Apalachee Audubon

The Newsletter of the Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.

Vol. 107, No. 4 January, 2009 www.apalachee.org

January Program Meeting: Thursday, January 22
Historic Amtrak Station, 918 Railroad Avenue
Speaker Chris Borg, Tall Timbers Conservation Biologist
Thinking Like a Mountain: How Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic
Guided the Making of a Conservation Biologist
7:00 PM Social, 7:30 – 9:00 Program
Utilizing images from his work as a landscape photographer, Chris Borg will discuss conservation
programs at Tall Timbers Research Station in relationship to his life travels and career influences.
A diverse array of natural communities and wildlife images, with locations from Katahdin to
Huachuca, will be presented by Chris.
Join us for an informative and entertaining evening.

Hear Scott Weindensaul

Friday, January 30th
Audubon Fundraising Event 7:00 PM
Tickets $10 Tallahassee Community College (TCC)
Tickets available: Main Campus, Building 38
At the Door, Economics & Workforce Development
From Wild Birds Unlimited, (EWD)
Native Nurseries, or By Mail 444 Appleyard Dr., 32304
Scott Weidensaul, author, naturalist, researcher, and Pulitzer Prize finalist, is making his first visit to
Tallahassee to talk about, and sign copies of, his most recent book Of a Feather: A Brief History of
American Birding (2007), an account of 400 years of ornithological studies. Scott is a regular at Maine’s Hog
Island Audubon Camp where he teaches during camp sessions. After meeting Scott this past summer at Hog
Island, our board member Pam Flynn has been instrumental in arranging Scott’s Tallahassee visit. Part of the
proceeds from this event will be shared with Operation Migration: Whooping Crane Project at St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge. Copies of Scott’s books will be available for purchase and signing.
To purchase a ticket by mail send a check to: Pam Flynn, 2801 Sterling Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312. Please
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a check made payable to Apalachee Audubon. If your check
is received after January 21ST, your ticket will be held at the door for pick up on the evening of the event. For
questions regarding Scott’s visit, contact Pam at 850/383-1238 or pflynn57@gmail.com.
TCC is 2.5 miles west of the Capitol building. The campus is on Appleyard Dr. located between W. Tennessee
Street and Pensacola Street. Building 38, EWD is located on the SW campus. To reach Building 38, turn
into campus at the main Appleyard Dr. entrance, then turn left and follow the curving road. Look for the last
building in the back on the right. There will be balloons to mark the building. Once inside Building 38, the
lecture room is straight ahead through the front door. Find a link to a TCC campus map on our web page at
www.apalachee.org or at www.tcc.fl.edu.
To learn more about Scott’s research, books, and other activities, visit www.apalachee.org site or
www.scottweidensaul.com/
 Saturday, January 24TH, 8:30 AM
Wakulla Springs Winter Walk
With George Apthorp
Master Wildlife Conservationist
Enjoy the unusual opportunity to take a leisurely three-
hour walk in the Wakulla Springs State Park, including
access to the Sanctuary, normally a restricted park
area. The Sanctuary is home to six champion trees and
one runner-up tree. We can also expect to see many
woodland birds that are common in upland hardwood
forests of the Florida Panhandle.
Meet at: Wachovia Bank on S. Monroe at 7:45 AM
for carpooling or meet George at the park Lodge
at 8:30 AM.
Expect to be finished: by noon
Cost: $4 per vehicle (up to 8 persons)
Level of Difficulty: Easy terrain. About a 1-mile walk.
Bring: Binoculars, water, insect repellent, and a camera
if you wish.
For further information: George Apthorp,
926-5045, sandy-george@earthlink.net
2ND Annual Apalachee Audubon
Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour
On Saturday, February 21ST
Our second annual Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour is
being held on Saturday, February 21st from
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Last year more than 100 people
participated in our first tour. We have selected six more
yards for this year’s tour, including a local school that
has gone to great lengths to incorporate nature into
their school grounds and curriculum.
The tour tickets, $10 per person, may be purchased on
January 30th at the Scott Weidensaul event. Beginning
February 2nd tickets may be purchased at Native
Nurseries and Wild Birds Unlimited. Ticket holders will
receive addresses and maps to each location at the time
of purchase.
Each yard has unique features to attract a variety
of birds and other wildlife, such as wintering
hummingbirds, orioles, tanagers, finches, and pine
siskins, as well as our year-round residents. You will be
inspired to maintain your own yard or green space for
wildlife, whether it is one birdfeeder, one nest box, one
wildflower bed, one garden path, or one natural area.
Make a difference for wildlife, one yard at a time! Please
join us for the second annual Wildlife-Friendly Yards
Tour.
For more information, contact Fred Dietrich,
386-2731, fdietrich@yahoo.com.
Coins for Cranes
By Matt Morris*
Students at Cornerstone Learning Community were
treated to a recent presentation on Whooping Cranes
by rangers from St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge
(SMNWR). The magnificent white birds with crimson
crests and black "masks" can reach 5 feet in height and
are North America's largest flying birds. Incredibly,
their population once numbered only 16 adults and
they are still one of the most endangered migratory
birds on the continent.
Students were thrilled to look at model eggs, see the
"disguise" scientists use to teach the young cranes, and
watch a short film on a unique program, Operation
Migration.
This program has the potential to double the wild,
migratory population of these birds. How? Scientists
hatch wild crane eggs in the spring, imprint the
hatchlings to the sound of a small, ultralite aircraft
and teach the young birds how to migrate the
following fall by leading them with this craft from
their home in Wisconsin to wintering grounds here in
Florida.
This winter is the first time that the SMNWR will be
home to half of the ultralight-led group of migrating
Whoopers. (See Calendar, Page 6)
The rangers also left Cornerstone students with a
challenge by the St. Marks Refuge Association to raise
money for a video-camera system which will allow
school kids and other "Craniacs" to watch these birds
as they learn how to forage and roost in their new
environment.
This is an important tool as the undisclosed 500-
acre area of the refuge is off limits to all park visitors.
The program has been dubbed "Coins for Cranes," a
simple but invaluable spare-change collection project.
Students are creating posters and collection jars, in an
effort to raise the approximately $10,000 needed to
fully fund this project.
These Craniac Kids know this job is too important for
one school or organization and would like to pass the
challenge on to the public. Years from now we hope
you can point to these beautiful birds winging their
way across our land and say, "I was a Craniac, and I
helped save these Whooping Cranes!"
For your own in-school presentation, contact St.
Marks National Wildlife Refuge. For information on
how your school or organization can participate in
the "Coins for Cranes" fundraiser, contact St. Marks
Refuge Association at
www.stmarksrefuge.org.
• Matt Morris teaches physical education and science
at Cornerstone Learning Community. [This story is
reprinted from the Tallahassee Democrat]
BIRD BITS
By Harry Hooper
Northern Harrier
Circus cyaneus
The Northern Harrier is
a slim, and long-bodied,
long-tailed raptor generally
observed flying or hovering
low over grassy fields and
marshes. For the Big Bend
area, this raptor is generally a
fall-through-spring visitor, arriving from the
northern U.S. and Canada during late August
and leaving our area during mid-to-late May.
Males, uncommon along our coasts have bluish-
gray upper parts with white underparts including
breast, belly and wings. Wings are tipped in
black. Adult females generally have brown upper
parts with lighter brown underparts and distinct
streaking on the breast and belly. Juveniles appear
similar to adult females with the exception
of underparts being a lighter brown, washed
with rufous, and with less distinctive streaking.
Females and juveniles are common in the “Big
Bend” during the winter months.
Two obvious field marks for this impressive
raptor are the bright white rump patch, seen well
on distant birds and the well-defined, owl-like
facial disk. The facial disk helps the raptor focus
the sounds of rodents that are scurrying beneath
the dense grasses in which the bird is hunting.
The name “harrier” was first described for birds
observed in the sixteenth century. It also has
been used as a British term describing hawks that
generally hunt by flying low over the ground. The
English name originated from harnier or
hen-harnier for birds that were harrying poultry.
During our winter months, watch for this
beautiful raptor flying low or hovering over the
marsh grasses bordering the Big Bend coastline.
Enjoy the antics as a bird locates a rodent and
executes rapid and sometimes nearly inverted
maneuvers as it stalls, reverses direction, and
dives for its prey. The Northern Harrier is one of
the many fascinating and beautiful avian species
commonly seen during the winter months along
our northern Gulf marsh coastline.
For The Birds — and the Children
2008 Education Committee Report
From Dawn M. Saucier
Education Committee Chair
This year, AAS has continued its valued partnership with
Pineview Elementary School and Sara Chang, Pineview’s
teacher of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL).
Sara, using funds from an educational grant, purchased a
bird feeding station, bird food, birding guides, binoculars,
bird coloring books, and birding logs from our friends at
Wild Birds Unlimited. On October 1st, AAS Education
Committee members Dawn Saucier and Fred Dietrich
assisted Sara and 5th grade teacher Karen Kimel in installing
and setting up the new bird feeding station outside Ms.
Kimel’s classroom window. On October 23rd, Dawn Saucier
gave a presentation to approximately 75 Pineview elementary
students on basic bird identification and an introduction to
backyard birding. Following the presentation, the students
were given a quick birding trip on the school grounds, where
we were fortunate to see and hear a beautiful red-shouldered
hawk. On November 21st, AAS members Dawn Saucier,
Elizabeth Platt, Ann Bruce, and Fred Dietrich led Ms.
Chang’s students on a field trip around Elberta Crate Pond.
It was a cold, windy day, but the kids were not deterred.
There were plenty of birds enjoying the pond that morning,
including wood storks, osprey, blue heron, snowy egrets,
anhingas, cormorants, bufflehead, lesser scaup, hooded
mergansers, and turkey vultures, to name just a few. It was a
great opportunity for the kids to try out their new binoculars
and the spotting scope that Elizabeth Platt so kindly brought
along for the occasion. Thanks again to all of the AAS
education volunteers for their assistance with the Pineview
projects, and a special thanks to Mary and Susan at Wild
Birds Unlimited for their invaluable assistance, advice, and
enthusiasm.
AAS Awards Announcement
Do you know someone or an organization or a business
that has been particularly helpful to Apalachee Audubon?
Perhaps a member has performed outstanding service
through the years. Significant contributions should be
recognized even if we can’t afford to present a gold medal.
Now Apalachee Audubon has a process that allows any
member to nominate someone for an award. Visit our web
page www.apalachee.org for a description of the available
awards, the nomination form and instructions.
Nominations for the current membership year are due
by February 28. The awards committee will review the
nominations and those that meet the criteria and eligibility
will be recognized at the annual May banquet meeting.
 President’s Message
January, 2009
Environmentalists and wildlife-lovers will miss
reporter Bruce Ritchie, one of sixteen employees
let go by the Tallahassee Democrat in early
December. Bruce maintained a professional tone
in his reporting but was clearly a friend of the
environment and wildlife. A recent example was his
quick response to Operation Migration’s decision
to bring half of the Florida-bound whooping cranes
to St. Marks National Wildlife refuge. An article
appeared in the Democrat on October 2nd, along
with a large, beautiful colored photo of the cranes
following an ultralight airplane. The AAS Board of
Directors is working on an appropriate recognition
of Bruce’s contributions.
The original Tallahassee area Estimated Time of
Arrival (ETA) for the whoopers was mid-December
but they have been delayed by bad weather. My
prediction for an ETA is January 10th. Make your
own prediction! Just google Apalachee Audubon
Society to find our web site and move the slider on
the right down until you see a large photo of the
whoopers. Click on Track their progress and a map
and day-by-day journal will appear.
In spite of a steady stream of experiments
and observations of the cleverness of crows, self-
recognition of magpies, the cunning of turkeys
in outwitting technology-loaded hunters, and the
better-than-human pattern-recognition skill of
pigeons, the term “bird-brain” survives. There is a
video on YouTube, Crow Makes Tool, that should
dispatch this term. Anyone who watches this
short video (38 seconds), will be convinced of the
inventive intelligence of crows.
Ben Fusaro
(850) 297-2052
fusaro@math.fsu.edu
Panhandle Birding Trail Signs
The long-awaited road signs for the Panhandle
section of the Great Florida Birding Trail are now
being installed for the 78 locations across 14
counties. Work is progressing westward along the
coast from Wakulla to Escambia Counties, then
back eastward along I-10 and the interior towards
Leon County. We expect the work to be completed
by early 2009.
A sign dedication will be held at St. Marks NWR on
Saturday, January 17 at 1 PM at the Environmental
Education Cabin by the Visitor Center. Everyone is
welcome to attend. A bird walk will follow.
More details will be posted soon at:
floridabirdingtrail.com
12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
Feb. 13TH – 16TH, Friday – Monday, 2009
Joint Project By
Cornell Lab of Ornithology & National Audubon
“Count for Fun, Count for the Future!”
You can participate in the 2009 GBBC by:
1. Counting birds for at least fifteen minutes during the
period of Friday – Monday, Feb. 13TH – 16TH, 2009.
Count birds at as many places and on as many days as
you like – just keep a separate list of counts for each
day and/or location.
2. Counting the greatest number of individuals
of each species that you see together at any one
time and write it down. (You can get regional
bird checklists from Audubon’s “How To” site at
www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html
3. Entering your results at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/
where the counts nationwide will be reflected on a
map of the USA.
You can watch the maps change and grow over the count
period. Looking at the GBBC results below, you will see
that the count is a BIG deal!
Statistics from 2008 GBBC
Total Checklists Submitted: 85,725
Total Species Observed: 635
Total Individual Birds Counted: 9,805,216
Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc. (AAS)
2008 – 2009 Officers and Board Members
President Ben Fusaro 297-2052
Vice President Ed Gartner 386-6543
Secretary Sylvia Cohen 668-6906
Treasurer Harvey Goldman 385-5222
Board Members
Melissa Forehand 510-4877
Harry Hooper 668-0498
Torrio Osborne 422-3305
Past President Elizabeth Platt 385-9043
Lynn Reynolds 421-1074
Karen Wensing 386-7766
AAS publishes its newsletter 8 times yearly, September
through May, except December.
AAS, P.O. Box 1237
Tallahassee, FL 32303.
Newsletter Editor Ann Bruce 766-3061
Printed on partially recycled paper.
Visit our web site at www.apalachee.org for e-mail
addresses, list of committee chairs, and online copy of
newsletters.
Mission Statement
Protection of the environment through education,
appreciation, and conservation.
 Kayak Birding Field Trip Good News
Board member Harry Hooper introduced five Audubon members to
kayak birding on the East River Pool at St. Marks National Wildlife The NW Florida Transportation
Refuge on October 12th. Though the morning was mostly overcast Corridor Authority has dropped its
and cool and with a moderately strong north wind, the members misguided scheme to run a road through
enjoyed the ambiance of this man-made open marsh habitat. Most Tate’s Hell State Forest. The Authority
likely due to the weather, birds were well hidden and difficult to had the gall to present this road as
locate. As we began to set our boats onto the water at the ramp, one part of a hurricane evacuation, even
paddler spotted a Sora quietly disappearing into the adjacent marsh
reeds. A beautiful but secretive American Bittern briefly presented though it was evident that this east-west
itself in flight. A Northern Harrier provided an amazing close-up road would have been a gift from the
aerial display as it hunted rodents in the marsh. And an adult Bald Florida taxpayers to St. Joe in order to
Eagle gave the paddlers great views (and kinked necks) as it soared provide access to a planned Panhandle
lazily directly overhead. Overall, we had approximately 25 avian development.
species. Disappointingly, the generally abundant gator population
was not to be found on this beautiful morning. ~ Ben Fusaro

Wild Birds Unlimited

Everything for the birds and the serious birder! Massage Therapist
Melissa Forehand
OPTICS ~ SEED ~ FEEDERS ~ BIRDBATHS ~ FIELD GUIDES
NESTING BOXES ~ NATURE GIFTS
CranioSacral, Relaxation &
WE NOW CARRY SWAROVSKI OPTICS! Therapeutic

1505-2 Governor’s Square Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32301 1102 Hays St. 850-510-4877
(850) 576-0002 www.wbu.com/tallahassee Tallahassee, FL 32301 License #MA31638

David Copps Landscape Designer

~ bringing nature home ~

Eco-Tours to Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica

876 Madeira Circle 850/385-6548 954-662-1539
Tallahassee, FL 32312 meadowman3@yahoo. LatinAmericanAdventuresLLC.com

Sandra E. Moruzzi
Licensed Massage Therapist
850/556-2050
The Store for Nature Lovers
For Over 28 Years Mobile Massage Therapy
Evenings / Weekends
Native Plants - Wildlife Gardening By Appointment
Bird Shop - Herbs - Organic Gardening Supplies Gift Certificates Available
MA 36422
850-386-8882
1661 Centerville Road Call today for an appointment or e-mail to:
Tallahassee, FL 32308 gladiwaited2005@yahoo.com
www.nativenurseries.com
 Apalachee Audubon Non-Profit
P.O. Box 1237 Organization
t
Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237 s i n g Even U.S. Postage
ndra i ure
, Fu Lect
a t u ralistn Birding tickets Paid
&N rica $10 eting er Permit No. 30
Au thor of Ame mpus,
y a ram Me rap h
i d e n saul, rief Histor. 38, SW C , Jan. Proge Photog
e , B C, Bldg in ndscap
Scott W an. 30 C ounta a
gist/L
Fri. J PM at T eaM
g Lik on Biolo
7:00 k i n Trip
2 2 , n i
Thi nservat ris Borg a rk Field
.
s., Jan ers C
o Ch tate P
Thur all Timb Sp r ings S thorp
With
T kulla ge Ap
n . 2 4, Wa ith Geor
a W
Sat. J

Your membership expiration date is shown at top right above your name. For problems with membership, call the National Audubon Society
Office at 1-800-274-4201. For problems with mailings, contact Pam Flynn at pflynn@us.ibm.com.

APALACHEE AUDUBON SOCIETY (AAS) CALENDAR January 2009, Vol. 107, No. 4
Monthly programs are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at the historic Amtrak Station, 918 Railroad Ave. They are free
and open to the public with a social at 7:00 PM and program from 7:30 – 9:00. For details visit www.apalachee.org or contact
Melissa Forehand 510-4877.
JANUARY
???? St. Marks Whooping Crane Flyover Celebration – The Whooper Class of 2008 will fly again after a holiday Stand Down
due to weather. The ultra-light led whoopers may have already reached their ultimate destination by the time you receive the
newsletter. If not, watch our web site for news of their progress or visit Operation Migration
www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html for the latest information. A Flyover Celebration is planned in the town
of St. Marks for a one-time chance to see the Whooper Class of 2008 overhead. Coins for Cranes (see page 2) is raising
money to install video cameras to allow the public to see the whooper activities. Contact Lori Nicholson, St. Marks Refuge
Association Education Specialist, 850/925-6121, or visit Refuge Association at www.stmarksrefuge.org, if you are interested
in contributing.
22: Program Meeting – Thinking Like a Mountain presentation by Chris Borg, Tall Timbers Conservation Biologist.
24: Field Trip – Guided bird walk at Wakulla Springs State Park with Master Wildlife Conservationist George Apthorp. The
walk includes The Sanctuary, a restricted park area, usually closed to the public. From 8:30 AM until noon.
28: Related Event– Great Florida Birding Trail sign dedication, 1 PM, Environmental Ed. Cabin, St. Marks NWR.
29: Welcome Party – For author & naturalist Scott Weidensaul. Although this event (for 30 people, $50/person) is sold out, we
have a Waiting List in case any last-minute openings occur. For details, contact Pam Flynn 383-1238, pflynn57@gmail.com.
30: Weidensaul Lecture – Book signing and lecture by Scott Weidensaul, Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding at
7 PM, Building 38, TCC. Cost is $10/person. Tickets are available at the door or ahead of time. See Page 1 for details.
31: Related Field Trip – Visit the old-growth, longleaf-forest Wade Tract Preserve, located near Thomasville, GA. From
8:30 AM–11:30 AM. Reservations required. Call Birdsong Nature Center, 800/953-BIRD. To see more details and learn
further information about Birdsong visit their web site at http://www.birdsongnaturecenter.org/
FEBRUARY
13-16: Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) - This is the 12TH GBBC! It’s fun and easy to participate. Sponsored by the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology & National Audubon. Follow nationwide count results online at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.
21: 2ND Annual Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour – 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, $10/person. Contact Fred Dietrich, 386-2731.
28: Awards Nomination Deadline: – Submit AAS Award nominations for later presentation at Annual Dinner in May.