naples      

Decided to check out Tigertail beach for shorebirds this afternoon.
It was a hot one today. Tide was starting to come in. So I headed 
through the lagoon and north up the beach. About halfway to the north 
end of the beach the waves have carved a inlet through to the lagoon 
about 75 yards wide. So the north end is now a island. Crossed over
and at the end of the new island was 100+ Royal Terns with some 
juveniles, who were begging for food. There were about 150+ Black 
Skimmers with juveniles and chicks. This was my first time seeing 
Skimmer chicks. They were cute running on the sand to the grassy 
areas for protection. Here is a list for the day:

Black-bellied Plover 15 (1 in breeding plumage)
Snowy Plover  6
Piping Plover  6
Semipalmated Plover  30+
Wilsons Plover  20 (plus one chick)
Marbled Godwit  12
Willet 20+
Greater Yellowlegs  3
Short-billed Dowitcher 40+ (many in breeding plumage)
Ruddy Turnstone  15
Red Knots  25 (all non-breeding plumage)
Sanderlings 25+ ( all non-breeding plumage)
Western Sandpipers 30+ (many in breeding plumage)
Herring Gull 1
Laughing Gull  15
Least Tern  20
Royal Tern  100+
Sandwich Tern  2
White Ibis  8
Brown Pelican  12
Dbl. crested Cormorant  4
Ground Dove  3
Osprey  2
Yellow-crowned Night Heron 1 ( with a broken wing)

It was a nice day. Glad to see migration begin.


Kenneth P. Williams
Naples Fl. 
  

7 July - Wes Biggs & I observed a Peregrine Falcon along SR 31 in southern 
DeSoto County Thursday afternoon 7/5/07. First July Peregrine in Florida for 
me. David Goodwin Brandon, FL Dgood389 AT aol.com 


9 July - Visited the boardwalk at Ponce de Leon Park, Punta Gorda on Sunday at 
10 AM. No sighting of the Mangrove Cuckoo. Yesterday at 8:30 we spotted it in 
the tree tops about 10 feet in on the right fork and followed it sometimes at 
eye level towards the canal for about 15 minutes. Greg Voigt 
grg_voigt AT yahoo.com 


7 July - While in Sarasota County this morning I came across a few birds that 
might be of local interest. Along SR-74 between Myakka River SP & the Hardee 
County Line I found want appeared to be a family group of Crested Caracaras. 
Two adults & two first year type birds were dining on a large road kill opossum 
for breakfest. I found another group of Caracaras along Sugar Bowl Rd. just 
after crossing into Manatee County. At South Lido Beach Park there were two 
calling White-winged Doves in the Australian Pines around the parking lot. Plus 
easy to spot Gray Kingbirds Also along Rye Road in Manatee County I saw a 
Swallow-tailed Kite with a molt gap in the inner primaries. I can't recall ever 
seeing this before in Swallow-tailed Kites while they are in the United States. 
Could seeing this molt sequence while in the US help differentiate a second 
year bird from an adult?? Brian Ahern Tampa, FL 
BrianAhern AT aol.com 


6 July - Originally I had planned to spend a few hours in the early morning 
yesterday seeking a few target birds in Charlotte county & then spending the 
rest of my time looking for butterflies at Babcock-Webb WMA, but the rain gods 
had other plans in store for me. By about 9 AM there were already some major 
rainstorms starting in Charlotte with no sign of stopping anytime soon, so I 
decided to follow the old Kings Highway north through DeSoto & Hardee counties 
to do some country back roads birding. Listed below are some highlights & 
locally interesting bird sightings: 

 
Charlotte County
Hathaway Park & nearby area: located along Washington Loop Rd. At around 6 am I 
heard Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, many Common Nighthawks & a single 
Chuck-will's-Widow calling. Once it got light enough to see I found a pair of 
Wood Ducks in flight, 2 Wild Turkeys, 3 Limpkins, an early returning Belted 
Kingfisher, Brown Thrasher, a family group of Tufted Titmice & several singing 
Northern Parulas. 

 
Ponce de Leon Park: Thanks to the local birding champ of Port Charlotte, Jeff 
Bouton, I found one of my target birds very easily. Based on his advice I was 
able to go directly to some active Burrowing Owl sites without having to 
search. There are two burrows along Colonial Point Dr. (directions are listed 
in Bill Pranty's book). I counted 4 adults & 2 junveniles. My other target bird 
I thought would pose a harder challenge to find, but it turns out that was not 
the case this time around. Along the short loop boardwalk at the park I found 
one adult Mangrove Cuckoo where there is a display sign about Green Herons. I 
was the only person there and stayed very quiet able to watch the bird for over 
10 minutes preening itself. The time was around 7:50 AM and it was already very 
overcast; a nickname for North American cuckoos is "rain-bird". I had been to 
this park once before about 8 years back in search of the bird without any 
success. Sometimes they are close in & other times they are farther back across 
the canal, you just have to be lucky. By the time I left the park the dark 
skies were filled with 20 Magnificent Frigatebirds while a Reddish Egret & 
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron hunted along the shoreline . 

 
Yucca Pens Unit WMA: according to the information I found on the web, people 
are allowed to drive along the main roads. However I found the gates locked. 
Before it began raining I saw 2 adult Bald Eagles & heard a few Brown-headed 
Nuthatches. 

 
DeSoto County
Lettuce Lake Public Boat Ramp: I saw a sign for this place along CR-769 & 
decided to follow it. Turns out to be a decent small place to look for birds 
considered I found a dark morph Short-tailed Hawk soaring high up in the sky! 
Also two female/immature Ruby-throated Hummingbirds squabbling with each other 
& a lone White-winged Dove on a telephone wire. There were a pair of 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in a field at the intersection of CR-769 & SR-72. 
Along NW Tom Mizell Rd. I came across 2 Swallow-tailed Kites, 6 Wild Turkeys & 
a first summer Green Heron (can be hard to find in DeSoto). 

 
Hardee County
My last stop was at the small wetland area that Ron Smith posted about on the 
4th. Looks like I missed running into Roy Morris, but like him & Ron I found at 
least 2 Black Terns that were in breeding plumage, plus a few Gull-billed & 
Least Terns. I missed the American Avocet this time but the area is pretty 
distant from the road and there is a lot of brush that makes good places for it 
to hide from view. To get good views of these birds a scope would be necessary, 
but you could still make most identification calls with binoculars. So in about 
6 hours on a hot humid buggy morning in early July I saw 84 species of birds 
including some really cool ones like Burrowing Owls, Mangrove Cuckoo & a 
Short-tailed Hawk. It sure beats sleeping in with the nice cool A/C on! Brian 
Ahern Tampa, FL BrianAhern AT aol.com 


3 July - Canada Geese A flock of about ten Canada Geese were seen on July 3 at 
Bobby Jones Golf Club in Sarasota. Lou Kovach - North Venice 
jkovach122 AT comcast.net 


5 July - Nice find of the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Irene. On 7/9/05, 
after a storm passed by our area, I found three first year LBBG's together out 
at North Beach, Ft. De Soto Park. I had never before seen this species that 
early on this coast. But, with your find and mine, it appears there may be a 
regular movement of a small number of LBBG's along our coast in July. An adult 
is even more surprising, but maybe nest failure caused the one you found to 
head south earlier than usual. The immature in the photos you posted appears to 
me to be a Herring Gull. The overall shape is too stocky for LBBG, with the 
wings not being proportionately long enough for that species. I think the color 
pattern of the bill and its large size also points towards Herring Gull and not 
LBBG, which should have a smaller/more slender bill. Lyn Atherton Tierra Verde, 
FL bonniedabird AT earthlink.net 


6 July - Our Friday Englewood group visited the parks on Longboat Key today and 
heard the Clapper Rail at Joan Durante Comm. Park. Very secretive ! Gray 
Kingbirds, very much in evidence at the entrance to Lido Key Park. Seemed to be 
feeding young. Heard and saw Chimney Swifts in that area as well! Mary 
Dommermuth dblbg AT verizon.net 


4 July - Back on June 9th Brian Ahern reported an American Avocet in a small 
wetlands on the south side of SR 62 just east of the Manatee County line within 
Hardee County. Today, Lori and I saw up to a half dozen Gull-billed Terns, two 
Black Terns, and a few Least Terns utilizing this wetlands. Lots of 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were present - but no sign of the avocet. A while 
back Dave Goodwin told me about seeing some White-winged Doves in the town of 
Bowling Green (Hardee County). We saw one of those, too, just east of the 
town's water tower. A male and female Ruby-throated Hummimngbird were seen in 
the Bok Tower Gardens (Polk) this morning. Ron Smith St. Pete, FL 
rsmith52 AT tampabay.rr.com 


5 July - This morning I stopped by the small wetlands in Hardee county and saw 
a nice assortment of birds. We had several black, least and at least 3 gull 
billed terns. Lots of BB Whistling ducks, a single least bittern and one 
American Avocet. Roy Morris Lakeland, FL 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

4 July - Sightings off Boca Grande
Great birding today off Boca Grande! After snorkeling at the old trestle,
which runs adjacent to the bridge over to Boca Grande, I observed a single
White Morph Great Blue Heron looking down at me from the top of the trestle,
and quickly snapped some pictures. We decided to run the boat over to the
Bird Sanctuary island (26*47'23.78" N, 82*14'47.78" W), and found one lone
Am. White Pelican in with several Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants,
Laughing Gulls, Great and Snowy Egrets, one juvenile Reddish Egret, and a
lone Am. Oystercatcher. Lots of Magnificent Frigatebirds were soaring over
Charlotte Harbor, and Royal, Sandwich, Forster's, and Least Terns were doing
their share of fishing. A Green Heron zipped by on our way home, adding a
nice final touch to the trip. Happy Fourth, everybirdy!

Susan Daughtrey  Englewood, FL  susansd AT comcast.net
_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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Noted at Lynn Hall Park (Ft. Myers Beach Pier) at the north end of the
parking lot right about sunset yesterday (29 June 07). I know they are
not all that unusual but this individual flew back and forth above my
head and even seemed to be trying to chase me away! 

All,

Here is an interesting article about some man-made habitat for nesting
shorebirds in Tampa Bay.

Charlie Ewell
Cape Coral, FL
Anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Monique Borboen-Abrams 
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 12:58 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Spoil island working for LETE and Wilson's Plovers

Good news from Audubon of Florida's Florida Coastal Island Sanctuaries on
the other side of the Bay. See article below. This spoil island is managed
specifically for Beach Nesting Birds species which like open beach, like
least terns, and it takes quite some means to control the vegetation. Great
that is it working! Hopefully this model can be copied in other places!
 
Monique
 
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB62K3183F.html

Island's Makeover Creates Haven For Shorebirds

Skip directly to the full story
 .

By SUSAN M. GREEN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 22, 2007

PORT MANATEE - After years of study, Audubon scientists thought they knew
what Tampa Bay shorebirds were looking for in a nesting site.

So when the opportunity came to remodel a 40-year-old spoil island, they
huddled with consultants for Port Manatee to design the ideal nursery for
least terns, a species threatened with extinction because of loss of
habitat.

Almost four years after the makeover was completed, the island has surpassed
Audubon's expectations, plus welcomed an uninvited guest: the Wilson's
plover.

"We think this is one of the largest breeding colonies of Wilson's plovers
in the state of Florida, maybe even the largest," said Ann Hodgson, Gulf
Coast ecosystem science coordinator for Audubon of Florida.

Like terns, willets and other birds that build nests on beaches, the
Wilson's plover is losing ground to development in Florida and other coastal
areas. The small bird is listed as a species of high concern on the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's Shorebird Conservation Plan.

Audubon estimates there are about 6,000 Wilson's plovers in the United
States, including an estimated 100 pairs in Tampa Bay. This year's survey by
local Audubon biologists estimates 30 to 40 pairs on the spoil island,
recently dubbed Manbirtee Key.

Also tallied this year are about 100 least tern nests and 35 to 45 nesting
pairs of willets. Those birds also are considered at risk for depleted
numbers because human intrusion on beaches interferes with their
reproductive habits.


80 Species Spotted


More than 80 species of birds have been spotted on the island since it was
rehabilitated. Many forage in the man-made tidal creek system or stop to
rest in the mangrove thickets that have sprouted since backhoes and
mechanical shovels sculpted the island into a variety of habitats.

Horseshoe crab shells litter the shoreline. Hodgson said the crab's eggs are
the favorite food of the red knot, another coastal bird being monitored by
Audubon because of declining population figures.

Midway through the island's nesting season, gray kingbirds soar above the
mangroves, where they prefer to raise their young. Stalking the shallows
between the port and the island is a reddish egret, a rare species that
disappeared from Tampa Bay in the mid-20th century but started making a
comeback in the 1970s.

The biggest nesting action, however, occurs on the key's Tern Hill, a mound
of earth topped with a plateau of sand, shell and rock. Willets, terns and
the Wilson's plover carve tiny depressions, or scrapes, in the soil to
cradle their eggs. Sometimes they line the scrapes with grass or leaves or
pull long blades of grass over the nests for camouflage.

"We've been very pleased with the numbers that have colonized on Port
Manatee Key," Hodgson said.

The island was created in the 1960s from material dredged to create Tampa
Bay's main shipping channel, she said. Dense vegetation covered most of the
60-acre site, making it unappealing for terns, willets and plovers seeking
to raise their young.

Gulfstream Natural Gas System threaded a pipeline through the Bay in 2002,
and Port Manatee underwent an expansion that included more dredging in 2000.
The two teamed up with Audubon to retool the island as a $7.3 million
mitigation project to offset environmental impacts.

Workers periodically revisit the island to stir up the soil atop the
plateau. It is important to keep the sand and shell from packing into a hard
surface that would prevent the shorebirds from scraping out their nests,
Hodgson said.

Audubon biologists visit the colony and count nests twice a month in
breeding season and monthly the rest of the year.

It may seem like a lot of work to keep the birds breeding, but Hodgson said
it's critical that people recognize the niche that spoil islands have
filled. So little beach habitat is available to the birds that some build
their nests on gravel rooftops, she said.

Even that option has been threatened by legislative proposals to ban that
type of roof because of the threat of hurricanes, Hodgson said.


Few Natural Threats


Nesting birds on the island face few natural threats. Snakes sometimes steal
eggs or chicks. Peregrine falcons and fish crows occasionally claim a meal
among the nests.

"The sun and heat are certainly factors in the successful reproduction of
all these colonial birds," Hodgson said.

Parent birds use their bodies to shield eggs and chicks from the sun's
brutal rays; disruption that keeps the adults off the nest for more than a
few minutes can be deadly.

As Hodgson and field biologist Mark Rachal surveyed the nests Tuesday, a
Wilson's plover adult fluttered nearby, then landed and acted as though it
was injured.

"This is an adult doing the broken wing," Rachal said. Parent plovers
pretend to be injured to distract predators from their chicks, he said.

Signs are posted around the island to warn would-be trespassers that the
island is a protected sanctuary. Mac McGaha, who patrols the island
regularly for the Manatee County Port Authority, said he routinely has to
remind boaters that the island is off-limits.

Recently, helicopters have become a threat. Hodgson said a helicopter landed
on Manbirtee two weeks ago and again last weekend. She said Audubon is
working with port officials to find out why and try to come up with a way to
prevent future landings. Helicopters are not allowed to land on spoil
islands unless there is an emergency, Hodgson said.


'Sensitive Birds'


"There's always the possibility they will land on top of a [bird] colony,"
she said, adding that the nests are too small and camouflaged to spot from
the air. "There's no way to know."

"These are sensitive birds," Hodgson said. "We all need to work together to
keep our distance . and raise as many of these chicks as possible."


WILSON'S PLOVER 


What: Gray-and-white shorebird that measures about 6.5 inches at maturity
and sports a short, dark bill; flesh-colored legs; and black band across its
breast.

Habitat: Sandy beaches and tidal mudflats along the Gulf coast and the
Atlantic coast from Maryland to Florida.

Food: Fiddler crabs, shrimp, mollusks, marine worms, insects.

Interesting fact: Offspring can run and catch food shortly after they hatch.
Parents do little feeding of their young.


Sources: National Audubon Society and Audubon of Florida 


Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at  or
sgreen AT tampatrib.com.

We saw a very rare dragonfly Friday on Captiva Island - an Amazon  Darner.  
As we understand it, this is the 3rd record for Florida. Photos of the Darner 

and Captiva/Sanibel birds are at:

_http://flickr.com/photos/7327719 AT N06_ (http://flickr.com/photos/7327719 AT N06) 
 
This was our first trip since Hurricane Charley.  We were dismayed to  hear 
no Prairie Warblers nor see any Loggerhead Shrikes on the north end of  
Captiva. Nor did we hear or see any Mangrove Cuckoos. However, Gray Kingbirds 

seemed to be doing well.  Ospreys were nesting in every possible  space on the 
island and taking advantage of snags in the damaged  mangroves.  
 
I did spot a Bald Eagle on Sanibel perched on a snag in a damaged area west  
of Ding Darling on the other side of San/Cap Road.  In Ding Darling we  heard 
many White-eyed vireos, saw Great-crested flycatchers, a rare Brown  Thrasher, 
Frigatebirds, and heard lots of Prairie Warblers.  All the usual  herons.
 
Vicki and Harry DeLoach
Atlanta, Georgia
 
_vldeloach AT aol.com_ (mailto:vldeloach AT aol.com) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

2 June: At the edge of Stump Pass at the southern end of Stump Pass Park the 
following were found: 2 arctic terns and a roseate tern. Thomas Duch 
t.m.duch AT worldnet.att.net 


Stump Pass Beach State Park Information 
http://www.floridastateparks.org/stumppass/ 


Driving Directions

Stump Pass Beach State Park is located at the south end of Manasota Key in the 
town of Englewood, Florida. The 245 acre park consists of three islands and the 
protected channels between them. From the north: Take the I-75 south to Exit 
191 (River Road). Take River Road to Pine Street (Second traffic light after 
you cross US 41). Turn left on Pine Street. Take Pine Street to CR 776 (McCall 
Road) and turn right. Stay on McCall Road for approximately � mile. Turn left 
on Beach Road. Stay on Beach Road onto Manasota Key. When the road splits, keep 
to your left. This will become Gulf Blvd. Stay on Gulf Blvd till the road ends, 
you will be right in front of the park entrance. From the south: take I-75 
north to Exit 170 (Kings Hwy). Exit I-75 and turn left on Kings Hwy. After you 
pass under I-75 turn right onto Veteran's Blvd (CR 776). Stay on Veterans Blvd 
approx 16 miles through Murdock, El Jobean and into Englewood (It becomes El 
Jobean Road when it crosses US 41). Look for McDonalds on the left side of the 
road. Just past McDonald's you will turn left on Beach Road. Stay on Beach Road 
onto Manasota Key. When the road splits, keep to your left. This will become 
Gulf Blvd. Stay on Gulf Blvd till the road ends, you will be right in front of 
the park entrance. 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

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SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

All,


 


Here is an article from the Tampa Tribune that certainly applies to our area
as well.  The Least Terns and Wilson's Plovers that nest at Little Estero
Lagoon are off to a nice start.  I've seen over 150+ potential Least Tern
nests, and quite a few Wilson's Plovers chicks this week.  Hopefully the
weather and disturbances will stay calm enough long enough for the eggs and
chicks to make it to the fledging point, when they will have a much better
chance of survival.  There are still some sharp breeding plumaged shorebirds
present, up to 25+ American Oystercatchers, and the young Roseate Spoonbills
that do not return to nesting colonies in Florida Bay and the Tampa Bay area
coming in to roost in the lagoon during the hour leading up to sunset.


 


Charlie Ewell


Cape Coral, FL


Anhinga42 AT earthlink.net


 


  http://www.tampatrib.com/


Nesting Birds Find Peril At Every Tern


Skip directly to the full story
 .

By YVETTE C. HAMMETT The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 25, 2007

TAMPA - Most beachgoers and boaters don't set out to wreak havoc on nesting
shorebird colonies. Many take no notice of them at all.

But it doesn't take much to stress the terns, herons and plovers sitting on
sandy scrapes along Gulf beaches or guarding their young on islands in Tampa
Bay.

With the busy Memorial Day weekend ahead, Audubon of Florida is urging
people to steer clear of posted nesting areas and birds snuggled along the
shoreline.

Volunteers will be out at some of the most vulnerable beaches throughout the
weekend with spotting scopes and literature to educate the public on the
nesting colonies and to contact law enforcement if they see anyone harassing
the birds.

"I had an incident last weekend where people were walking along the beach on
one of the posted nesting islands" to cast-net for bait, said Mark Rachal, a
biologist with Audubon's Gulf Island Coastal Sanctuary. They left without
incident after being told the island is off-limits to all but the birds and
their Audubon caretakers.

"Ninety percent of people, when they know the story, want to help protect
the birds," said Ann Paul, regional coordinator for the sanctuary. But there
are cases of blatant harassment.

In one case last year, parents watched as their young son netted baby
shorebirds along the beach. In another case, Paul said, a man was allowing
his dog to chase and retrieve baby birds.

"Most people think a mother bird is incubating her eggs to keep them warm,"
said David Anderson, executive director of Audubon of Florida. "With
Florida's beach-nesting birds, the parent actually is providing shade to
eggs and chicks during the day." One significant disturbance can destroy an
entire colony, he said.

"It's a statewide concern," Paul said. "If we don't protect the nesting
birds now, there won't be any left to nest in the future."

The holiday weekend beach and boat traffic will bring out more law
enforcement, but the public needs to learn to set its own limits, Rachal
said. The areas of particular concern are Islands 2D and 3D, just west of
the Alafia River in Hillsborough Bay. Other popular nesting sites include
Egmont Key and Shell Key in southern Pinellas County, along with Caladesi,
Honeymoon and Three Rooker islands in northern Pinellas.

"I absolutely know that when people understand how vulnerable these birds
are, the public is ready to help protect them," Paul said.

The small band of volunteers from Audubon's Bird Stewards will spread out
along the coast to pass out brochures provided by the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

The brochures explain how people can co-exist with beach-nesting birds, said
volunteer Monique Borboen-Abrams. "Most people do cooperate," she said.


FOR THE BIRDS 


Florida's shorebirds nest along the coast and on bay and Gulf islands from
February through August. When a person or dog gets too close, the parent
birds leave the nest, exposing the eggs or young to predators and harsh
weather. Frequent disturbances of birds may threaten their survival. To
help: 


.Avoid walking on the upper beach. Stay close to the water.

.Avoid running watercraft close to shore.

.Keep pets off the beach.

.Respect posted areas. Do not approach islands where birds are nesting.

.If the birds appear agitated, take flight or call repeatedly, you are too
close.


Source: Audubon of Florida 


Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at  or
yhammett AT tampatrib.com.

Here is the day list for STA-5 (Storm Treatment Area 5  and Blumberg 
Road, Clewiston)  for 04/28/2007:
15 participants
Next Trip will be May 12
64 species
 
Margaret England
LaBelle
sta5birding AT earthlink.net


Fulvous Whistling-Duck     1
Wood Duck     2
American Wigeon     1
Mallard     1 (male and not feral)
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler     1
Ring-necked Duck     5
Red-breasted Merganser     1
Northern Bobwhite     1
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican     5
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Least Bittern     1
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron     6
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     3
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill     30
Wood Stork     1
Osprey     5
Snail Kite     3
Northern Harrier     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     3
Peregrine Falcon     1
Purple Swamphen     12
Purple Gallinule     10
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin     3
Semipalmated Plover     1
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone     1
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper     1
Long-billed Dowitcher     50
Caspian Tern     6
Black Skimmer     150
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Common Nighthawk     20+
Loggerhead Shrike
Tree Swallow     125
Barn Swallow     3
Northern Mockingbird
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee    (heard only along Blumberg Rd.)
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Bobolink     1 (male)
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle

Hello All

I've posted a photo of a large finch-type bird that was at my feeder
today.  I can't identify it.   The photo is in a folder called
"Mystery Finch".  Anyone have an idea of what it is?

Thanks!

Brad 

hello group,
I will try to make a long story short. Over the past seven years I 
have had painted buntings comming to my feeders from Oct.1st and 
leaving May 1st. This year I have seven males and aprox. twenty to 
twenty-five females at my feeders during this season. These birds 
always leave within five days before or five days after May 1st and 
always together. 
   My routine is up early, fix coffee and watch the buntings come in 
at the crack of dawn. I can look out at any time of the day and 
always see buntings but today only about a dozen females and no 
males. What is going on?
   Also while I'm here I have been told that while these buntings 
are here they will breed and have chicks. Over the past seven years 
I have spent hundreds of hours observing these birds and have never 
seen any juvenils come in to feed with the parents. Can anyone 
confirm that they do or don't breed here in south florida and is 
there migration only from the north to the south or do some migrate 
from the cribbean into south Florida and then back to the caribbean?
Thanks,
Ron Crandall
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

To sign up for the STA-5 Birding Tour: Send an e-mail to Margaret 
England, at sta5birding AT earthlink.net with your name and contact 
information including an emergency cell number for the tour day, the 
date you want to go, and the number in your party. You may also leave 
a message at  or .  

2007: Apr. 28, May 12

Hi,
  This afternoon as I was working I parked in the delivery entrance 
area in a private country club. As soon as I got out of my car the 
birds were everywhere. 50+ Cedarwaxwings, Blackpolls, B.T.Blue 
Warblers, Redstarts, wormeating 1, Prothonotary 1, Catbirds, a 
Yellowrump Warbler, and a Swainson's Thrush. So then I went to the 
Pelican Bay Community Park on Vanderbilt which is west of 41.
Cape May 5, Blackpolls 10, Palms 30, N.Parula 1, B.T.Blues 3,Ovenbird 
1, Worm-eating 1,and A. Redstart 1. Still present was the female 
scarlet Tanager, female Orchard Oriole, and the female R.B. Grosbeck. 
Nice day for migrants. You just got to love it!!

Kenneth P. Williams
Naples 

Hi,
    Went to Sugden Park this morning. Started out slow then picked up 
as the warblers moved through feeding.
CAPE MAY 1 male
BLACKPOLLS 10 male and female
PRAIRIES 3
BLACK AND WHITE 1
PALMS 10
YELLOW-RUMPS 2
REDSTARTS 3 all males
N. PARLUA 1
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 1

Kenneth P. Williams
Naples

Hi all:  I did not know what this beautiful bird was, so I called a 
friend and told it was A Rose Breasted Brosbeak........looked it up, 
and alas, she was correct.  I have seen 2 males together......they 
are eating at the flowers on my bottle brush tree, eating from my 
feeders, and drinking from the bird bath.  I live on the Cape Coral 
Golf Club (which is closed for business)

Ok, I have to fess up, this is my first post to the group, and to the 
best of my knowledge is what I have seen in my back yard....

A pair of brown squirels who entertain us with their antics.

A hawk, who watches the feeders closely, whom I spotted sitting in 
the middle of my bird bath the other day.

Regulars to my feeders:  Blue Jays, Cardinals, Sparrows, Doves, Red-
Winged BlackBirds, Grackles, Crows, Finches, Blackbirds.   I think I 
have some FlyCatchers from the looks of them and my comparison to the 
guide, a few robins, Red-Bellied woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, 
Pileated WoodPeckers, then wandering in the yard are often 
Woodstorks, Blue Herons, Ibis, and overhead the Osprey and the 
Eagles.  For many years we enjoyed the beautiful pair of Great 
Northern Horned Owls.  Just before hurricane Charley, we spotted one 
sitting on the ground in our neighbor's yard.  Called CROW on 
Sanibel, was told this was abnormal behavior for an owl.  They 
instructed us on how to capture the owl, and they had the routine 
down pat.  We did as they instructed, and caught the owl without a 
problem.  The owl died of a bacterial infection at CROW, and we have 
not seen the mate since.  We miss them so much.  Thanks for the 
freedom to post, share, and learn.   
 
  
 


----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------

Copyright � 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Copyright Policy - Guidelines - 
Help
   

21 April - Ft. DeSoto Park: Larry Albright and I were privileged to see some 
good birds today at Ft. DeSoto, along with some good birders. We added a few 
species to Ken Tracey's list of 19 warbler species. 

Blue-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Parula Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cape May Warbler (8 - 10)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler (Seen by others)
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler (numerous)
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (several)
Swainson's Warbler (reported by Chris Rasmussen at the tower area)
Also, good looks at several Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Orchard 
and Baltimore Orioles, Summer Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, one Blue Grosbeak, 
Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, and Hermit Thrush. 

Bob Snow  Lakeland, FL.  blsnow11 AT verizon.net

21 April: We live in Center Gate, off Bee Ridge Rd. (Sarasota County) Yesterday 
and today, at our bird feeder I saw an Indigo Bunting. This morning we noticed 
another bird of interest, it was a Rose Breasted Grosbeak. (male and female and 
at another sighting 2 males) Eva 


20 April: One Summer Tanager, female, at my feeder off and on all day. Manatee 
County near SR 70 and N Lockwood Ridge Rd. Barbara Sallee 


20 April: A few hours birding Friday, April 20 in Lemon Bay Park, North 
Englewood yielded some beautiful warblers: Chestnut sided, Cerulean, Worm 
eating (4), Black and White (3), Hooded, Kentucky (2), Common Yellow throat, 
and Northern Parula. Also the male Indigo Bunting plus White eyed and Blue 
headed vireos. A pair of Great crested flycatchers were noted as well as a 
Yellow bellied sapsucker and the usual other common birds were seen and heard. 
Mary Dommermuth 


20 April: Celery fields this am. Four Sedge Wrens still hanging around, as well 
as 2 Marsh Wrens singing away. Pinecraft Park: Blue-winged, Worm-eating, 
Hooded, and Blackpoll Warblers, as well as many Black and Whites, Palm and 
Northern Parulas. Also, Wood and Swainson�s Thrush, male Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and Yellow-throated, White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos. 
Baby Barred Owl being watched over by Mom. Cooper�s Hawk on the prowl. Jeanne 
Dubi�Sarasota dubi AT comcast.net 


20 April: FLARBA --Warbling Vireo. Pinellas County, Boat Ramp area, Fort DeSoto 
Park. Observer: Lyn Atherton et al. Directions: From I-275 south) take exit #17 
(Rt.682) (look for brown sign to Fort), head east, then south on Rt. 679, to 
Fort Desoto Park. Park in Boat Ramp parking lot. Bird seen close to main road 
(DeLorme p.  April: A beautiful pair of tanagers called and sparred above the mulberry 
tree this morning. Alison Bishop Sarasota, FL 


19 April: My sister and I counted 12 Soras at the CF this late afternoon. We 
were looking for King Rails but could not find any. However, visiting birders 
from Tampa saw 2 this AM. Jeanne Dubi 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

To subscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 


 

Hi all,
   
   This morning at Sugden Park had a few migrants:

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, seen near the bee hive on the back side just 
past the back group of oak trees. Very vocal.
KENTUCKY WARBLER, seen on the ground behind the trash can in the 
group of oaks.
INDIGO BUNTING, south side of the lake along the path in the dead 
tall grass.
FEMALE SCARLET TANAGER, in the trees near the first bench if you are 
going right to left around the path.

Others seen:
PALM WARBLERS 3
CATBIRDS      8
COMMON YELLOW THROAT  4
DOWNY, PILEATED, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS

Good birding,

Kenneth P. Williams
Naples 

 

ALERT: Help Stop the Deaths of Millions of Migratory Birds at Communications
Towers

Every year, as many as 50 million birds die after colliding with tall towers
that relay signals for our TVs, radios, and cell phone networks. These
deaths, that include many species of declining songbirds such as the
Black-throated Blue Warbler and Dickcissel, are needless and preventable. We
now have our first opportunity to take action.

  Ask the FCC to change the lighting
scheme on towers to reduce bird kills.

There are more than 90,000 lighted communication towers across the country.
Most of these use steady burning or slow pulsing lights to warn aircraft of
their presence. These lights attract birds, particularly during bad weather
during peak nighttime migration periods. The birds become disorientated by
the lights and crash into the towers, their guy wires, and each other, or
plummet to the ground in exhaustion. 

Strobe lights are just as visible to aircraft, and science has repeatedly
shown they are far less attractive to birds. By mandating the use of these
strobe lights instead of slow pulsing or steady-burning lights, we can
prevent these deaths.

Now the FCC, the agency that licenses towers, is considering a rule that
will mandate strobes on all towers. They are seeking public comment on this
proposal. This is your opportunity to let them know how important it is that
they approve it.

  Click Here to send in your comment
today. 
Deadline for comments is Monday, April 23!

A copy of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available from the FCC
 here.

___________________________________________________________________

American Bird Conservancy (  www.abcbirds.org) is a
501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to conserve native
wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. For more information
please call 540/.

Subscribe to Bird Wire

  Click Here to
Subscribe and receive regular email updates on this and other bird
conservation issues.

Cerulean Warbler Conservation Coffee

Buy this great-tasting coffee and help protect Cerulean Warblers and our
other declining neotropical songbirds.
 Buy Today

Join ABC Today and become a part of The Future of Bird Conservation

All members receive three issues each of ABC's magazine and ABC's newsletter
per year with the best of everything that is happening in the world of bird
conservation.    Join Now

 

Steve Holmer

Director of Public Relations

American Bird Conservancy

202/ or

202/ (cell)

sholmer AT abcbirds.org 

www.abcbirds.org  

 

Speaking of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, I have had one at my feeder in N.
Fort Myers (east of I-75) for the past 2 days. First time in the 3 1/2
years we have been here.

Birders,

Of course all of the migrants had to show up the day I
had to leave!  Didn't have time to venture out of
Bonita Bay but did have some good birds there.  I knew
I was gonna see some birds when I saw 5 male INDIGO
BUNTINGS in one tree.  After that saw a stunning male
BLUE GROSBEAK, followed by 3 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS
in a bush.  I was treated to a pair of PAINTED
BUNTINGS.  Then I spotted a single SUMMER TANAGER but
then counted a total of 6 foraging in the trees, along
side them were 2 male SCARLET TANAGERS.  A WORM-EATING
WARBLER made an appearance as did a BLACK-THROATED
GREEN WARBLER, RED-EYED VIREO, and a WOOD THRUSH.


I was also surprised to see a HAIRY WOODPECKER I have
never seen one down here.

Good Birding,

Rob Poniatowski

April 11th 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Celery Fields (Sarasota County, south of 
Fruitville Rd, east of I-75) - I went to the Celery Fields today to see if the 
rain had any effect on rail sightings. The only rails I spotted were sora. I 
saw four Soras (three in the pond west of the Gazebo), two Limpkin, 15 
Black-bellied Whistling Duck, a Northern Harrier, a Red-tailed Hawk, and eight 
Dowitcher in the pond just west of the Gazebo. I understand conventional wisdom 
says they are Long-billed Dowitcher, however I got a great look under the 
spotting scope and they match the Sibley Eastern North America Field Guide 
picture of the April adult Short-billed Dowitcher. If you get a chance to see 
them, please let me know if you think they are Long-billed or Short-billed. 
Barry Rossheim nethoppers AT msn.com 


10 April - This morning, before the rains came, we had two FOY Bobolinks at the 
Myakka River State Park Birdwalk. Lots of Dowitchers, Yellowlegs, Least 
Sandpipers, one Brown (fly by) one White Pelican (on the water) and a beautiful 
low-flying Peregrine Falcon. Three species of Terns were also present; Least, 
Forsters and Caspian. Most of the usual suspects were also present. Owen Comora 


FYI, we live east of I-75 and about four miles south-east of the Celery Fields. 
Over the past two days we have had 2.5 inches of rain and I assume that the 
Celery Fields got much the same. Peter Rice 

_______________________________________

Peter Rice

To subscribe, please send an E-mail to 
SRQbirdAlerts-subscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


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SRQbirdAlerts-unsubscribe AT Yahoogroups.com 


Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to: 
SRQbirdAlerts AT msn.com 

Hello,

I am visiting from Michigan and have been doing some
birding down here.  On April 10th I headed down to the
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk hoping for migrant warblers
but just came up with 1 American Redstart and heard a
couple Magnolias.  Where are all the migrants?

I stopped by Eagle Lakes Mitigation and saw Bronzed
and Shiny Cowbirds to the right of the gazebo.

Also I have been seeing many Magnificent Frigatebirds
at the Bonita Bay Beach.  Today I had 4 males soar
right over me.  Is there any dependable places for
Northern Gannets?

Also, where are the best sites in Lee and Collier
County for migrants?

Thanks,

Rob Poniatowski

Hi-from Sanibel. The lighthouse has been fairly slow so far. Today we 
had a n waterthrush as the highlight, last night I had a bowhite(as did 
someone else in the am) & 8 nighthawks plus some swallows.  Yesterday 
in the morning we had 3 blue grosbeaks and 2 orchard orioles, and 
others have seen a prothonotary warbler off and on this week.Vince Mc 
found a screech owl in a dead palm tree. Today there was a gray 
kingbird at the Bailey's grocery store parking lot. It was flycatching 
from the tree in front of the barber shop. Maybe the winds will bring 
in something different before I leave on Saturday. Julie Long, St 
Charles, Ill.

7 April: Celery Fields, Sarasota County - Rick Greenspun, Kathryn Young and 
Lynn Jakubowicz counted 23 Soras at the CF on Thursday, April 5, as well as 2 
Virginia Rails and one King Rail. Today I spotted 8 Soras, Stilt Sandpipers and 
a Solitary Sandpiper among many other waders and shorebirds. The ponds are 
drying up fast. Unless we get rain this week, I think they will be dry, dry, 
dry by next weekend. Jeanne Dubi, Sarasota 
dubi AT comcast.net 


Note, the Celery Fields are about 1/3rd mile east of I-75, south of Fruitville 
Road and north of Palmer Blvd. Most rails and soras are seen in the ponds very 
close to the gazebo. 

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6 April - While county-listing this morning I re-visited the site southeast of 
Arcadia I reported on in late March. Today about 9 AM I found a minimum of six 
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and six Western Kingbirds in the same field. Some 
landed on the wires above and others were seen on the lower vegetation in the 
field. DIRECTIONS: Going east from Arcadia on SR 70, turn south on CR 760, 
which is approx. five miles out of town. Go 2.2 miles south on 760 and check 
the field to the south. (Gaz pp 99, 1C) 


At 3:30 this afternoon Scott Patterson's Cliff Swallow was still flying around 
the East Beach Turnaround area at Ft. DeSoto Park. Ron Smith St. Pete, FL 
rsmith52 AT tampabay.rr.com 

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Dick and I took a run through Ding Darling around 4 PM this afternoon,  
Thursday, April 5. 
We saw a group of a dozen Avocets, close to full color, in the pond on  the 
left after the tower overlook.
 
We also saw a Summer Tanager fly across the road and several groups of  small 
and medium sized shore birds  The White Pelicans are gone.
 
The Avocets alone were worth the trip. 



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

The link didn't work for me this AM, so you may want to try:

 

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=//NEWS0105//1007/NEWS0105

 

Then click the link to "FORUM" on the right hand side under the posting
picture.

 

*****************************************

 

Subject: FW: Beach Nesting Birds/dogs

 

 

All,

 

Received the following note from a fellow beach nesting bird monitor from
another county.  Those interested in this topic may want to follow up.  I
see an alarming number of dogs both on and off leash within the boundary of
Little Estero Island CWA (Little Estero Lagoon) for the amount of time I am
actually out there monitoring the Least Tern colony the past few years.
That tells me there is quite a bit of dog traffic in an area that is now
posted for no dogs at all.  The colony has been about 100 pairs strong, and
3 of the past 4 years has been a total failure (2 failures due to weather
and 1 unknown).  

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

Anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

 

  _____  


Subject: Beach Nesting Birds/dogs

 

 

You might already know but FWC posted a critical wildlife area at Little
Estero. Important place for Beach Nesting Birds. As you know, dog owners
might get upset. There was a very informative article in the paper and that
paper has started a blog.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=//NEWS0105//1007 . It might be really good if some local people would write in
favor of the birds. Could you look into it? Can you forward to whoever you
know who might help.

 

We are facing similar issues in our area. Birds perceive dogs as predators
and they will fly up even if the dog is not chasing them. We need to push
for dog beaches in places unsuitable for bird nesting and no dogs on
undeveloped barrier islands.

 

 

 

 

 

All,

 

Received the following note from a fellow beach nesting bird monitor from
another county.  Those interested in this topic may want to follow up.  I
see an alarming number of dogs both on and off leash within the boundary of
Little Estero Island CWA (Little Estero Lagoon) for the amount of time I am
actually out there monitoring the Least Tern colony the past few years.
That tells me there is quite a bit of dog traffic in an area that is now
posted for no dogs at all.  The colony has been about 100 pairs strong, and
3 of the past 4 years has been a total failure (2 failures due to weather
and 1 unknown).  

 

Charlie Ewell

Cape Coral, FL

Anhinga42 AT earthlink.net

 

  _____  


Subject: Beach Nesting Birds/dogs

 

 

You might already know but FWC posted a critical wildlife area at Little
Estero. Important place for Beach Nesting Birds. As you know, dog owners
might get upset. There was a very informative article in the paper and that
paper has started a blog.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=//NEWS0105//1007 . It might be really good if some local people would write in
favor of the birds. Could you look into it? Can you forward to whoever you
know who might help.

 

We are facing similar issues in our area. Birds perceive dogs as predators
and they will fly up even if the dog is not chasing them. We need to push
for dog beaches in places unsuitable for bird nesting and no dogs on
undeveloped barrier islands.