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The Audubon Observer

Volume XI, No. 2 November 2008—January 2009


A publication of the Duval Audubon Society Serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties

President’s Message Regional Conservation Committee meeting also out at UNF. I


chair the meeting as a Director on the Board of Audubon of Flor-
November – December – January, the Newsletter Trifecta. This is ida. I will be vacating this position at the end of my term this
no easy task, thinking forward three months. However, present year. The RCC group unanimously nominated Diane Reed from
economics require some belt tightening. In our September-October St. John’s Audubon to fill this position. Congratulations go out to
Newsletter, I sent out a plea for financial support. When the news- Diane Reed.
letter went out it included an addressed envelope. Our hopes were
that a lot of folks would send it back to us with a check enclosed. Peggy Powell was busy presenting programs to classrooms, while
The following folks did just that, and we send them a huge and Anne Turner and Laura Johannsen volunteered their time to
sincere THANK YOU (listed in no specific order): Edward & Joan monitor migrating Peregrine Falcons down at North Guana. Ask
Kane, Donald & Joanne Fiaretti, Mildred Abercrombie, W.G. Laura about the photo she got of a Peregrine Falcon overhead.
McDonald, Patricia Anderson, Lawrence & Laura Hills, Eleanor
Mahoney, Benjamin Smith, Wayne & Jean Middleton, Alice Pat Murphy, Anne Turner, Julie Cocke, Lesley Royce, Roger
Fletcher, Doss & Virginia Powell, Patrick Clark, Gary Davis, and Pete Johnson all led
Chuhran, Bernard & Marianna Kane, Mary field trips around Jacksonville. The City
Jordan, James & Margaret Zelenko and Robert
& Thelma Nied.
“A lot has been Council met and heard commentaries regard-
ing the Huguenot Management Plan, elec-

Again, THANK YOU to our financial support-


accomplished in the tronic advocates were sent out by Audubon of
Florida through the support of Julie Wraith-
ers. You paved the way to getting this newslet- mell and Monique Borboen, and the work
ter out to 1500 mailboxes. last two months, continues.

We even went international with our donors. and the next three A lot has been accomplished in the last two
The Duval Audubon website, months, and the next three months have even
www.duvalaudubon.org now features PAY- months have even more to offer. There are two events I would
PAL, an electronic system that allows you to like to bring to your attention. First, the De-
make a donation to Duval Audubon online. more to offer. ” cember program is “The Best of All of Us.”
Some of our donors did just that. The surprise This is your opportunity to share some of our
came when we received a donation via PAY- favorite photos, digital as well as slides, with
PAL from someone in Finland! Now we can tell our friends that other members. They can be photos taken locally or on your trav-
Duval Audubon has gone international! els. The December meeting is one of my favorites and hopefully
yours. So, start sorting those slides or fine tuning that digital
I know many of you are just holding on to the addressed envelope photo CD, and bring them along to the December meeting. The
until you feel more comfortable in writing that check. I’m starting other event I want to highlight is an event we’ve never done be-
to sound like the preacher looking for tithes! Oh well! Please re- fore. Thanks goes out to Roger Clark for volunteering to lead a
consider and send in your check before the holidays start assault- field trip on January 1st, 2009, the New Year’s Day Extrava-
ing your finances. THANK YOU in advance for being as generous ganza. Check out his write up for this one. What a great way to
as you can in supporting Duval Audubon – your Audubon chapter. start the New Year – Happy Birding everyone!

The time has come to move on to other topics. The past two
months have been very busy for your Board. Pete Johnson, Cli- Carole Adams
mate Change Agent for National Audubon Society, helped coordi-
Carole A. Adams,
nate and present at a Climate Change Forum at UNF on September
President
12th. Congratulations go out to Pete Johnson for a job well done.
Then, on September 13th, Pete and I attended the Northeast Florida

Meetings are held the third Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at
Swain Memorial Methodist Church, 1620 Naldo Avenue in San Marco.

Please visit our website at http://www.duvalaudubon.org/ for updated events,


important local conservation efforts, and articles relating to conservation and birding.
the “Best of All of Us” programs have proven to be the “Best.”
November, December, You won’t want to miss this program even if you don’t have pho-
tos to share. Afterwards, some great holiday treats will be served

and January Programs while we swap tales of birding adventures. We will also be raf-
fling off some wonderful prints donated by our very own Wayne
Lasch. Just check out his website www.waynelasch.com to see
some of his recent images. Bring your photos, bring your friends
Climate Change and plan on a delightful evening.
Monday, November 17 2008, 7:30pm
Speaker: Professor Allen Tilley Gopher Tortoises
Monday, January 19 2009, 7:30pm
Professor Tilley is a dynamic speaker who will present his pro- Speaker: Rebecca Bolt
gram on Global Warming in three sections, with group discussion
in between each section. His program will cover such topics as the The gopher tortoise is one of Florida’s best known and most be-
difference between a theory and a belief, history of global warm- loved creatures, yet development practices and lack of protection
ing, current progression of global warming, the outlook for our have caused gopher tortoise populations to decline sharply over
planet, country, and state, as well as opportunities for positive the last thirty years. More than 60 species of amphibians, rep-
solutions to Global Warming. tiles, birds, and mammals have been documented using tortoise
burrows, and the gopher tortoise is considered a “keystone spe-
Best of All of Us cies” in its ecosystem. The loss of gopher tortoises from an area
Monday, December 15 2008, 7:30pm often causes the entire community to change drastically or col-
lapse entirely. Join wildlife ecologist Rebecca Bolt as she intro-
Duval Audubon members, it is time to get ten of your best new duces you to the gopher tortoise, its habits and habitats, other
slides or digital photos together to share with us. Our annual mem- species that share its home, and what is being done to restore and
bers’ slide and CD program is held each December. Historically, protect tortoise populations.

Why Support Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Legislation in Florida?
Energy efficiency measures can go a long way toward reducing Robert Reedy, Director of UCF Florida Solar Energy Center,
our dependence on polluting fossil fuels, such as oil and reports that solar generating potential from residential roof-
coal. Clean renewable energy can eventually take us the rest of tops alone in Florida is 35 gigawatts (equal to 23 new 1500
the way to a clean and vibrant energy economy that creates megawatt power plants).
jobs and stimulates technological innovation.
Strong renewable energy standards need to be coupled with a
The transition as a state, nation and throughout the world is smart grid system to provide safe, reliable means for distrib-
inevitable because fossil fuels are nonrenewable and because uted power generation. With more progress toward creating
the impacts of climate change—such as sea level rise, more robust renewable energy standards, Florida could easily move
intense storms, storm surges and drought—pose serious threats up even further in future ACEEE report cards and be an exam-
to birds, wildlife, and our state’s natural treasures. ple for other states around the country.

Florida is making progress in improving its energy efficiency How You Can Help
measures and this was recognized in a report released in Octo-
ber by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Audubon is working to tip the scales toward strong energy effi-
(ACEEE). The report provided a detailed comparison of states’ ciency measures, solar and all other forms of clean, renewable
progress on a range of energy efficiency measures. Compared energy as fast as we can because these policies will help solve
to the last report card in 2007, Florida was among the four most climate change, provide relief from high oil prices, strengthen
improved states, jumping ten points from 29th in the 2007 national security, and especially stimulate the economy and
ACEEE report card to 19th in this year’s scorecard. green job creation.

While progress is being made on energy efficiency, much re- Please contact the Florida Public Services Commission and let
mains to be accomplished to stimulate growth of renewable them know you support a 20% or greater Renewable Portfolio
energy in the state. The legislature passed Energy Bill 7135 this Standard by 2020, as recommended by Governor Charlie Crist
year, which included direction to the Florida Public Service in Executive Order 07-127.
Commission to develop what is called a Renewable Portfolio
Standard, which requires electric utilities to provide a growing You can also participate by joining the Audubon Climate Ac-
percentage of their electricity by using clean, renewable en- tion Network, which entitles you to become a member of the
ergy. Audubon is advocating for a standard that provides 20 Alliance For Climate Protection’s We Can Solve the Climate
percent of our electricity from clean sources, such as solar Crisis Campaign. Sign up today by visiting
power, by 2020. www.audubonofflorida.org.

The Audubon Observer, Volume IX, No. 2 2


November Field Trips January Field Trips
Crosby Sanctuary: Early Winter North Jacksonville New Year’s
Saturday, November 8 2008 Leader: Pete Johnson Extravaganza
Thursday, January 1 2009 Leader: Roger Clark
This series of fieldtrips is designed for birders looking to spend a
few hours close to home on a citizen science and "low-carbon",
local fieldtrip. Each field trip date includes a 2 hour field trip fol- This will be a special field trip as we venture out for Duval Audu-
lowed by a 2 hour work session to maintain native landscaping and bon’s first outing held on New Year’s Day. I cannot think of a
nest boxes. Participation in work sessions is optional, but fun! The better way to start off 2009 than by birding! This county regularly
Crosby Sanctuary is a "Hotspot" on eBird.com, with bird observa- tallies over 160 species for National Audubon’s Jacksonville
tion data going back to 1984. We have recorded over 80 different Christmas Bird Count, making it one of the highest in the United
bird species from Crosby. We could use your help to expand our States. We can expect to see lots of birds, and this trip will only be
species list! five days after this year’s count, so we will already know where
the goodies are!
Meeting Place: 8:00am, Crosby Sanctuary - 427 Aquarius Con-
course, Orange Park, FL Our birding will begin in the marshes of Black Hammock Island.
Our targets here will be the highly sought after Nelson’s and
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. The marshes on Black Ham-
Shorebird Identification mock are also great for waders, shorebirds, and hawks. Note: this
Saturday, November 29 2008 Leader: Laura Johannsen will be the only point of the field trip where boots will come in
handy – really handy! The rest of the morning will be spent visit-
Join us for an opportunity to “bird” off some of that Thanksgiving ing woodlands, ponds, fields, and other interesting habitats where
bird at the beautiful beach at Little Talbot. The entrance fee is we will be looking for Brown-headed Nuthatch, Ring-necked
$4.00 for a carload up to 8 people ($3.00 if you are alone), but we Duck, Lesser Scaup, Eastern Bluebird, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-
will try to get the fee waived. We’ll scope from the boardwalk or shouldered Hawk, Orange-crowned Warbler, American Pipit,
the beach, looking for mergansers, gannets, terns, gulls, and more! Eastern Meadowlark, American Kestrel, Yellow-bellied Sap-
Later we’ll move to the far south beach access. This is a good sucker, Anhinga, and Brown Thrasher to name only a few. After
place to locate and study a variety of plovers, sandpipers, turn- filling out the morning’s checklist and taking a lunch break we
stones, and other shorebirds. Maybe we’ll find some piping plov- will head to the mudflats of Huguenot Park and the large flocks of
ers marked with bands on their legs. See you then! gulls, terns, and shorebirds that are found there.

Meeting Place & Directions: 8:30 am, North beach parking lot Meeting Place: 7:00am at the GATE Station located on Heckscher
past the entrance gate. Take Heckscher Drive (SR105) east/north Drive just east of the 9A expressway. Do not confuse this with the
from either I-95 or 9A to the park entrance on the east side of the Kangaroo Station, which is on the west side!
road. The park entrance is 13.5 miles from 9A (Dames Point
Bridge). Ft. Clinch State Park Fishing Pier
Saturday, January 3 2009 Leader: Carol Wyatt

December Field Trips We will meet at 1pm in the parking lot at the entrance to the fish-
ing pier. In order to have the best chance of seeing one of our tar-
get birds, the purple sandpiper, we must go at high tide and falling
Shorebirds of St. Johns County tide. Target birds and birds seen at the Pier on past trips include:
Saturday, December 6 2008 Leader: Diane Reed Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, Northern Gannet, Lesser
Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser,
We'll meet at the parking lot at 9AM. Late comers can merely Purple Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland
walk across the street (Hwy A1A) to the observation plat- Gull. There is a $5 entry fee per car with a maximum of eight
form. We will set up scopes and view the ocean and beach area to people. Bring binoculars, field guide, bug juice, sunscreen, rain
see if we can pick up any pelagic species and shorebirds. We will gear, sunglasses and water, as well as layers of clothing (it can be
then drive six miles south to the Gate gas station for a 'quick stop' brutal on the pier in Winter).
and scope from that area, as well. After this, we will proceed three
miles south to the picnic pullover for a lunch/snack break and For more information, contact Carol Wyatt at 261-9272 or
more ocean viewing. At this point, we will discuss stopping at the carolinewy@aol.com
Vilano boat ramp and/or other viewing spots in St Johns
County. This trip is planned for an incoming tide and hopefully
we won't be disappointed! Harris Neck NWR Georgia
Saturday, January 10 2009 Leader: Laura Johannsen
Meeting Place & Directions: 9:00am, GTMNERR/Guana North
Beach Access Parking Lot ($3 fee). Coastal Hwy A1A south of Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge has over 2800 acres of salt-
Ponte Vedra Beach (this is the FIRST (northernmost) beach park- water marsh, grassland, and deciduous woods. We can expect to
ing lot for the GTMNERR). From the south, parking lot is six find some wintering sparrows, warblers, ducks, along with waders.
miles north of the GATE gas station. We will stay here for most of the morning, then break for lunch.
Those that wish can continue with us as we proceed east/south on
US 17 for about 30-40 minutes to Darien, Georgia and the Al-

The Audubon Observer, Volume IX, No. 2 3


tamaha Wildlife Management area. We will search for other win-
tering species as we walk some of the dikes and scan from the
Volunteering Opportunities
observation tower.
Shorebird Monitoring
Meeting Place & Directions: 8:30am, McDonald’s at I-95 Geor- The Northeast Florida Shorebird Working Group is gearing up for
gia exit 67. Take I-95 north to exit #67 in Georgia (US17), it is a coordinated shorebird-monitoring program in our area. This is a
approximately a 1.5 or 2 hour drive depending on where you live huge step forward for shorebird awareness and protection in our
in Jacksonville. There is often construction near this exit but the area! It is also a huge opportunity for folks of any age and birding
brown sign for the wildlife refuge is present. Go east at the exit level to learn more about shorebirds and contribute to our commu-
(right) and the McDonald’s is immediately on the left with a Shell nity. There will be full training and support for all volunteers! No
gas station. If you run late you can meet us at the refuge; continue experience is necessary.
east/south on US17 and you will see signs for the refuge and “The
Smallest Church in America” on your left. The refuge road is on To volunteer please contact Monique Borboen at
the left just past the church. mborboen@audubon.org, or by phone at (904) 813-5115 (mobile)
and (904) 461-2025 (office).

Huguenot Park Wood Stork Monitoring


Saturday, January 17 2009 Leader: Peggy Powell Duval Audubon Society has been partnering with the Jacksonville
Zoo and Gardens for a number of years; monitoring and reporting
Huguenot Park is one of the best places in Jacksonville to see
on a large Wood Stork colony located inside the Africa Exhibit
shorebirds, and we hope to see a number of them. There are also
each breeding season. In 2005, Kevin and Marie Dailey joined the
gulls, terns, ducks, and perhaps gannets out over the ocean. We
team of volunteers working with the Zoo's Curator of Birds,
will meet at 8:30 AM in the parking lot before the pay station.
Donna Bear-Hull. However, Kevin and Marie have indicated that
Drive straight in instead of going through the pay lane. We will
they will not be able to continue monitoring in 2009. Please help
spend a few minutes there and then go out to the end of the
us fill their shoes in this wonderful partnership between Duval
bay. Be sure to dress warmly and bring your scope if you have
Audubon and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. The monitoring
one.
is relatively easy, fun, enjoyable, and gets you in the zoo for
free! They have opportunities for 1-2 hour shifts during the week
Directions: Huguenot Park is located on A1A north of the May-
and on Saturday mornings during the breeding season. Adult and
port ferry. If you cross the Dames Point bridge going north, exit
youth volunteers are welcome!
right (east) on Hecksher Drive. Follow it past the ferry slip to the
blinking yellow light just before Ft. George Inlet. Turn right into
Please contact Donna Bear-Hull at bear-hulld@JaxZoo.org
the clearly marked entrance and go straight to the first parking lot.
or 904-757-4463

Duval Audubon Society


P.o. Box 16304
Jacksonville, FL 32245

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