Eagle’s Nest

The

Our 43rd Year of Environmental Activism! Volume 43 #2 December 2008

Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society

Christmas Bird Count
You can be a part of the oldest and largest citizen science project anywhere! For 109 years, Christmas Bird Count volunteers have
been collecting information on the birds in communities across the Western Hemisphere. The CBC database now contains more
than a century of data on early-winter bird populations, helping scientists and birders monitor the ranges and numbers of many
species. This one-day annual event is an opportunity to meet birders from your area or from another part of the country, hone
your birding skills, and take part in a seasonal tradition.
This year the Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count will be Saturday, December 27, 2008. There will be teams
spread out over our 15-mile-radius "circle." Most teams will go dawn to dusk , counting birds all day with a break for lunch. I know
it sounds long, but try it and you will be back next year! You do NOT have to be a good birder to participate! Everybody has to
start sometime, and this is a golden opportunity to learn. Last year we counted 93 bird species! We had the highest count any-
where of Snail Kites, a record count of 51 for our circle!
There is a $5 fee for participants. This goes to National Audubon to help fund the CBC and you get a nice booklet later in the year
about the count results. KVAS will pay the $5 fee this year for all those who have never participated in any CBC before. So if you
are a first-timer, it's free! Our Count-Down Dinner will be at The Catfish Place in St. Cloud. We will swap stories, have each team
brag about (I mean announce) their results, and eat some real good food!
To sign up contact Peggy Cholley, our CBC Chair. Peggy can be reached at pegs04@CFL.RR.com and 407-580-5384.
We hope to see you at the Christmas Bird Count! (Photo below is last year’s Pleasant Hill Road team at Southport Park.)

Eagles Nest is Going Green

KVAS has made the decision to cut back on the number of printed copies of
each newsletter issue. We are asking members who are willing to give up hav-
ing a paper Eagle’s Nest sent to them to notify us by email. To make the
change, email LarryRosen@CFL.RR.com. The newsletter will be accessible (in
color!) on our website in PDF format. You will also get an email announcing
each issue with a link to get it from the website. We will continue to send a
paper newsletter for those of us who would rather have a printed copy sent
for whatever reason. This effort is to help save some trees and some money in
the process. With today's economy every little bit helps. We need everyone’s
help to make this transition work. Please send us those email addresses so we Upcoming Field Trips
can keep you informed electronically. Drop us a line with any questions!
Sunday, January 25, 2009 -- Viera Wetlands

Species List: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Field Trip, Dec. 7, 2008 Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 -- Orlando Wetlands Park
Ring-billed Gull Northern Pintail Reddish Egret Dunlin Festival
Sandhill Crane Northern Shoveler White Ibis Lesser Yellowlegs
Boat-tailed Grackle Hooded Merganser Glossy Ibis Killdeer Sunday, February 15, 2009 -- Hal Scott Preserve
Sora Turkey Vulture Wood Stork Least Sandpiper
American Coot Osprey Roseate Spoonbill Caspian Tern Sunday, March 15, 2009 -- Disney Wilderness
Double-crested Cormo- Northern Harrier Wild Turkey Forster’s Tern Preserve
rant Bald Eagle Northern Mockingbird Snow Goose
Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Palm Warbler Sunday, April 26, 2009 -- Joe Overstreet Landing
Blue-winged Teal Tri-colored Heron Brown Pelican Common Yellowthroat & Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Green-winged Teal Green Heron White Pelican Red-bellied Wood-
American Wigeon Snowy Egret Black-bellied Plover pecker
The Eagle’s Nest Page 2
The Eagle’s Nest
Published by the
Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society
PO Box 420115
Kissimmee, FL 34742-0115
Articles for the newsletter are welcomed.
Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society
Board of Directors
Officers
President Larry Rosen 407-729-5168
LarryRosen@cfl.rr.com
VP Peggy Cholley
pegs04@cfl.rr.com
Secretary Sandie Mulrooney
istalkbirds@yahoo.com
Treasurer Dick Diener
dickdiener@aol.com
Committee Chairs
Conservation: Karol Graham
kgraham38@yahoo.com
Education: Jenny Welch
mwelch@cfl.rr.com
Fundraising: Kimberly Titterington
kim@shutterburn.com
Membership: Susan Parent
sparent20@yahoo.com
Programs: Available!
Editor: Charles Titterington
charles@shutterburn.com
Field Trips: Peggy Cholley
Publicity: Grayce Woessner
dwoessner@cfl.rr.com
Members-at-Large
Roslyn Scheer
Kimberly Titterington
Mike Johnson
Snowbirds-on-Board
Frank Benham
Nancy Benham
www.KissimmeeAudubon.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
KVAS has had a good start to our 2008-2009 season. Those of you who have participated
in our chapter’s activities have had some great bird sightings, toured some of the nice natu-
ral areas Florida has to offer, and attended some top-quality talks by authorities on anole
lizards and two endangered bird species.
Five members were able to attend Audubon Assembly in October in Crystal River. This is
an annual gathering of Audubon members from around Florida to learn, to experience na-
ture in the part of the state the meeting is in, and to decide on Audubon of Florida’s con-
servation priorities for the year ahead. Often people attend mainly for the field trips and
social events but find some of the educational sessions too good to pass up.
Some of the best information at the Assembly was presented by scientists who have been
studying the effect of the loss of “short-hydroperiod wetlands” on bird populations. These
are wetlands that only have standing water for a few months of the year or less. Often they
are lost to development disproportionately because they are easier to build on than wetter
areas and regulatory agencies operate on a principle of “no net loss of function.” This
means to the agencies that if the water gets stored in new artificial deep retention ponds
instead of in a shallow layer in, say, a pine flatwoods habitat, that is okay because at least
the water is not running off downstream somewhere. Evaluation of nesting success of sev-
eral bird species, particularly Wood Storks, shows that shallow, short-period wetlands are
very important for these birds, which use these wetlands for foraging in preparation for
nesting season.
In our area we have seen other, similar impacts on wildlife from loss of natural wetlands,
even in subdivisions where there are extensive retention pond systems. The ponds are
usually built with steep shorelines dropping sharply into deep water. This stores plenty of
water but gives wading birds and dabbling ducks almost no place to search for food. I will
never forget one winter several years ago when my Christmas Bird Count team ended our
day at sunset in the area that is now Bellalago off Pleasant Hill Road. There was a small wet-
land that had not been developed yet. We watched, quite excited, as 144 Sandhill Cranes
flew in and stood in the shallow water to roost for the night. More were still arriving when
we left! That wetland is now part of a large, deep retention pond, with no place for birds
to stand in the water.
Fortunately, some retention ponds are now being designed differently, with a “littoral
shelf” or marshy area near the shoreline, and native vegetation allowed to grow. The
newer designs still must be fought for in some jurisdictions, however, as some developers
and government agencies are still behind the times. Audubon of Florida is making its scien-
tific staff and findings more available so that chapters like ours can make an educated and
compelling case before the planning commission and county commission when faced with
unwise development plans. We only have a few members working on this at the present
time and would be more effective with more, so let me know if you can help!
At any rate, enjoy Central Florida’s cool season and take advantage of the upcoming meet-
ings, field trips, and the Christmas Bird Count (Saturday, Dec. 27) that we have planned!
Larry
Upcoming Public Program Meetings at KUA; 6:45 PM
January 27 - Pat Lamond: Midway Atoll
February 24 - TBA
March 24 - Dan Pennington: Wildlife-friendly Land Management
April 28 - TBA
 The Eagle’s Nest Page 3

Florida Venomous Snakes FYI

First of all, before I start this article I would like everyone to know I am not an expert with these issues. I have looked
to trusted friends that deal with venomous snakes on a daily basis.
We have a young friend, Matt, who is 13. He was recently bitten and envenomated by a Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
(Sistrurus miliarius barbouri). It is a fact that most people are bitten when they try kill or handle venomous snakes. A lot
of cases are due to just stepping on or near these little guys. The average size is between 12 and 24 inches. The rattle is
so small that most of the time you will not hear it until you are way too close.
Matt is a good kid, eager to learn, and has a passion for animals. Matt did not try to pick up this snake; the bite was a
true accident. He was playing in the park near his home. When he went to pick up his book bag, to his surprise he had a
small snake attached to his index finger. At first glance he realized that it was a young Pygmy Rattlesnake. Knowing this
snake was venomous, Matt quickly went home to his grandmother, who took him to Celebration Hospital.
At this point, Mathew was in the hospital telling his story to the nurses and doctors. Although this young boy could
identify all of the venomous snakes in Florida, the hospital was hesitant to accept a 13-year-old boy’s knowledge of
snakes. When the venom’s effects started to show, the hospital kept him for observation to watch the progression and
severity of the effects of the venom. This is a standard protocol in these situations for adults. It is better to avoid
antivenom if possible due to any risks that may occur with it, such as allergic reactions. Because of Matt’s age, he was
moved to Orlando two hours later to a specialist. Keep in mind that this bite is on a 13-year-old’s index finger and the
envenomation was from a pit viper which has a hemotoxin that destroys tissue. No antivenom was given to Matt. Over a
week’s time, his finger was swollen with decay from the dead tissue. With time, the doctor had to remove the dead tis-
sue that was on Matt’s finger and after doing so he had to perform a skin graft from Matt’s hand, which thankfully took.
I have spoken with some of my friends who are professionals in the area of venomous snakes and venom in general
about Matt’s situation and what he has gone through. They were surprised that a child was envenomated by a Pygmy
Rattler and there were no steps taken to give the child any antivenom. There is an antivenom called CroFab (Crotalidae
Polyvalent Immune Fab) that is known to have fewer chances of an allergic reaction, since it is produced from sheep, not
horses. A simple skin test would have shown the doctors if there was any reaction to the product. If Matt was given any
antivenom it could have stopped the venom in his body from causing any further damage, which in this case would have
reduced his chances of needing a skin graft.
I urge everyone to learn how to identify our snakes in Florida. These facts could help save your life one day. Education
is the key to safely living with these beautiful creatures.
Here are some links worth investigating; by all means research and learn. There is lots of great information out there:
http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/venomous_snake_identification.shtml
http://venomoussnakesfl.com/

Charles Titterington
 POST OFFICE BOX 420115
KISSIMMEE, FL 34742-0115
KISSIMMEE VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY

Green Heron seen skulking in the salt marsh at Merritt Island National
Wildlife Refuge on our December 7 field trip. Photo by Larry Rosen

THANKS...
● Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) for hosting our meetings
● Everglades Law Center for their hard work for KVAS and the future
of our region

To join Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society go to our website at http://

KissimmeeAudubon.org and click “Join!” Then print out the member-
ship form, fill it out, and send with a check to National Audubon. Put
chapter code “E39” on your check. You can always contact KVAS to
make sure the chapter has your current home address and email.
Thanks!
PERMIT #40136
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KISSIMMEE, FL 34744