 December 12 Meeting:
Ron Mayberry, Photographer:
 Ron will dazzle us with a travelogue of Ecuador and Costa Rica and the hundreds of birds he has photographed throughout the years..
Social hour at 7 pm followed by our business meeting and the presentation.
First Congregational Church Fellowship Hall
1031 South Euclid Ave., Sarasota
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Christmas Bird Count Sarasota, Saturday, December 31.
Contact Glynnis Withrington at glynnis@sarasotaaudubon.org
Counters, drivers, spotters, photographers and recorders needed. Backyard watchers, please send in your sightings for that day and include your Sarasota location/subdivision.
Last year we had a record 90 counters in the field and 18 backyard/neighborhood watchers. One hundred and fifty-four species were reported.
Other area CBC's :
Sat., Dec. 17: Bradenton CBC. Contact David Williamson of Manatee Audubon at www.localbirder.com to participate.
Mon., Dec. 19: Myakka River State Park CBC. Contact CBCMRSP@sarasotaaudubon.org.
Tues., Dec. 27: Gulf Circle CBC. Contact David Williamson at localbirder.com to participate. All are welcome. 
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Special Day Trips
Carefree Learner Boat Trips
Tuesday, April 3 at 9 am
Wednesday, April 11 at 9 am
Take a private boat tour to Roberts Bay Rookery to see and learn about breeding birds.
CAREFREE LEARNER PREVIEW: Your reservation and cost will also include wine and cheese & a slide show presentation on Rookery birds on Wed. evening, Mar 28.
Contact Kathryn Young: kathwren4@gmail.com or 612-760- 1771 for RESERVATIONS and for the presentation location. Cost $27.
All Aboard the Eagle Trolley
Sat., Feb 4 at 8am. Leave the driving to us (3-hour ride) as our Eagle Expert Dale Nauman gives us the history and great looks at 3-4 active nests. Also included will be an eagle powerpoint slide show and Happy Hour on Feb. 1.
Go to www.sarasotaaudubon.org for details.
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New SAS Office
Many thanks to Steven Greenfield, Managing Member of SJG of Sarasota LLC, for donating office space to SAS. Jeanne Dubi moved files and equipment to our official space - thereby getting her house back!
A special thanks to Karen Jensen for scouting the best buys in office furniture and to her and Lynn Jakubowicz for "doing the heavy lifting" (literally and figuratively) in getting it all to the second floor.
Treasurer Valeri Ponzo working hard in our new space.
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Key West and Dry Tortugas
April 16-19 2012
We will travel to popular Key West, stop at the Ten Thousand Island tower on the way there, stay at the Comfort Inn and the next day take the commodious Yankee Freedom to spend the day at historic Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas. The Dry Tortugas are a respite for migratory birds returning from South America. We expect to see nesting Sooty Terns, Brown Boobies, various warblers and many other varieties.
The third day the bus will take us to hot spots around Key West, the lower keys, and the Wild Bird Rescue Center. A few of our target birds are the White-crowned pigeon, Mangrove cuckoo and Wurdemenn's heron. Each evening we'll search for the Antillean nighthawk. On our return north the fourth day we'll stop off at Pennekamp State Park and take a glass bottomed boat ride. From there we'll bird our way back with a late arrival in Venice/Sarasota. We are hoping to see 100+ species. The cost is $600 pp dbl/$800 single and includes bus, motel, all entry fees, boat rides, and tips. All meals are included except the evening meal. Charlie Sample will be our bird guide. For more information please contact: Charlie Sample, 497-6463 or Karen Jensen, 924-2446 Sponsored by Venice Audubon and Sarasota Audubon Societies
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SAS Sales Table
Check out the variety of items Mary Heinlen has for sale at our monthly meetings. The 2012 Audubon calendars are really gorgeous, with a reproduction of an Audubon print for each month. Only $10.
All proceeds go to SAS.
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Conservation News
State Wildlife Lands Threatened
Florida's water management districts (our area is in the Southwest district - SWFWMD), along with state and federal parks, forests and preserves, contain most of Florida's environmentally sensitive lands essential to our birds and other wildlife. Governor Scott has ordered state land-holding agencies to review and declare as surplus any land that does not presently meet rather vaguely defined purposes of conservation, water supply, recreation, etc.
The state legislature's budget provides that lands worth $300 million should be sold, reversing the Florida Forever program that had recently been buying $300 million in conservation lands a year (at considerably higher prices than could be obtained if they were sold now, of course). Since much land must be held as security for bonds sold to purchase it, last spring the Governor's cabinet voted to pay off several million dollars of bonds so as to free up conservation land for sale. SWFWMD, as a major regional holder of environmentally sensitive lands, is now reviewing its holdings, and on November 3 held a packed hearing on methodology of selling "surplus" lands at which environmentalists testified passionately on the value of retaining lands that were already evaluated for their conservation value when they were purchased. The next hearing at Sarasota will be at the local SWFWMD office on Fruitville road just west of the Interstate and the library from 6 to 8 p.m. on January 11. Julie Byrne and I plan to be there along with other environmentalists and we would welcome other Auduboners.
As if sale and subsequent development of state conservation lands were not harmful enough to birds and other wildlife, hunting organizations have followed all-terrain vehicle users in launching a campaign to open remaining such lands to hunters, and have already had considerable success with the St. John's and South Florida Water Management Districts. Aside from the disruption and killing of wildlife that will result, such lands would have to be closed for safety reasons during hunting seasons to birders, hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and other taxpayers and tourists who only observe rather than consume wildlife resources. We may need some help on this issue as well.Wade Matthews
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SAS Name Badges
Send name and address to:
Michael Fox, 2749 Ringling Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237 $4.75 with pin & $6.75 with magnet Add $2.00 for shipping
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More Conservation News
Some Local People Important to Conservation
RANDALL REID was selected by the County Commission from over 40 original applicants to replace already-departed Jim Ley (and interim manager Terry Lewis) as the top administrator of Sarasota County pending negotiation of a contract. Reid has a good record of environmental sensitivity on growth management and other environmental issues for the last 12 years as administrator of Alachua County. We look forward to working with him and continuing cooperation with the staff he will lead.
Sarasota County Commissioner JON THAXTON will be forced to withdraw from his 2012 re-election bid if the Florida Supreme Court supports an appellate court ruling that charter counties like Sarasota can limit commissioner terms. Though not aimed at Sarasota, an appellate court ruling, if applicable to Sarasota, would reverse an old decision by a district court that overturned a charter amendment voted in thirteen years ago that limited county commissioners to 8 consecutive years. Thaxton is generally acknowledged to be the Commissioner most dedicated to environmental and wildlife protection.
CHRISTINE JOHNSON is replacing ALBERT JOERGER as President of the Gulf Coast Conservation Foundation, though Joerger will remain on its board of trustees and on the environmentally-important board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Foundation, headquartered here since Joerger founded it in 2003, has assembled and purchased environmentally sensitive lands. Johnson has a background in fundraising and nature-related activities.
Wade Matthews
Conservation Chair
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Upcoming Events
Thursdays, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: OSCAR SCHERER STATE PARK BIRD WALK
8:30 am at the Nature Center. See SAS website for more details.
Saturday, Dec. 3: LAUREL LANDFILL "PINELAND" with Barry Rossheim (387-5044). Meet at the gas station on the corner of Laurel Road and Knights Trail Road at 8am. This is on the way to the landfill.
Wednesday, Dec 7: MYAKKA RIVER SP
This wildlife preserve always provides great birding. Meet at 8:15am in the first parking lot on your right just inside the park (fee). Note: park opens at 8am. Leader Owen Comora, 378-5166. BRING LUNCH.
Saturday, Dec 10: CELERY FIELDS BIRD WALK
Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8am.
Tuesday, Dec 13: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8am. Gloves, vests, rakes, etc. provided.
Tuesday, Dec 13: LIDO KEY SHOREBIRDS with Dan Irizarry(305-585-5786) and Marc Hayman. Meet at the N. Lido Beach parking area at 8am.
Wednesday, Dec 14: HOLIDAY LUNCH at University Park Country Club. Contact Julie Byrne at julie@sarasotaaudubon.org or 379-3882 for a fun, seasonal lunch with friends. Table prizes too. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.
Saturday, Dec 17: BRADENTON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Contact David Williamson of Manatee Audubon at localbirder.com to participate. All are welcome.
Sunday, Dec 18: CELERY FIELDS BIRD WALK Join Dan Irizarry (305-585-5786). Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8am.
Monday, Dec 19: CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Myakka River State Park. Contact CBCMRSP@sarasotaaudubon.org to participate. All are welcome.
Monday, Dec 26: CELERY FIELDS MONDAY BIRD WALK CLUB Joyce Leary (508-737-8954) leads a bird walk every 4th Monday, Oct thru March at the Celery Fields. Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8am.
Tuesday, Dec 27: GULF CIRCLE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Contact David Williamson of Manatee Audubon at localbirder.com to participate. All are welcome.
Thursday, Dec 29: LIDO BEACH & WOODS Join John Ginaven (383-5133) on a pre- CBC scouting trip. Meet at the N. Lido parking area at 8am.
Saturday, Dec 31: SARASOTA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT. Contact glynnis@sarasotaaudubon.org to participate. All are welcome.
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Local Membership
To receive your newsletter electronically, send an email to: membership@sarasotaaudubon.org with your request. Printing/mailing costs can be allocated to other projects with your help. To view our electronic version, click here, go to "News" and then "Brown Pelican."
It's time to renew! All local SAS memberships for 2012 are now due. For only $20 a year, you help underwrite our printing, postage, and meeting place expenses. You can renew online at our new website or you can mail your $20 to:SAS (Membership),
PO Box 52132, Sarasota, FL 34232 Lynn Jakubowicz, Membership Chair
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In the Field
Siesta Key Shorebirds 10/29/2011 On 10/29/2011 we had 10 participants and 35 species on our bird outing on SK Beach. The first stop at Siesta Key public beach gave us great looks at over 100 Red Knots. Some of the Red Knots had leg bands and all were in winter plumage. Walking north we counted 6 Snowy Plovers and one beautiful Reddish Egret. After the beach walk some of us continued on south of the public beach to Siesta Key Woods. We saw small flocks of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Palm and Pine Warblers, one Brown Thrasher and one Black-and-white Warbler.
Lido Beach Shorebirds 11/05/2011
It was a cool windy morning on Lido Key but we still managed to see 4+ Snowy Plovers, 3+ Semipalmated Plovers, and 5+ Red Knots. Birds for the day spotted by Mary Heinlen were 20+ Common Loons flying overhead heading north towards Tampa. In the newly restored Lido Woods, we saw an Osprey chasing an adult eagle and Jeanne Dubi spotted a Black-throated Green Warbler.
Siesta Key Shorebirds 11/19/11
We found of note: 17 Snowy Plovers, a Semipalmated Plover, 1 Am. Kestrel, 4 Herring Gulls (FOS) , 2 Ring-billed Gulls, also FOS, 1 Reddish Egret, 1 Magnificent Frigatebird and 1 Caspian Tern.
Kathryn Young, Field Trips
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Holiday Lunch
Wed., Dec. 14 at University Park Country Club 
Celebrate the season with good food and good friends; table prizes too.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
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Select from Chicken Chausseur with mushrooms & plum tomatoes or Seared Atlantic Salmon with dill sauce.
Cost $25. Contact Julie Byrne at julie@sarasotaaudubon.org or 379-3882 for more details.
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Tree Swallow Research
For the third winter running, students from Cornell, Tulane and LSU will be studying Tree Swallows in south central Florida with Sarasota as the center of operations. One of the students, Natalia Piland, who is staying in Sarasota from late October until sometime in January, is asking for help.
If you see any large aggregations of Tree Swallows from just after sunrise to just before sunset, please contact Natalia. She is particularly interested in daily feeding on wax myrtles-their main food source. Last year, on the Venice CBC, about 5 million were discovered feeding. In addition, Natalia wants to know of roosting sites. Last year, they were discovered in Lakewood Ranch (600,000); Knights Trail Rd and Laurel Road (1 million), a site in Punta Gorda with 6-8 million, in Duett Park (several million), a large site in Polk and another in Hillsborough.
Natalia would also welcome any help in tracking down roost sites and in monitoring other Tree Swallow behavior. Please email her at ncp29@cornell.edu . Natalia and Jeanne Dubi tracked down a 200,000 roost in a different location in Lakewood Ranch recently.
To view Natalia's video of a Tree Swallow roost in Sarasota County
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Please Bear with Us
Our 2011-2012 year has brought many changes for SAS as we grow and evolve.
We have instituted a new website, a new accounting system and are settling in to a new office space. Please let us know if you have any problems with payments, reservations or whatever. We'll do our best to correct them. We value our members.
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Be a Volunteer
One of the reasons we are a growing and successful organization is our volunt eers. SAS is non-profit and volunteer driven. You could be a part of our exciting future. Please share your talents.
Contact:
VolunteerCoordinator, Marcy Packert
volunteer@sarasotaaudubon.org or 360-0808
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Subscribe to Bird Alerts!
Need the latest birding info for our area? To subscribe, just send an e-mail. Thanks to Peter Rice for providing this service.
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