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November 12 Meeting:
Birding in England:


Barry Rossheim and Paul Jackson present bird watching from English and American perspectives.

 

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

 

First Congregational Church Fellowship Hall

1031 South Euclid Ave., Sarasota.  

 

Sarasota Middle School at the Celery Fields

 

Amazing! On Saturday, September 15, 222 Sarasota Middle School students rallied in what seemed like an invasion at the Palmer Blvd. Celery Fields for the 2012 Keep Sarasota County Beautiful Clean Up. Fearless volunteers climbed, trudged, hiked, and sweated in the rugged terrain collecting unwanted trash and rubbish in the beautiful 400+ acre nature preserve. The resounding roars from the lions at the nearby Big Cat Habitat gave this year's clean up a true feeling of Sarasota Middle School "Panther Pride."

  Kids and cf hill

The school is hoping to make this an annual event on the same day as the Coastal Clean Up.

  Kids at gazebo

Thanks to Marti Watson for organizing the 222 students, 83 parents and 5 teachers.

 

Bird Watchers Flock to Sarasota

The annual Audubon of Florida Assembly was held at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota on October 26 & 27. More than 350 birders and conservationists from 44 Florida chapters attended. The event was produced by Audubon Florida, but as the host chapter, Sarasota Audubon pulled all the stops out to welcome people from around the state. SAS organized field trips, helped people with directions to our best birding places, restaurants and shops, and mustered 27 students from 9 colleges, matching them with mentors for a day of conservation learning.

Aud assembly students
Students from 9 Florida colleges
At the Friday banquet, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar gave a speech after being honored with an Audubon Florida award for the department's work on establishing a new wildlife 

refuge: The North Everglades NWR. Also honored were Julie Morris, VP for Academic

Affairs at New College, for her stellar work in conservation, and Commissioner Jon Thaxton for his work on establishing Oscar Scherer State Park as a haven for Florida Scrub-Jays. The keynote speaker, journalist and author Cynthia Barnett, spoke about the ethos of water conservation inspiring us all to do more to conserve water.

 

Thanks to Visit Sarasota County for being a gold sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included Disney, the Pew Environment Group, FPL, VHB and Mosaic.

 

Jeanne Dubi 

 

  

  

 

Vote for the Environment
 

When you read this, many of you will have already voted. If not, please do so no later than November 6 (put it on your calendar). We all have multiple issues that are important, but I hope one of those issues that decides who and what get your vote is conservation of our natural environment and the birds and other wildlife that depend on it.

 

You know that as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, Audubon cannot endorse candidates or political parties. You probably already know which of the major candidates are pro-environment, but good places to check your views are the League of Conservation Voters (www.lcv.org) and Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org/endorsements), neither of which is restricted in their endorsements by tax status. Local environmentalists may also have opinions on less-known candidates.

 

Unlike two years ago, there are no specifically environmental amendments to the State constitution (all of which were put on the ballot by the Florida legislature) or to the Sarasota county or city charters this year. However, several of the confusing, sometimes mislabeled and lengthy amendments to the State constitution could harm the natural environment by severely cutting income to local governments which might otherwise go for environmental purposes.

 

Since some of those amendments also repeal basic liberties (#6), harm judicial independence (#5), or threaten public school funding and church-state separation (#8). Reputable organizations like the League of Women Voters and the local Better Government Association have urged that you vote NO on all eleven of them. The Sarasota Herald Tribune joined the NO recommendation on all but # 10 (personal property tax exemption for businesses) and either yes or no on # 9 (homestead tax exemption for surviving spouse of slain military and first responders).

 

Conservation Isn't (or shouldn't be) Partisan

 

Concerned that many conservative candidates and voters seem to be adopting an anti-environment stance, the National Audubon Society has joined with ConservAmerica, a national grass-roots organization of conservation-minded Republicans and some others to form the American Eagle Compact. The Compact's purpose is to try to take the politics out of environmental protection and return preservation of our wilderness lands, waterways and wildlife to its original roots as a unifying, rather than divisive, force in America. David Yarnold, President of the National Audubon Society, had a recent op-ed article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune describing this endeavor. We should give that initiative our support and encouragement.

 

Wade Matthews 

Conservation Chair



Sales Table
 

Mary Heinlen still has some 2013 Audubon Songbirds Calendars left. The price is right at $10 - compared to $13 retail.

 

A Manfrotto camera tripod is priced at $30. It was purchased for $60 and is in excellent conditio

 

Sad News

 

We are very sorry to hear from Bob Zimmer that his wife, Mary, passed away August 27 in Jamesville, NY. Mary was a lovely, talented woman who (with Bob) was a great and longtime friend to SAS. She will be greatly missed.

 

We hope we see Bob on his return to Sarasota after the New Year.

Wood Carvings for Sale at November Meeting

 

Our resident wood carver, Stu Hills, will sell 25 of his own woodcarvings at the November 12th program meeting.

 

All proceeds will be donated to support the Sarasota Audubon Celery Fields Explorer program for children.

Stu specializes in delightful bird carvings. These would make lovely holiday gifts.

Holiday Lunch

  Holly

Our popular SAS Holiday Lunch is December 12. It will start at 11:45 at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. Meet at the breezeway between the restaurant and the banquet facilities. Cost $25. Reservations required,

 

This is always a fun event. Call Julie Byrne at 379-3882 for information.

Local Membership

  

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.

 

For only $20 a year for local membership, you help underwrite our printing, postage, and meeting place expenses. You can renew online at our website click here  or see me at the general meeting.

 

Lynn Jakubowicz, Membership Chair
 

 

Birding Hot Spots in Sarasota & Manatee Counties.

Just $6.00 at monthly meetings and field trips or $7.75 by mail. Send a check to: SAS, PO Box 52132, Sarasota, Fl 34232-0337.

Also, available at the Sarasota Visitors Center, Book Store 1 Sarasota, Selby Gardens, Environeers, and Myakka River State Park. 
  
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
 
Penney Rist, Editor
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Click Through This Issue!
:: November Meeting: Birding in England
:: SMS st Celery Fields
:: A of FL Assembly in Sarasota
:: Conservation Report
:: SAS Sales Table
:: Sad News
:: Wood carvings for Sale
:: Holiday Lunch
:: Upcoming Events
:: CF Bird Naturalists
:: Bird Surveys
:: In the Field

 

Now you can just click on our Brown Pelican header to go to our website. 

 
Upcoming Events

  

November 1, 8 ,15, 22 & 29 at OSCAR SCHERER STATE PARK 

Every Thursday, October through April. 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). Park opens at 8am. Call Joyce with questions (508-737-8954)

 

Saturday, Nov. 3: SIESTA KEY SHOREBIRDS Find resident and migrant shorebirds on Siesta Key. Meet at SK Public Beach parking lot (near pavilion) at 7:30am. Leaders Mary Heinlen (346-3335) and Claire Herzog.

Short-billed dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher: R. Greenspun 

Sunday, Nov. 11: PLANT WALK at CELERY FIELDS 

Russ Hoffman of Beautiful Ponds will help us ID aquatic plants and show us their beneficial uses in our own backyards and association ponds and help filter water that enters Sarasota Bay. Meet at Celery Fields gazebo at 9am.

Contact [email protected] for more details.

 

Saturday Nov. 17: LONGBOAT KEY SHOREBIRDS 

Find resident and migrant shorebirds. Meet at Broadway Beach access on north end of Longboat at 8am. Leader Stu Wilson (512-897-8341)

 

Monday Nov 19: NORTH LIDO BEACH & WOODS

Find resident and migrant shorebirds and woodland birds in the newly restored North Lido Woods. Meet at the end of John Ringling Blvd. in the small parking lot before the road curves and becomes Ben Franklin Dr. at 8am. Leaders Marc Hayman and Kathryn Young (612-760-1771)

Sandwich terns
Sandwich Terns: R. Greenspun

Sunday Nov. 25: SIESTA KEY SHOREBIRDS

Find resident and migrant shorebirds on Siesta Key. Meet at SK Public Beach parking lot (near pavilion) at 7:30am. Leaders Rick Greenspun and Kathryn Young (612-760-1771)

 

Monday, Nov. 26: 4th MONDAY BIRD WALK CLUB 

Joyce Leary (508-737-8954) leads a bird walk on the 4th Monday Oct- Mar at the Celery Fields. Meet at the gazebo (corner of Palmer & Raymond Rd) at 8am

 

Tuesday, Dec. 4: CELERY FIELDS CLEAN UP 

Meet at the gazebo (Palmer & Raymond Rds.) at 8am

 

Wednesday, Dec. 5: 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

 

See our website www.sarasotaaudubon.org 

for all day trips and activities.

  

 
Am bittern
American Bittern:
Barry Rossheim
Join Us for Our New Birding Program

Sarasota Audubon's CELERY FIELDS BIRD NATURALIST PROGRAM runs 8:30-10:30 AM daily November 1 through May.

 

Bird Naturalists will be stationed at the far end of the Boardwalk to help identify native and migrating birds to you and visitors, enriching your Celery Fields experience. Free.

 

Location: Celery Fields at the Palmer Blvd Boardwalk on the south side of Palmer Blvd near Raymond Rd.' Parking is adjacent to the gazebo.

  
Bird Surveys
  

SAS volunteers under leader, Lynn Jakubowicz, are recording bird species and numbers of birds every month at Rothenbach Park and North Lido Key Beach and Woods.

 

The information gathered is valuable to Sarasota County Parks. This is a 2 year project. Previous parks SAS has surveyed for the county are Red Bug Slough and Urfer Family Park.

 

New volunteers are welcome. Whether you are an experienced or beginning birder, your help and interest are appreciated.

 

The second Thursday of each month is Rothenbach Park survey and the third Thursday is Lido Key.

 

Contact Lynn Jakubowicz (364-9212) for more

information.

Lido Key Survey
Lynn Jakubowicz, Jody Allen, Penney Rist & Martha Straub on Lido Beach

 

 

Be a Volunteer

One of the reasons we are a growing and successful organization is our volunteer base. SOSSAS 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

 

 

In the Field

 

Oct. 5 : N. Lido Beach Park

 

Jeanne Dubi and Stu Hills led a butterfly walk at this almost hidden county park, recently reconfigured to create a narrow stream meandering thru the park.

 

Among the highlights were sightings of both the Common and Mangrove Buckeye. Gulf Fritillaries were everywhere. Zebra Heliconian, Polydamus, Palamedes, and Black Swallowtails also appeared. In addition, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers in love, an Eastern Wood-Pewee migrant, and a Bald Eagle soaring overhead added to the enjoyment on a beautiful morning.

 

Stu Hills

 

Palamedes butterfly
Palamedes Swallowtail

Oct. 6: Pinecraft Park

 

Edith Miller led 22 people on a 2 hour bird walk in this hidden gem. They chalked up 24 species.

 

America Redstarts, 3 Barred Owls, 3 White-eyed Vireos, a male Rose- breasted Grosbeak, a Prairie Warbler, a Black-throated Blue Warbler, a Black and White Warbler, a Scarlet Tanager and one Palm Warbler were the highlights.

 

 

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