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Season Greetings

 

March 12 Meeting:
Stephen Brown, Author and Educator:


Stephen presents Where Water Meets the Sky, a poetic look at the changes through three seasons at Marjorie's marsh, a wetland behind his condo in Sarasota.

Social hour at 7 pm followed by our business meeting and the presentation.

First Congregational Church Fellowship Hall
1031 South Euclid Ave., Sarasota.


 

 Shamrocks
Season Greetings

 

Official Kickoff of our Capital Campaign:

Come early to the general meeting on March 12 to check out the posters of the Celery Fields project and to find out how the campaign is progressing. We are on a roll! 

Audubon building
Proposed Celery Fields Nature Center


 

 

Important SWFWMD Meeting - Please Attend

Wednesday, March 7, 10 am

Sarasota County Administration Building

1600 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

 

The South West Florida Water Management District or SWFWMD Governing Board is holding another meeting regarding the sale of "surplus" preserve land. These lands protect our water supply, prevent flooding and provide natural areas for us to enjoy. This also may be the first attempt at privatizing our water supply.

 

Concerned citizens, please join us in voicing our strong disapproval of the State of Florida's plans. Your presence does make a difference. We need your support.

 

Julie Byrne, Wetlands Conservation Chair

 

Wetlands 

 

 

 

Please Note

 

Effective immediately, anyone wanting to participate in any activity with the students from Sarasota High must first register at any high school of their choice in the PALS program. This includes anyone wanting to attend a Carefree Learner trip with the students to the rookery islands every month.

 

Rick Greenspun

 

Celery Fields Clean Up Feb. 14    

     

Thanks to efforts of Marcy Packer, the usual cadre of 6-8 people for a Celery Fields clean up was expanded to 12. This meant that we could deploy people a little further to cover the area from Apex Rd to the interstate (not always done) and for Pat Sharp to hop the fence on the south side of Palmer and pick up garbage trapped in the vegetation. Pat managed to fill a bag, so this was a good strategy. Either due to the time of year (more people visiting) or simply more people going to the CF, we picked up 30% more garbage than usual.

 

Thank you to newcomers, Carol Poll and Jolie Ennis.

 

Next clean up is April 10. Please plan to help.

 

Jeanne Dubi

 

 Twitter trash

  
 
Save the Date
Wed., April 18
Fundraiser for SAS Celery Fields Nature Center 

The Hillview Grill restaurant will donate 10-15% of their proceeds on April 18 in support of the capital campaign to build a nature center at the Celery Fields. Lunch will be available from 11:30-4 pm. and dinner from 4 pm. There is also an early bird menu available 4-5:30 pm.

 

Bring your friends along and join the camaraderie for a good cause. Every one is invited. The Hillview Grill in on Hillview St. just west of US 41 on the south side of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

 

Stu Hills, Event Coordinator

  

 

Images from Our Inveterate Traveling Photographers: 
 

Costa Rica lies in tropical Central America, an easy flight from the United States. It is bounded by Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south, the Caribbean on the east and the Pacific on the west. Costa Rica is the size of West Virginia and has 4.5 million inhabitants, 2 million of whom live in the 4,000 foot high central valley, which is also the location of the capital city of San Jose. Costa Rica has an incredible ecological diversity which is protected by one of the best-developed conservation systems in Latin America. Two of the most striking and colorful birds, the Resplendent Quetzal and Sun Bittern, are hard to find and difficult to photograph. Trip leader Rick Greenspun and our Costa Rican guide found nesting birds of both species which significantly enhanced our lone photographic opportunity. The male quetzal can be comical  because when he is incubating the eggs in the nest cavity (an excavated hole in a tree) his long tail sticks out, and sometimes he pokes his head out alongside his tail.

 

Lou Newman

 Quetzal

 

sun bittern 

Jeanne Dubi on Sarasota Bay Today 
Jeanne, our tireless ambassador, was interviewed recently by Randy Moore for Sarasota Bay Today. Jeanne answers questions about the challenges faced by year round and migrating birds. She also shares information about local SAS activities and events.
A Month of Special Sightings  
 

I saw a single Purple Sandpiper this morning, February 28, along the Venice North Jetty. First in ten years of visiting the jetty. Photo attached.

 

Cliff Martinka, Nokomis

purple sandpiper 

 

 

At Myakka River State Park Bird Walk on March 1, the Yellow-headed Blackbird showed up with the usual flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds. Other highlights included three Swallow-tailed Kites, 13 Wild Turkeys, 24 American White Pelicans, and a Bald Eagle killing, plucking, and eating an American Coot, and not sharing any with her mate.

 

Barry Rossheim

yellow-headed blackbird 

 

 

On February 25, Barry Rossheim and I made the the 3-mile trek to the south lake at Myakka River State Park. The lower lake was chocked full of N. Pintail, Am. Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks and Green and Blue-winged Teal. We also had 4 Am. Avocets, 60 Am. White Pelicans and sharp-eyed Barry picked out a Gull-billed Tern amongst the many Forster's Terns and 6 Caspians. We also had a flock of two dozen Am. Pipits. Two dozen Roseate Spoonbills at the weir ended a pretty great day.

 

Rick Greenspun

Am. pipit 


 

On February 28 Bob Lessard and Henry Beaton spotted a Crested Caracara, east of the Celery Fields on Palmer Rd. A pair has been hanging out there for some time.

 

Jeanne Dubi

 

crested caracara 

Photo: R. Greenspun

 

 

Click Through This Issue!
:: March 12 : Stephen Brown
:: Official Kickoff
:: Important Meeting!!
:: Please Note
:: Celery Fields Clean Up
:: Save the Date - Hillview Grill
:: Images from Our Traveling Photographers
:: Jeanne Dubi on Sarasota Bay Today
:: Special Sightings
:: Upcoming Events
:: Local Membership
:: In the Field
:: More Publicity on Sarasota Birding
:: Please Volunteer
:: SAS Name Badges
:: SAS Sales Table
:: Bird Alerts
Upcoming Events

Thursdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: OSCAR SCHERER STATE PARK

Every Thursday, Oct thru Apr. Join a bird walk to search for Florida Scrub Jays, N. Bobwhites, and other pine flatwood species. Meet inside the park at 8:30am at Lake Osprey/Nature Center (park fee). Call Joyce with questions (508-737-8954)
 

Tuesday, March 6: FELTS PRESERVE 

Help Dan Irizarry (305-582-5786) find Painted Buntings and more. Meet at Felts Preserve at 8am.

  

Wednesday, March 7: VENICE ROOKERY &

SHAMROCK PARK

Join Stu Hills (922-5261) and Martha Straub at Shamrock Park in south Venice along the Intracoastal Waterway as they look for waterbirds, scrub-jays, and gopher tortoises, then on to the Venice Rookery. Meet 8am at McDonalds (Bee Ridge & Cattlemen). BRING LUNCH.

  

Saturday, March 10: CELERY FIELDS BIRD WALK 
 Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond) at 8am.
 

Monday, March 12: FELTS PRESERVE

The feeders are so active, we are visiting Felts again. Join Jeanne Dubi (355-1709) and Barbara Singer. Meet at Starbucks (University & I-75 next to Home Depot) at 8am.

  

Tuesday, March 20: CELERY FIELDS

Look for wintering species of shorebirds and ducks along with Florida specialties with Lynn

Jakubowicz (355-4073). Meet at the Gazebo at 8am.

  

Monday, March 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.

  

Wednesday Mar 28 & Tuesday, Apr 3 (Tour #1): CAREFREE LEARNER PREVIEW AND TOUR

Take a private boat tour Tues., Apr 3 at 9am to Roberts Bay Rookery to see and learn about

breeding birds. PLUS learn about the rookery at a wine & cheese slide show presentation on Wed evening Mar 28.

 

Contact Kathryn Young:

[email protected] or 612-760-1771 for RESERVATIONS and for

the presentation location. Cost $27 includes boat tour and wine/cheese/slide show

 

Wednesday Mar 28 & Wednesday Apr 11 (Tour #2): CAREFREE LEARNER PREVIEW AND TOUR

Same as above but Tour # 2 is on Apr 11 at 9am. Your reservation and cost will also include the wine and cheese & slide show presentation on Rookery birds (Mar 28).

 

See our new website www.sarasotaaudubon.org  

for detailed directions to all day trips and activities.

  

 
 

Local Membership

go green 

Please let's go green. Send an email to

[email protected]. We mail 900+ paper copies to our members and only 400+ online. The cost of printing and postage could be put toward our bird friends and their habitat. Plus our eBP has direct links to other sites, some You Tube videos and color photos.

 

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
 

 

In the Field 
 
Ft. De Soto
2/14/12  

Two dozen birders departed this morning for a Valentine's Day trip to Fort De Soto led by Lynn Jakubowicz and Mary Heinlen. Although our trip was targeted at shorebirds and ducks, we saw a lot of other birds as well. On our way to the park, we spotted a Lesser Black- backed Gull on the Skyway Bridge. When we reached De Soto, we started by looking for shorebirds at the eastern and then the northern ends of the park. We saw a variety of shorebirds, including great views of American Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Western Sandpipers, and Wilson's, Black- bellied, Snowy, and Semi-palmated Plovers. The plovers were especially cooperative, lining themselves up together for easy comparison! We were also treated to close up views of Common Loons, and a dancing Reddish Egret. Between East Beach and North Beach we stopped to search for the Lark Sparrow reported recently in the park. We were not successful in finding the sparrow, but we did see some nice warblers, including a couple of Yellow-throated and an exceptionally beautiful bright yellow Pine. We then headed to the duck ponds for the second part of the trip. We saw plenty of ducks, but the bird of the day was definitely the Redhead. The enormous flock of hundreds of Redheads was especially enjoyed by the members of our group for whom this was a life bird. At our picnic lunch later, we tallied up our bird list at 71 species.

 

Mary Heinlen

Redhead 

 

 

Bald Eagle Slide Presentation and Trolly Ride 

2/1 & 2/4/12

Twenty-five members listened to a presentation on Bald Eagles given by Dale Nauman, chairman of our Bald Eagle monitoring program, and Kathryn Young, our stellar Day Trip Coordinator, while they enjoyed wine and cheese at the new SAS office.

The attendees learned facts about eagles, such as mating, breeding, feeding and bringing up young before actually going out to the nests here in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. On Sat., Feb. 4th they visited 4 nests and got to see eaglets in different stages in development.

  
 Adult Eagle Guarding Chick

 

More Publicity about Birding in Sarasota

  

Read Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Tom Lyon's story on the economic impact of great birding opportunities in our area  (including our beloved Celery Fields).

 

 Birders Boost Our Economy here

  
 

 

Be a Volunteer

One of the reasons we are a growing and successful organization is our voluntVolunteers neededeers. SAS is non-profit and volunteer driven. You could be a part of our exciting future. Please share your talents.

 

Contact:

Volunteer Coordinator, Marcy Packer 

[email protected] or 360-0808

 

 

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
 
SAS Sales Table

Check out the variety of items  Mary Heinlen has for sale at our monthly meetings. Martha Straub has again donated her beautiful bead earrings and necklaces - often nature-themed.

All proceeds go to SAS.
 
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.
Penney Rist, Editor
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Get the latest edition of Birding Hot Spots in Sarasota & Manatee Counties. Just $6.00 at monthly monthly meetings and field trips or $7.75 by mail. Send a check to: SAS, PO Box 52132, Sarasota, Fl 34232-0337