Peace River Audubon Society 2005-06 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS:

(941)

White Bird
President Paul Holmes ‘07 833-3337
Vice President Frank Walker ‘07 639-3879
Secretary Mary Ann Hughes ‘06 637-7855
Treasurer Walt Williams ‘07 235-3352

December 2, 2006 Volume 30, Issue 3 Additional Phyllis Cady ‘06 575-4009
Directors: Gregg Klowden ’08 613-6753
Eleanor Marr ‘07 624-4182
Cathy Olson, Editor George Ruby ’08 571-8046
Dan Artman, Dispatcher www.PeaceRiverAudubon.org Jan Walker ‘07 639-3879

December 5 walkabout:
107th Christmas Bird Count
By Tony Licata, CBC Coordinator Ollie’s Pond
Join PRAS members and Charlotte County Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Resources staff on a walk-
On Saturday, December 16, 2006 PRAS volunteers will
about around Ollie’s Pond. Come join us on a tour of
join over 50,000 individuals from all 50 states, Canada
this water retention area located within Port Charlotte.
and parts of Central and South America to count and
This pond is named in memory of Ollie Hewitt, one of
record every bird seen within their count areas. Last
PRAS’s beloved former members. We will likely see
year, over 61 million birds, representing 652 species,
birds typical of pine flatwoods as well as water and
were counted. These data show the winter distribution
wading birds. We hope to see pine, palm and yellow-
of birds which is vital in the monitoring of migratory
rumped warblers, gray catbirds, eastern towhees, east-
and resident birds in the Western Hemisphere.
ern phoebes, American kestrels, downy woodpeckers,
northern flickers, moorhens, mottled ducks, snowy
In 2005, 51 PRAS members saw 40,173 birds of 127
egrets, little blue herons, and more.
species. We saw record numbers of northern cardinals,
gray catbirds, mourning doves, cooper’s hawks, great-
crested flycatchers, brown pelicans, Bachman’s
sparrows, Eastern towhees, willets,
and red-bellied woodpeckers.
President’s Message
by Paul Holmes, PRAS President
Unfortunately, we did not observe
any least bitterns, indigo buntings, Here are a few of the items that have passed over my desk
purple gallinules, American gold- during the last few weeks.
finches, broad-winged hawks,
eastern kingbirds, limpkins or orioles as we have in past One lady called me for advice on getting rid of muscovy
years. Your effort is needed to help find all the birds ducks. Her neighbor feeds a large flock of 30 of these
within our count area. ducks every morning, then goes off to work, leaving the
well fed ducks to be a nuisance for the rest of the day. I did
Please contact me at 941 505-9775 or via email at some research: An adult muscovy duck creates 1/3 lb of
‘Bird Poop,’ every day. A flock of thirty ducks therefore
[email protected] to volunteer. Please remember there
distributes 10 lbs of ‘poop’ per day. When the ducks
is a $5 fee per person that goes to the National Audubon learn to associate people with food, this results in small
Society to compile and analyze the data we collect. children being chased by these large ducks looking for a
handout. They also nest in the most inappropriate places.
Please note there is a change with the
Remember, they are not a Florida native, and have very
February and March field trips (see page 3). few predators, so please don't encourage them.

First, it was the birds getting tangled up in fishing line.

December 13, 2006 General Meeting Then they got lassoed by the plastic rings that hold drink
Lions, Tigers and Bears: Lynn Wittmeier cans in sets of six. Now and it’s hard to believe, I heard of
a Great Blue Heron almost choking to death trying to swal-
low a toy alligator. So please watch what your grand kids
Please join us at our monthly meeting to hear Lynn throw out of the car window; not that any PRAS. mem-
Wittmeier from Lions, Tigers and Bears, a large animal ber’s grandchildren would do that!
rescue and housing facility in Punta Gorda. These large
animals have been taken in by this facility since they (continued on the next page)
had no where else to go.
 President’s message (continued) Environmentally Sensitive Lands
Speaking of litter, I have on my recent visits to the Webb, noticed a Referendum Passes
considerable increase in the amount of litter, mainly beer cans and by Gregg Klowden, Conservation Chair
shotgun shells, which is not a good mix. I have started carrying a
plastic bag with me. It only takes a second to pick up a bit of litter On November 7th, the citizens of Charlotte County spoke and their
and it certainly improves the scenery for the next visitor. message will be heard for generations to come. Charlotte County
now joins 27 out of 67 counties in Florida that have decided it is
A really interesting project has come to my attention: turning worth spending a few dollars each to ensure there are green spaces
Mount Trashmore into The Eagle Encounter. The suggestion, which in our future and to protect our environment by reducing the im-
came from a professor at the Edison College, is that when the pacts of growth on our most special places. Over the next 20 years,
mountain of construction and demolition debris that resulted from 70 million dollars will be spent on the purchase and management
Hurricane Charley, is finally sealed with a covering of topsoil, of numerous environmentally sensitive lands. This is a huge
someone, should stick a few large dead trees, or snags at the top for victory for us and future generations. Many thanks should be
the bald eagles ,which frequent the landfill next door, to perch bestowed upon the Political Action Committee board Valerie
upon. A trail to the top from Zemel Road, would provide exercise Gunther, Ed Freeman, Dave Sumpter, and Perry Cook, the Nature
and a close encounter with these magnificent birds. Let me know if Conservancy and its representative Sue Mullins, and a host of other
you would like to be involved. volunteers, organizers, sponsors, and people who took the time to
vote and without which this success would not have been possible.
I have recently finished a mammoth 100 slide presentation called,
'Birding in Charlotte County'. It covers everything from a bird
feeder through safety and comfort to bird identification. There are
well over 100 pictures of birds, taken by members of our nature Education Committee
photography group and stars many of our members taking part in by Jan Walker, Education Chair
our birding activities.

If you would like to see it, I will show it at the January members The two Girl Scout "Introduction to Birding" sessions have been
meeting after the ‘Christmas Bird Count’ slide show. scheduled and have girls enrolled. Thank you to Bill and Eleanor
Marr, Cathy Olson, Gregg Klowden, and Joan and Chuck Froman
Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. for volunteering to help with the girl scouts.

Family Day at Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC)

will be held on March 10th from 9 A.M. - 3 P.M. as part of
Project Feeder Watch CHEC’s month long 20th anniversary celebration. Since PRAS
was a part of CHEC's beginning, it is appropriate that we are a part
Project Feeder Watch needs your help to keep track of the birds at of this event. We will be needing people to take families on the
your feeders this winter. Count birds as trails and introduce them to birding. If you are available for any
often as two days each week from part of the day, please Email me:
November 11 to April 6. Your counts will [email protected] with the times you will be
help scientists monitor changes in feeder available to help.
bird populations over the entire winter.
New participants receive a kit with a Are you interested in becoming more knowledgeable about our
handbook, a bird-identification poster, environment? We have the opportunity to be part of a Master
calendar, and instruction booklet. For Naturalist program in Southwest Florida. There are classes being
more information or to sign up, please held in Collier County over the next few months. These classes are
visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ or $200.00 per module and there are 3 modules. However, there is an
call (800) 843-2473. opportunity for scholarships through
Southwest Florida Audubon. If you are
not interested in traveling to Collier
County, there may be the potential for
Volunteer of the Month: November 2006 these classes to be held in Charlotte
By Phyllis Cady County sometime next year. This
sounds like an excellent opportunity to
Congratulations and thanks this month go to Dan Artman, who has become more knowledgeable about the
volunteered to be on the White Bird environment in which we live. More
team. Dan will be in charge of distribution of information about the Master Naturalist
the White Bird. His job will include picking program can be found at http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu
up the newsletter from the printer, organizing and more information about the upcoming classes will be
the membership lists to comply with the published as it becomes available. If you're interested in
mailing guidelines, printing and applying the participating or would like more information email me:
labels, and taking the news- letter to the post [email protected].
office. That sounds like quite a job, so
thanks for all your hard work, Dan.
 PRAS Walkabouts Fort Myers Beach Field Trip Report by Jan Walker
• December 5 (Tues): Ollie’s Pond
• January 2 (Tues): Audubon-Pennington Park A group of ten people, led by Jan and Frank Walker, trekked
• February 6 (Tues): Oyster Creek Environmental Park south on Saturday November 18 for a birding adventure in
• March 6 (Tues): Hathaway Park Fort Myers Beach. Our day started as two wood storks flew
• April 3 (Tues): Amberjack Environmental Park over us as we waited to leave the parking lot in Punta Gorda.
• May 1 (Tues): Charlotte Flatwoods Environmental Park Once in Fort Myers Beach, we were rewarded with wonderful
weather and a variety of wildlife in a relatively small area.
*Meet at the entrance at 8 AM *
It was a good day; we identi-
fied 39 species of birds and
PRAS Field Trips three butterfly species. Some
of the avian highlights
• December 16 (Sat): Christmas Bird Count included roseate spoonbills,
• January 20 (Sat): Prairie Pines Preserve * South American oystercatchers, a
(limit 15 People, contact [email protected] to sign up) reddish egret and an immature
• February 17 (Sat) Stormwater Treatment area *East red-shouldered hawk which
Hendry County stumped us for quite a while.
• March 17 (Sat): Babcock–Webb Wildlife Management Area. A good variety of waders,
Meet by pay station (Tuckers Grade: I-75 Exit 158, shorebirds, and other familiar
head 1/4 mile east). species were seen. The
• April 21 (Sat): Fort Desoto Park *North photographers among us were
• May 19 (Sat): Myakka River State Park *North able to get in some great close-
ups of birds in the lagoon.
*Meet at designated place (*see below)
at 7 AM unless otherwise noted As a bonus we were able to wander among some absolutely
amazing sandcas-
tles that were part
PRAS Nature Photography Trips of a competition
and festival from
January 9 (Tues): Sarasota Jungle Gardens *North
the previous
March 13 (Tues): Koreshan State Park *South
weekend.
April 10 (Tues) Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center
*South
Meet at designated place (*see below) at 7 AM

PRAS Field Trip / Photography Meeting Sites

North: Parking lot behind McDonalds at Peachland Mall near Do you have an announcement or story that you
I-75 & Kings Highway in Port Charlotte (24133 Peachland Blvd). would like to share? Please contact the editor at
941 613-6753 or [email protected]
South: Sweetbay parking lot on US 41 south of the Burnt Store
Road Intersection in Punta Gorda (10175 Tamiami Trail).

East: Winn-Dixie parking lot on US 17 east of Punta Gorda

(27680 Bermont Road).
November Walkabout at Tippecanoe
Environmental Park by Paul Holmes
PRAS General Meetings
A small group of dedicated birders attended the Tippecanoe
• December 13 (Wed): Lions, Tigers and Bears, walkabout despite the rainy weather. The rain did not appear to
Lynn Wittmeier affect the birds, particularly the Tippecanoe regulars; Florida
• January 17 (Wed):Christmas Bird Count results scrub-jays and woodpeckers. At one point we must have seen at
• February 21 (Wed): Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, least a dozen scrub-jays most of whom could be seen without
Brooke George binoculars.
• March 21 (Wed): Annual Banquet
• April 18 (Wed): Babcock Ranch, Mark Renz I look forward to the next walkabout at Ollie’s Pond. This will
• May 16 (Wed): Annual meeting where members be a great opportunity for members who have not had the oppor-
share photographs tunity to bird with us. The path at Ollie’s Pond is level and
smooth and you are never more than a few minutes from your
General member meetings are held from 6:30– 9:00 pm in car. This will be a trip for those of us who are older and get
the Palm Room of Charlotte County Cultural Center (2280 tired. We should be lucky and get to see some great birds!
Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL).
 The Peace River Audubon Society Non-profit Organization
PO Box 510760 U.S. Postage Paid
Punta Gorda, FL 33951-0760 Punta Gorda, FL
Permit No. 100

Check the “Exp” date on your address label!

“0407” means your PRAS and/or National membership expires
April 2007. To save the cost of sending reminders, please use
the application below to renew your membership. If you have
questions please call Phyllis Cady at 575-4009 or send an email
to: [email protected]

December 2006
White Bird

Printed on Recycled Paper

C & R Graphics (folding donated)

The Peace River Audubon Society is a 501 ( c )(3) non-profit organization. Our Federal tax ID number is 59-2190872. We do not engage a professional solicitor and 100% of the
funds generated by this request will be used to support our Chapter programs. Our registration number with the FDA Division of Consumer Services is SC-040701.

Electronic White Bird: If you would like to receive the White Bird via e-mail, please send a request to : [email protected]

Bird of the Month ABA Birding Etiquette:

Group Birding Part 2
The Great Horned Owl is one of the most The sex of this
common and largest owls in North America. owl can be deter- 1. Keep groups small enough so that you are not
They commonly prey on large species mined by listen- impacting the environment or scaring the birds.
including nestling raptors and skunks. ing to the pair call 2. Respect the individuals in the group who may
to one another. have different abilities. Pass on your knowl-
Great Horned Owls often nest in old or The smaller male edge of birds and birding areas.
usurped bald eagle nests. In our area they are still has a deeper call 3. Follow all rules where you are birding (i.e. stay
quite common and can even be seen and heard from than the larger on marked trails).
Kings Highway! female.

---- ------------ ---------- ----------- ---------- ----------- --------------- --------------- ---------------- ----------------

Peace River Audubon Family Membership Application / Renewal

Join us to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, & the wildlife we love...help us protect Florida. Members
receive the “White Bird” newsletter with local news articles, local meetings, field trips, bird walks, & special events.
Name: ______________________________________ Visit our web site:
Organization: ________________________________ www.PeaceRiverAudubon.org
Address: ___________________________________E14-7XCH
City, State, Zip: ______________________________
Phone: ( )_______________________ E-mail: __________________
MAIL $10 CHECK WITH THIS FORM DIRECTLY To:
PRAS, PO box 510760, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-0760
To join National Audubon: send the form above and a $20 check to National Audubon Society, Membership Data Center, P.O.
Box 51003, Boulder, CO 80323-1003. You will receive the White Bird and 6 bi-monthly issues of “Audubon” magazine and
discounted admission to Audubon Centers across the USA.