tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92180615877243145652023-11-16T06:37:22.321-08:00St. Johns Audubon SocietyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-28197243169890051442015-02-16T09:19:00.001-08:002015-02-16T09:22:31.026-08:00Great Backyard Bird Count<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicxs9s8uAWOlqdtmYlH2GtsgI_INJ5TwTV_Jzy9fzgahOHLH1gfiEM-W5J2yemXMnkxZXJ3QPbV6U3-jcIPlSf-TGr19LW5EQ__Nh24Koi-hmb4xEaWvrXqSRFvorExpGkg2Abjdq-aQ/s1600/my+pond+male+wood+duck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicxs9s8uAWOlqdtmYlH2GtsgI_INJ5TwTV_Jzy9fzgahOHLH1gfiEM-W5J2yemXMnkxZXJ3QPbV6U3-jcIPlSf-TGr19LW5EQ__Nh24Koi-hmb4xEaWvrXqSRFvorExpGkg2Abjdq-aQ/s1600/my+pond+male+wood+duck.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(wood duck in back yard retention pond)</span></b></div>
<br />
Today is the last day for the 2015 <a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a>. This is an annual joint project between Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. As the website says:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National
Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online
citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display
results in near real-time.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Since then, more than 100,000 people of all ages and walks of life
have joined the four-day count each February to create an annual
snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFrzVMb6xaTkViQd1T25imogODqQP5tNxmuxk0OuttssdV0F2p3Z1kiG5dPUOYXMvDg-cf0ihHd6T8LjR72X8po5t1QQZgm41bPPzg2aLUqi0tZqu5I3LNrWXP8GJKX_NlG0ZTCAdglo/s1600/04+loggerhead+shrike+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFrzVMb6xaTkViQd1T25imogODqQP5tNxmuxk0OuttssdV0F2p3Z1kiG5dPUOYXMvDg-cf0ihHd6T8LjR72X8po5t1QQZgm41bPPzg2aLUqi0tZqu5I3LNrWXP8GJKX_NlG0ZTCAdglo/s1600/04+loggerhead+shrike+2.JPG" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Loggerhead shrike at the local shopping center)</span></b></div>
<br />
All you need is 15 minutes of your time! Anyone can do it - and it needn't be in your yard. You can watch birds at home, at school, at the park, at the local shopping center. Thousands of reports have been submitted already just since this past Friday. Today is the last chance for 2015 so get out and look at birds today. If today doesn't work for you then set your sights on 2016 and we'll do it again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-39951422288292954212013-10-15T07:22:00.000-07:002013-10-15T07:22:19.426-07:00October October is a wonderful time of year for birding here in Northeast Florida. Some of our summer birds are still lingering. Some of our winter birds are starting to arrive. Migratory birds are passing through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwjXFGhHpL3zzrbyCrPyMBpSIFp8Tf_FZL1SqLHtcasVoHuV_JNXEkghGsyvWVJdu2R8M2cQx2TgEsllayWrnzywMvi2Ww0Mp4vrWX6GwaUIDOuBFnzgIx-VsCMVUwKEHmdJJpICpJXE/s1600/Fort+Mose+-+painted+bunting+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwjXFGhHpL3zzrbyCrPyMBpSIFp8Tf_FZL1SqLHtcasVoHuV_JNXEkghGsyvWVJdu2R8M2cQx2TgEsllayWrnzywMvi2Ww0Mp4vrWX6GwaUIDOuBFnzgIx-VsCMVUwKEHmdJJpICpJXE/s320/Fort+Mose+-+painted+bunting+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">painted bunting</span></b></div>
<br />
So what birds have you been seeing in the last weeks? Palm warblers and eastern phoebes have begun to show up. In the last couple days I've had a painted bunting and an indigo bunting at my feeders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tP7YiC9NKCgdFwVyahBmdFla45JAUxWeOe8ldtFvS5ltPPb4nu4iZsWNCPVwBje1YU1DUVHQ8SINtC5JbJ7nMpUEtmuOhi9d0M5aUsFAZ-U5udnx0Bg3uFPL08u2p9xH6KrSzDGdM2Y/s1600/palm+warbler+2-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tP7YiC9NKCgdFwVyahBmdFla45JAUxWeOe8ldtFvS5ltPPb4nu4iZsWNCPVwBje1YU1DUVHQ8SINtC5JbJ7nMpUEtmuOhi9d0M5aUsFAZ-U5udnx0Bg3uFPL08u2p9xH6KrSzDGdM2Y/s320/palm+warbler+2-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">palm warbler</span></b></div>
<br />
Warblers are certainly in abundance right now too. If you feel uncomfortable with your warbler skills it's a great time to join a group bird walk. More birds always seem to get spotted where there are many eyes looking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQf9REHuGuv5c-ceNXnQ1ib8HaG24yjCyYvVJlzxccGZ_cEPUX_7U1EWkTxg83Ivv4MSgBrIw9v6uOnPLZuNpZNf-YPXUamsKqLrmfZXWKcamjoRFuLoNdP4xXyCUlX2ztbQkNeoFHmw/s1600/phoebe+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQf9REHuGuv5c-ceNXnQ1ib8HaG24yjCyYvVJlzxccGZ_cEPUX_7U1EWkTxg83Ivv4MSgBrIw9v6uOnPLZuNpZNf-YPXUamsKqLrmfZXWKcamjoRFuLoNdP4xXyCUlX2ztbQkNeoFHmw/s320/phoebe+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">eastern phoebe</span></b></div>
<br />
St. Johns Audubon is currently going through a reorganization and we have no bird walks or field trips scheduled at present. But there are always other options.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.duvalaudubon.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=37&Itemid=67" target="_blank">Duval Audubon</a> has a full slate of trips scheduled.<br />
<br />
Volunteer <a href="mailto:arlissryan@comcast.net" target="_blank">Arliss Ryan </a>leads monthly walks at Fort Mose and Anastasia State Park. Contact her to get on her mailing list of when the walks are scheduled as it varies from month to month depending on the tides. Note that her Fort Mose walk for October is this Sunday, October 20, at 9 AM.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flagleraudubonsociety.org/monthly-bird-walk-schedule" target="_blank">Flager Audubon</a> also has some walks scheduled.<br />
<br />
So get out there and brush up on your birding skills. Enjoy this perfect time of the year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-28213039487356922122013-05-28T16:57:00.000-07:002013-05-28T17:05:19.775-07:00Audubon volunteering activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichkqNoXVySg2QQaF4YUiEhxaP_8o-9nG5EZvWUj_31hTQxNuOyAkh5fs_Q0fJN6ltdeVL5VBDduzR2MpgcOpG22nEEUjYUwHbWnR_cM_26WrQZqv_Ah8zasOHZ0gqE2XKC60occC8mxc/s1600/Least+Tern+returning+to+her+nest.+How+many+eggs+do+you+see.+Porpoise+Point+may+25+2013.+Photo+Monique+Borboen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichkqNoXVySg2QQaF4YUiEhxaP_8o-9nG5EZvWUj_31hTQxNuOyAkh5fs_Q0fJN6ltdeVL5VBDduzR2MpgcOpG22nEEUjYUwHbWnR_cM_26WrQZqv_Ah8zasOHZ0gqE2XKC60occC8mxc/s320/Least+Tern+returning+to+her+nest.+How+many+eggs+do+you+see.+Porpoise+Point+may+25+2013.+Photo+Monique+Borboen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Dear
Auduboners, the birds you care about need your help! Spend a few hours
on the beach and give a better chance of survival to some Least Tern and
Wilson’s Plover chicks!<u></u><u></u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
is this time of the year again: nesting time for Least Terns and other
beach-nesting birds. And our County, once again, looks like it will be
home to the highest number of beach-nesting
Least Terns on all of Florida’s East Coast! We currently have Least
Terns nesting at Porpoise Point, Anastasia State Park and Summer Haven.
Wilson’s Plovers are nesting at Anastasia State Park, Fort Matanzas
National Monument and Summer Haven, and they already
have chicks running around. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With
these good news of the nesting comes the responsibility of having the
birds protected, and with three Least Tern colonies active
simultaneously,
<b><i>we are in need of bird steward help</i></b>. Bird stewards are
volunteers posted by a nesting colony; they mostly do outreach – showing
the hard to see birds to beach goers and sharing conservation concerns
about beach-nesting birds - and they help prevent
disturbances that could be fatal to the eggs and chicks like dogs or
people walking through the protected area.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Over
Memorial weekend, stewards were posted at all sites and their reports
show how much people appreciated learning about the birds and how they
prevented several problems to occur. Last year,
high school students joined the bird steward program as part of a
community project, and they felt so rewarded helping the birds, that
several of them are back this year, bird stewarding the terns at
Anastasia!
<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
bird steward program is organized in partnership with all the land
managers (State Park, National Park Service, GTM NERR and St. Johns
County), with FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission), and their law enforcement staff.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Please consider joining us for a shift or more protecting the Least Terns on the beach. To volunteer please email us here at stjohnsaudubonsociety@gmail.com and we will forward your email to the appropriate person. <b>Thank you in advance, even a few hours of your time will help!</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-2377655585175104522013-05-28T09:42:00.001-07:002013-05-28T09:46:12.995-07:00Anastasia recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvJVdsYj1GpuetYyOpI9YuFRBG4HgvYYLUcnv0DadkxCyvYh5BlKPobUuCNKt3roWS1lSRb4NFVHxF86vOyvFh2HQluuqpGg-B6GGw6rrm3eRwmTAJpzYJVOCuhLdMCbf-I9N4AK118A/s1600/00+Anastasia+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvJVdsYj1GpuetYyOpI9YuFRBG4HgvYYLUcnv0DadkxCyvYh5BlKPobUuCNKt3roWS1lSRb4NFVHxF86vOyvFh2HQluuqpGg-B6GGw6rrm3eRwmTAJpzYJVOCuhLdMCbf-I9N4AK118A/s320/00+Anastasia+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anastasia has long been one of my favorite parks since I began exploring them 1 1/2 years ago when I moved to Florida. Miles of pristine ocean beaches, dunes, salt marshes, wooded areas - it has all my favorite things. And of course lots of birds!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufdHNWBGDm0L2pb3f8EemPpJObcpQNh0wQGt1BUf-vlgA49z9jGCj0eZ07k5ybNZmhsR46V1CtgsranfJ0nGd8_JVSRrSlMWcy0Rt4t61S5j8vvt8nfS1VriUb_DnAo5-yhcp78KMf1s/s1600/01+P1050580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufdHNWBGDm0L2pb3f8EemPpJObcpQNh0wQGt1BUf-vlgA49z9jGCj0eZ07k5ybNZmhsR46V1CtgsranfJ0nGd8_JVSRrSlMWcy0Rt4t61S5j8vvt8nfS1VriUb_DnAo5-yhcp78KMf1s/s320/01+P1050580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And many other species as well, as Audubon members and guests learned at our last meeting, when park ranger Drew Turner came to speak to us about threatened and endangered species like the beach mouse and the gopher tortoise, though his talk, and the following Q&A session, ranged over many other species as well like the raccoons, coyotes, sea turtles, nesting shorebirds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5psruJStLgrfXcRNfHlps9Eqoys3WnOW7KxMpJh6DGTrNEkkpZJVm2dfew5LjdaxnutGz4Av7oKww2MnXBI-y8uGiOlRZMFxc33i08bd94UgRPrQzpAia5It6PBQ48ws9k-h9UJ2veyQ/s1600/02+Anastasia+people+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5psruJStLgrfXcRNfHlps9Eqoys3WnOW7KxMpJh6DGTrNEkkpZJVm2dfew5LjdaxnutGz4Av7oKww2MnXBI-y8uGiOlRZMFxc33i08bd94UgRPrQzpAia5It6PBQ48ws9k-h9UJ2veyQ/s320/02+Anastasia+people+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But the beach is certainly a primary draw of the park. We had nine people show up for our last walk of the season, some who had been at Drew Turner's presentation, some fairly new to birding and just starting to develop an interest. We got there early enough to be ahead of the holiday crowds, and started out with a long walk along the beach.<br />
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<br />
Not only birds caught our eye, but other creatures like this crab scuttling across the sand as well, but among the bird sightings we saw a snowy egret fishing in the surf! Several least terns flew overhead, and we talked about the terns nesting, and the marked nesting areas in the dunes, and the importance of staying away from the areas so as not to disturb the nesting colonies.<br />
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<br />
Then we walked back over the long boardwalk across the dunes, and back to the wooded areas near the picnic grounds, and along the road past marsh and fields,<br />
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<br />
As far as sheer numbers go we all agreed that the brown pelican was the "bird of the day" - as we saw them by the dozens! Ungainly, yet graceful in flight, they few constantly along the water's edge in flocks of varying sizes.<br />
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<br />
By the time we finished up at noon the parking lot was fast filling up, and there was a bumper-to-bumper line of cars waiting to get into the park at the ranger station. But by that time we had already had a full morning. And here is a list of the species we saw on the walk. I hope to catch some of you again in the fall!<br />
<br />
Mallard (Domestic type)<br />
Mottled Duck<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Great Blue Heron<br />
Great Egret<br />
Snowy Egret<br />
Little Blue Heron<br />
Tricolored Heron<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Red-shouldered Hawk<br />
Clapper Rail (multiples heard, but not seen)<br />
Ruddy Turnstone<br />
Sanderling<br />
Laughing Gull<br />
Least Tern<br />
Royal Tern<br />
Black Skimmer<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Merlin (a rarity, but the group best guess based on field marks seen)<br />
crow sp.<br />
Tufted Titmouse<br />
Carolina Wren<br />
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged BlackbirdAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-3650797230137434442013-05-18T16:31:00.000-07:002013-05-18T16:31:26.277-07:00Anastasia - Chapter Meeting and Field Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMCx0BexKsPM7Fro3pfhpl68a0j7xQZJvZ8Yn-zTt84JKOasnTTmkzkeC-X54OM7U7KRefxnCtWEIPxxSKo2FDmgHoFq48Skf2wYvZI5BXqOx6W95_n6hOhHmAC91nqasfy9SA-XSKVQ/s1600/A04+GB+Heron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMCx0BexKsPM7Fro3pfhpl68a0j7xQZJvZ8Yn-zTt84JKOasnTTmkzkeC-X54OM7U7KRefxnCtWEIPxxSKo2FDmgHoFq48Skf2wYvZI5BXqOx6W95_n6hOhHmAC91nqasfy9SA-XSKVQ/s320/A04+GB+Heron.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>What: <u>St. Johns Audubon Chapter Meeting</u></b></div>
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<b>When: Monday, May 20</b></div>
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<b>Where: St. Augustine Public Library</b></div>
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<b>Time: 6:15 PM for presentation, 6:00 PM for social time</b></div>
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<b>What: <u>Field Trip</u></b></div>
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<b>When: Saturday, May 25</b></div>
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<b>Where: Anastasia State Park, meet at the concession stand</b></div>
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<b>Time: 9 AM to 12 noon</b></div>
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We hope you'll turn out this Monday night for our last Audubon Chapter Meeting before the summer. <span style="font-family: inherit;">As
you know, last year, Anastasia State Park hosted a colony of Least
Terns and they are back this year. But the park is also home to other
imperiled species. Cristy Leonard, park specialist
and a ranger will be presenting about the <b>Wildlife Treasures of Anastasia State Park</b> at the St. Johns Audubon program meeting this
<b>Monday May 20<sup>th</sup> at the Main Library</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">1960 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd, St. Augustine.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They
will talk about the Anastasia Island beach mouse, an endemic species
found nowhere else in the world and listed as endangered at the federal
level., as well
as about Gopher Tortoises, a Florida threatened species, so important
to our coastal ecosystems that we have to forgive them for eating a
Least Tern egg here and then…<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The program is free and
open to all, please help pass the word around.</span></span></div>
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In conjunction with this talk we will be having a field trip to Anastasia on Saturday the 25th. Meet at 9 AM at the concession stand. We may catch site of a gopher tortoise or two, and hope to see some of the many birds that make Anastasia their home or breeding ground. It's Memorial Day weekend but we should be there ahead of the crowds! We hope to see you then.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-74900746554765510332013-05-14T13:33:00.000-07:002013-05-14T13:33:28.449-07:00Alpine Groves Nature Walk recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxFfJaWq-8zmKxVeqdOf94ZYqgXjyNP0-Z5vwpz1Xb0GV6W1BIxrWdpKE_avhi0FYOwTmichW2HUPZH8UgEq3Nir8XnhHEOyJdcSiMMiC7pTluGd1LEOd1ARKXP7vtOWUqDNWDcU9lL4/s1600/00+Alpine+Groves+path.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxFfJaWq-8zmKxVeqdOf94ZYqgXjyNP0-Z5vwpz1Xb0GV6W1BIxrWdpKE_avhi0FYOwTmichW2HUPZH8UgEq3Nir8XnhHEOyJdcSiMMiC7pTluGd1LEOd1ARKXP7vtOWUqDNWDcU9lL4/s320/00+Alpine+Groves+path.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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One never knows what Mother Nature will have in store for us in May, so how nice that she smiled this morning for our nature walk at Alpine Groves. It was a glorious 60 degrees and there was a tang in the air that invigorated. The sun was shining, and dappling along the pathways through the trees.<br />
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Alas, however, not one single person showed up for the nature walk! What a shame. They really missed a perfect morning for being out of doors in the crisp fresh air. No other birders showed up, but there were mothers with babies in strollers, and dog walkers, and other folks taking advantage of the excellent day.<br />
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As a birding day the count was light, but would undoubtedly have been higher if I was better at birding by ear, or getting better glimpses of little feathered creatures flitting high up in the canopy. Birding is often about "the one that got away" and by sight or by ear I'm sure I missed at least 4-6 additional species. If only someone else had been with me to help...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjnVu33pS1y2nLVWlq5KZBz1pa0jkAceNnwtoTXyeALcRpAcCgqh0CtMFFm599hYa6bnDwCw-t8luWZhiLneT_8OG6X8ft9PQGmV-BSaIyehnufT1z_jZ59DgQRPmT4QPYOpCdpBe-m0/s1600/03+Alpine+Groves+spotted+sandpiper+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjnVu33pS1y2nLVWlq5KZBz1pa0jkAceNnwtoTXyeALcRpAcCgqh0CtMFFm599hYa6bnDwCw-t8luWZhiLneT_8OG6X8ft9PQGmV-BSaIyehnufT1z_jZ59DgQRPmT4QPYOpCdpBe-m0/s320/03+Alpine+Groves+spotted+sandpiper+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But I did have good sights like the spotted sandpiper, a first for me at Alpine Groves. And I could not have asked for a better day to be there. However it was also a quiet day, with no raptors soaring overhead, no wading birds dotting the shores of the river.<br />
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Audubon Magazine recently featured an article on people now chasing dragonflies and damselflies as many of us chase birds. To be honest - bugs are not my thing! Give me the feathered friends every day. But if you are one of the dragonfly hunters here's one you can try to ID for us.<br />
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In the meantime, this is the list of birds I saw or heard this morning:<br />
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Spotted Sandpiper<br />
Royal Tern<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Red-bellied Woodpecker<br />
Downy Woodpecker<br />
Pileated Woodpecker<br />
Blue Jay<br />
Carolina Chickadee<br />
Tufted Titmouse<br />
Carolina Wren<br />
Northern Parula<br />
Pine Warbler<br />
Yellow-throated Warbler<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged BlackbirdAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-18177051891408060592013-05-13T08:21:00.001-07:002013-05-13T08:21:41.685-07:00Alpine Groves Nature Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeCyNsOMs2dFBWyCQ9CmQs6RZyNUYcLuWZM_h9nwzMDFrOPhZBCkbz-BbhlN0R8YTqx6XWd0j21MyBURONDy2Eu3T_Vw9izKeSnQfPEdNFNERU4yJFxsoN1c5-J-oc1pkeoJRGmSoJzQ/s1600/00+St+Johns+River+from+Alpine+Groves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeCyNsOMs2dFBWyCQ9CmQs6RZyNUYcLuWZM_h9nwzMDFrOPhZBCkbz-BbhlN0R8YTqx6XWd0j21MyBURONDy2Eu3T_Vw9izKeSnQfPEdNFNERU4yJFxsoN1c5-J-oc1pkeoJRGmSoJzQ/s320/00+St+Johns+River+from+Alpine+Groves.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Where: <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2060+State+Road+13+Switzerland,+Florida&hl=en&ll=30.077413,-81.650691&spn=0.009266,0.018368&sll=27.698638,-83.804601&sspn=9.698235,18.808594&hnear=2060+Florida+13,+Fruit+Cove,+Florida+32259&t=m&z=16" target="_blank">Alpine Groves Park</a></b></div>
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<b>Date: Tuesday, May 14</b></div>
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<b>Time: 9:00 - 11:00 AM</b></div>
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<b>Meeting: At the parking lot at the end of the road, closest to the river</b></div>
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Tomorrow is our last neighborhood nature walk of the season, so we hope you can come just us at <a href="http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/recreation/parks/AlpineGroves.aspx#.UZECc6twpmg" target="_blank">Alpine Groves Park. </a> Alpine Groves is located along the historic St. Johns River in the western part of the county. If you don't know this park you owe yourself a chance to come discover it. If you do know the park then you know what a true gem it is!<br />
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Along the river you can see wading birds, nesting wood ducks, gulls and terns. The woodlands are home to seasonal, migrant and resident warblers, woodpeckers. Bald eagles and ospreys can be seen soaring overhead.<br />
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Nature walks are shorter and less strenuous than some of the field trips and are appropriate for most. We will start at the end of the park near the river and go out onto the fishing pier looking for water birds of all sorts, and then will walk through the woods looking for and listening for woodland birds. The woodland path is paved, so wheelchair or stroller accessible.<br />
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This will be our last nature walk for the season, but keep in mind we do have an upcoming chapter meeting on Monday, May 20, at the main library in St. Augustine, 6 PM where Kristi Leonard from Anastasia State Park will talk about the beach mouse and the gopher tortoise, following by our last field trip of the season - also at Anastasia State Park on Saturday, May 25 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. We hope you can join us for those events also!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-18075354833118974592013-04-30T19:56:00.001-07:002013-04-30T19:58:29.946-07:00A great meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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St. Johns Audubon President Dan Hayes kicked off a great meeting last night, with many members reporting interesting bird sightings they have had in the last month. He then introduced us to our speaker for the evening, biologist and educator <a href="http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-10-19/elkton-man-earns-top-environmentalist-award-0" target="_blank">Mike Adams.</a><br />
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Mike had brought with him an eclectic series of displays relating to his topic of discussion, the conservation management of his property - the 94-acre Saturiwa Conservation Area.<br />
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Mike gave a fascinating lecture about the history of his property, located on the historic St. Johns River, both since his own purchase of the property in 1989, and the years before that. He also spent quite a bit of time on the natural history of the property also, and the many species of birds and animals that frequent the place at different times of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSYL_uQzKPEN-p2H1Xspp22nUpBR2t63dwPLopLKox1xfobNe0WGZOz8Xb0T8BV7rrxMkgx1xfVPTjRvgEHb8YbSMFN10eh7YW0TTVX4WEIBBSb-JdemQPHvzx_AQjGocQc4lFG7GRcs/s1600/04+audience.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSYL_uQzKPEN-p2H1Xspp22nUpBR2t63dwPLopLKox1xfobNe0WGZOz8Xb0T8BV7rrxMkgx1xfVPTjRvgEHb8YbSMFN10eh7YW0TTVX4WEIBBSb-JdemQPHvzx_AQjGocQc4lFG7GRcs/s320/04+audience.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Later he answered questions from the audience, and offered his ecological field guide (ISBN 13: 978-0-615-69807-6). Note to Audubon members and fans, Mike offers guided tours of his property, and we plan to put him our our Field Trip agenda for the 2013-14 season!<br />
<br />
In the meantime, more to come later, but note on your calendars:<br />
May 14 - nature walk at Alpine Groves Park<br />
May 20 - next Audubon chapter meeting at the St. Augustine Public Library<br />
May 25 - field trip to Anastasia State Park<br />
<br />
And then hopes that everyone will have a great summer. We may have more to follow here as well about the Shorebird Bird Stewarding program.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-9819679997378091372013-04-28T18:25:00.003-07:002013-04-28T18:25:53.923-07:00April Chapter meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhp97h0YgbpXg_NRkp-G41j6qY8BPsg9weUWiQx5rdQplrMkm5xdX2UDkzpTrYAcDCA3BzRiT-pW8yzUklT-clT_on61-jNjwd6MdF2SMFSzbsx3jMNC2HMx9lGQVWCFY75sGWOCPlwU/s1600/GBBC+osprey+lands+end.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhp97h0YgbpXg_NRkp-G41j6qY8BPsg9weUWiQx5rdQplrMkm5xdX2UDkzpTrYAcDCA3BzRiT-pW8yzUklT-clT_on61-jNjwd6MdF2SMFSzbsx3jMNC2HMx9lGQVWCFY75sGWOCPlwU/s320/GBBC+osprey+lands+end.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where: St. Augustine Public Library </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>When: Monday, April 29</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM</b></div>
<br />
Our next chapter meeting is coming up tomorrow night. Alas, our scheduled speaker had to back out at the last minute due to an unexpected surgery. But we'll still have a program to present to you! And other birders there to share experiences with. The meetings are always fun, so we hope you'll join us tomorrow night.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-48680947244204276612013-04-10T13:36:00.001-07:002013-04-10T17:45:04.424-07:00A sunny day for the birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCxJY58dd5WagLIqAwIe_q6xptpAfApkPya3nR3FyF3I4qnquv_ciOPYCHYHap2XPM_71-jBlnJQgilH7VzMpJfHQaVUgR_3WLCXfZJcmRQSCUuCsmVYwWfYLToeYAaLRHRHHlrXnoy8/s1600/00+birders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCxJY58dd5WagLIqAwIe_q6xptpAfApkPya3nR3FyF3I4qnquv_ciOPYCHYHap2XPM_71-jBlnJQgilH7VzMpJfHQaVUgR_3WLCXfZJcmRQSCUuCsmVYwWfYLToeYAaLRHRHHlrXnoy8/s320/00+birders.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was a warm and sunny day for our Neighborhood Nature Walk at the St. Johns Agricultural Center on Tuesday. What a change from last week's weather. There were five of us who showed up to see what birds might be seen on a warm spring morning.<br />
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<br />
There were mockingbirds a-plenty, singing so lustily that they nearly drowned out any other birds we might have had a hope of hearing. There were a few birds heard faintly in the distance - a northern parula, a Carolina chickadee, but it was hard to hear others.<br />
<br />
Sadly we didn't see as many as we had hoped either. There were no herons, egrets, ibises or water birds in any of the ponds we passed. And we had hoped to see some warblers but our hunt was sadly lacking in that regard also.<br />
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We saw a single Savannah sparrow hopping in the distance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bmxi1-WkByvAW6EQptBuWA4Pb5-ZAuwGSKsExsGaGaJ3-WYrFIk9MPWPQsIhyphenhyphenCWOuAX7xAeZxqBhhMx0KKexTQQYE9yuVcNFK2nuTqXciCvNQ-ANJmGglzU2Gf3cO4TIJCcrw_DmPCk/s1600/04+loggerhead+shrike+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bmxi1-WkByvAW6EQptBuWA4Pb5-ZAuwGSKsExsGaGaJ3-WYrFIk9MPWPQsIhyphenhyphenCWOuAX7xAeZxqBhhMx0KKexTQQYE9yuVcNFK2nuTqXciCvNQ-ANJmGglzU2Gf3cO4TIJCcrw_DmPCk/s320/04+loggerhead+shrike+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And one of the overheard wires gave us several good views of a loggerhead shrike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0Vgn55MTncAl5Lf78dFpJE63OmscycGaXOFpND1_EZxNR-ES-aoefYKR79jcvkiNiTZ_FpPAKBudbI6SivV8KH0GCZlI142yqsPyQ9QssMPdx2IFJYc6YuhUHY5j67r7fYqvq9yn1v8/s1600/03+brown+thrasher+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0Vgn55MTncAl5Lf78dFpJE63OmscycGaXOFpND1_EZxNR-ES-aoefYKR79jcvkiNiTZ_FpPAKBudbI6SivV8KH0GCZlI142yqsPyQ9QssMPdx2IFJYc6YuhUHY5j67r7fYqvq9yn1v8/s320/03+brown+thrasher+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One serious hunt finally yielded a few good views of a brown thrasher, who had mostly kept himself just hidden enough to be hard to spot, ID, or photograph.<br />
<br />
Among some of the good birds we didn't get photos of were the multiple killdeer, a great crested flycatcher, and a brown-headed nuthatch! Probably our best bird was the yellow-bellied sapsucker we all saw right in the parking lot as we were getting ready to start out on the walk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCzn9NZ0BlJw1J8aAkPy98_JuPbx7Q7pjLT5JRyP73u3_hQKts8H4xI1fo3ghZVYplYkx2NWOsPdgjPigorSpjJLWG6byoiL0kKMaxoglnDQxiq_RmDrG_o6EAYRGT5rqxcfxMUkNpXk/s1600/05+alligator+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCzn9NZ0BlJw1J8aAkPy98_JuPbx7Q7pjLT5JRyP73u3_hQKts8H4xI1fo3ghZVYplYkx2NWOsPdgjPigorSpjJLWG6byoiL0kKMaxoglnDQxiq_RmDrG_o6EAYRGT5rqxcfxMUkNpXk/s320/05+alligator+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
However in my previous blog post, when I had said we might see other wildlife as well, it was not alligators I had in mind!<br />
<br />
Despite the lack of birds it was still a nice morning to be out and about with other like-mined people, all sharing a common interest and enjoying the birds. Our total tally came to 18 species (unless someone reminds me of one or two I forgot) - those species being:<br />
<br />
<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Red-shouldered Hawk<br />
Killdeer<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker<br />
Great Crested Flycatcher<br />
Loggerhead Shrike<br />
Carolina Chickadee<br />
Brown-headed Nuthatch<br />
Eastern Bluebird<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
Brown Thrasher<br />
European Starling<br />
Northern Parula<br />
Yellow-rumped warbler<br />
Savannah Sparrow<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged Blackbird<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-53454720909573803632013-04-08T04:46:00.003-07:002013-04-08T04:46:27.268-07:00Nature Walk - Agricultural Center<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNENRIjeZHPWJzF42y_jT4wB8sUDxAxUeaTpmSl64zkrsLlTzRpUeaW3qCmxRGlK_WHFpI2NcWfJ-1kpxER38E0w_8l4EYjCYsqaAFyNSpGusjYZPHZD7vtEYWehTzknRsWiztJVc7U3U/s1600/P1020315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNENRIjeZHPWJzF42y_jT4wB8sUDxAxUeaTpmSl64zkrsLlTzRpUeaW3qCmxRGlK_WHFpI2NcWfJ-1kpxER38E0w_8l4EYjCYsqaAFyNSpGusjYZPHZD7vtEYWehTzknRsWiztJVc7U3U/s320/P1020315.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where:<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=St+Johns+County+Agricultural+Extension+Service,+Agricultural+Center+Drive,+St.+Augustine,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.910715,-81.414185&spn=0.018562,0.037808&sll=27.698638,-83.804601&sspn=9.698235,19.35791&oq=st.+johns+county+agricul&t=m&hq=St+Johns+County+Agricultural+Extension+Service,+Agricultural&hnear=Center+St,+St+Augustine,+St+Johns,+Florida+32084&z=15" target="_blank"> St. Johns County Agricultural Center</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>When: Tuesday, April 9, 9:00-11:00 AM</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Meet: at front of the Ag Center</b></div>
<br />
We hope you can join us tomorrow for our next scheduled Neighborhood Nature Walk. The Ag Center is always a favorite spot for nature walks because of its diversity which includes a native plant arboretum, vegetable gardens, fields for sparrows, ponds for long-legged waders, and power lines and fences which often sport bluebirds, doves, kestrels and more. You never know what you’ll find there. Everyone is<br />
welcome on this easy walk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hRMD3p9Uv4fnno37wFQD5kxGMgG3lPrbfDcMHwkyTz7RAxkiBbcouvR_9tuuSRfQar0v3nrqM9hgxkP0HdLEHeNP1kNErQk_oxO3MuVmZRNWuSd5sbYE0KJ461Jx3BmqC5iIGnR-g9c/s1600/Ag+Center+sparrow+on+wire+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hRMD3p9Uv4fnno37wFQD5kxGMgG3lPrbfDcMHwkyTz7RAxkiBbcouvR_9tuuSRfQar0v3nrqM9hgxkP0HdLEHeNP1kNErQk_oxO3MuVmZRNWuSd5sbYE0KJ461Jx3BmqC5iIGnR-g9c/s320/Ag+Center+sparrow+on+wire+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Certainly we had a wonderful variety of birds seen here on our previous Nature Walk at the Ag Center, back in November. Now let's see what sort of birds the spring season may bring us!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg6jjyU9qDpFI8cWtIvtHLqRVqa70tti4i3bh5Dz4LVpUCwDMWxHmizIvbR8td-d4Q1qftFvsskxJjLrYc5-H6_qX-2Rpx94oW9WD3rjtYcDYyQklnyAuGjmAiNM2bm9xqO-N2Oh65Eg/s1600/Ag+Center+racoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg6jjyU9qDpFI8cWtIvtHLqRVqa70tti4i3bh5Dz4LVpUCwDMWxHmizIvbR8td-d4Q1qftFvsskxJjLrYc5-H6_qX-2Rpx94oW9WD3rjtYcDYyQklnyAuGjmAiNM2bm9xqO-N2Oh65Eg/s320/Ag+Center+racoon.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And not only birds! We may see other wildlife there as well. The weather reports are predicting a nice morning, so it should be a great day for the birds.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-23907591712103142562013-03-27T09:01:00.002-07:002013-03-27T09:08:06.152-07:00Washington Oaks Field Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN_9fyPuH8rs-MkHoeYHQ7vcNZ3_GLWiykKgKvlQWOGlzuTeHH-WZ2n5OMwIztvJF4bvq3_a1PZmj3pmKb4IVhO9HiMP45X3Uk9B9dqPczAuqWRYTnweEUHkAdHEee9eVneqrddArkYk/s1600/P1130137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN_9fyPuH8rs-MkHoeYHQ7vcNZ3_GLWiykKgKvlQWOGlzuTeHH-WZ2n5OMwIztvJF4bvq3_a1PZmj3pmKb4IVhO9HiMP45X3Uk9B9dqPczAuqWRYTnweEUHkAdHEee9eVneqrddArkYk/s320/P1130137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where: <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Washington+Oaks+Gardens+State+Park,+Palm+Coast,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.635844,-81.203642&spn=0.018613,0.037808&sll=27.698638,-83.804601&sspn=9.698235,19.335937&oq=washington+oak&hq=Washington+Oaks+Gardens+State+Park,+Palm+Coast,+FL&t=m&z=15" target="_blank">Washington Oaks Gardens State Park</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>When: Saturday, March 30</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Time: 8 AM to noon</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Location: Meet at the <a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/lib/img/park/parkmap/wog-map.jpg" target="_blank">picnic grounds</a> at the end of the road</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We had a great chapter meeting this past Monday at the library in St. Augustine. About 20 people turned out to hear Washington Oaks park ranger Joe Woodbury give a talk on the Timucuan Indians, who lived in this area for about 2000 years. Joe truly made history come to life with great slides and hands-on artifacts.<br />
<br />
We will actually see the area where many of these Indians lived when we go on our next field trip, to Washington Oaks itself. Washington Oaks is in Palm Coast, covering the land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Matanzas River.<br />
<br />
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<br />
At Washington Oaks you can walk along the beach, or explore their extensive trail system. You can walk the loop that explores the ecotone between the coastal maritime hammock and the estuarine tidal march along the Matanzas River, or explore a mature coastal maritime hammock, and venture into the edge of a dense canopied coastal scrub. Washington Oaks is a well-known spot for warblers and is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KoxzM0xeev9NPgj5Sd21teXJPvpIxGOt82NGWqusSrlI9Ctr3FaN2znqfx_3hqHkowKr93beB6hz6pfQuIEZ5Z_YDgLdVSyQFPGhuoTb1cGa5IUhFYimhBU9x3zYEql4dTF_yqUJetw/s1600/Washington+Oaks+historic+district+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KoxzM0xeev9NPgj5Sd21teXJPvpIxGOt82NGWqusSrlI9Ctr3FaN2znqfx_3hqHkowKr93beB6hz6pfQuIEZ5Z_YDgLdVSyQFPGhuoTb1cGa5IUhFYimhBU9x3zYEql4dTF_yqUJetw/s320/Washington+Oaks+historic+district+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Check out their<a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/washingtonoaks/doc/additionalinformation/wog-washoaksbirdingchecklistjan2013.pdf" target="_blank"> birding checklist,</a> and feel free to print out a copy to bring along with you. It should be a wonderful day!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-54150797818193883042013-03-22T06:01:00.000-07:002013-03-22T06:02:52.585-07:00Our March Chapter Meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa3Gd5eQ9ZFCMv5R5n8cB9P377bXwf4zQ_nZb5n65DgVSS4_SPgqaovps5nZb2id0nNbwlsJUM3z_hGJvjHkjCJgmKtrjc4LX1XZp5NmKN6SfqrnQbcmqJ3drONgHvlZVZxYeWjIO8Yg/s1600/Washington+Oaks+Entrance+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa3Gd5eQ9ZFCMv5R5n8cB9P377bXwf4zQ_nZb5n65DgVSS4_SPgqaovps5nZb2id0nNbwlsJUM3z_hGJvjHkjCJgmKtrjc4LX1XZp5NmKN6SfqrnQbcmqJ3drONgHvlZVZxYeWjIO8Yg/s320/Washington+Oaks+Entrance+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Where:<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=library+near+St.+Augustine,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.908576,-81.320822&spn=0.009281,0.018947&sll=27.698638,-83.804601&sspn=9.698235,19.401855&oq=library++st.+augus&hq=library&hnear=St+Augustine,+St+Johns,+Florida&t=m&fll=29.910715,-81.318355&fspn=0.009281,0.018947&z=16" target="_blank"> St. Johns Main Library, St. Augustine</a></b></div>
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<b>When: Monday, March 25</b></div>
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<b>Time: 6-8 PM</b></div>
<br />
Join us this Monday for our chapter meeting at the library. We'd love to have you hear our presentation, and to socialize with other birders in the area.<br />
<br />
Our presenter this month is Joseph Woodbury from Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Joe is a Park Services Specialist at Washington Oaks and is a recipient of the statewide Interpreter of the Year award for his interpretations of the park.<br />
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Joe's talk for us will be about the Timucuan Indians. The Timucuans lives in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia and were the largest indigenous group in the area, and flourished along the rivers.<br />
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Our presentation will be followed up on Saturday, March 30, by a walk at Washington Oaks. Washington Oaks offers riverfront, oceanfront, maritime hammocks, woodlands, and should offer a wonderful birding experience.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-78314134567914586592013-03-15T18:09:00.002-07:002013-05-28T17:23:14.217-07:00A Wonderful boat ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbb-VXU6LY4oxGDjhwAM96F4tkrKT8OTIUyF5kyogtSgcQSkwPpljEEHBqvbqok2RFahEKx41oRo850fyfCnCzywtcmSbuV3GWaeTUi58SVgYkkoIc5tAWh2297xrBtAdkAHP1NE85gM/s1600/01+P1040856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbb-VXU6LY4oxGDjhwAM96F4tkrKT8OTIUyF5kyogtSgcQSkwPpljEEHBqvbqok2RFahEKx41oRo850fyfCnCzywtcmSbuV3GWaeTUi58SVgYkkoIc5tAWh2297xrBtAdkAHP1NE85gM/s320/01+P1040856.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mother Nature certainly smiled on St. Johns Audubon last Saturday. She had threatened us with chilly weather all week, and we were prepared to bundle up for the boat ride. But on Saturday she relented, and gave us a lovely sunny day - a bit on the cool side, but just refreshingly so.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ek7OEDJTdCG01mp9lzDAuLNEIMnR_nQBE3fSq_gh23V92fjjEVFKAiIOBwU832nqSKq_6Xxg9nYr7qtQQ71s71mP9YW2IjqLL9Eo9i61whgXVEIA5e7QglYrwaoCoAuO_LOBTIKhKsQ/s1600/03+P1040829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ek7OEDJTdCG01mp9lzDAuLNEIMnR_nQBE3fSq_gh23V92fjjEVFKAiIOBwU832nqSKq_6Xxg9nYr7qtQQ71s71mP9YW2IjqLL9Eo9i61whgXVEIA5e7QglYrwaoCoAuO_LOBTIKhKsQ/s320/03+P1040829.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the day was delightful for birds as well - though lots of small shorebirds seen off on the sands made many of us wish for a good spotting scope to be sure of our IDs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCvKFFY3bKQ-YMAPT8UkF0l4rD3fuHs9x_t9G-_xkBwFclFEZyrndmXG1Ij2zLwUm2onmU02Z9cqUtz1gOgNNh7zVEflBNf9u_sOfYZWIKU8yv_oPkq7uUH4_9mCZLNwDM_HZ6bjVN60/s1600/02+P1040847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCvKFFY3bKQ-YMAPT8UkF0l4rD3fuHs9x_t9G-_xkBwFclFEZyrndmXG1Ij2zLwUm2onmU02Z9cqUtz1gOgNNh7zVEflBNf9u_sOfYZWIKU8yv_oPkq7uUH4_9mCZLNwDM_HZ6bjVN60/s320/02+P1040847.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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People did dress for the weather, but it got quite warm as the sun rose higher. And we had a great turnout of people as well, all out for a lovely boat ride and continental breakfast in support of St. Johns Audubon and HAWKE.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bykLCmYCGhiI1eqEAM8Dz33sfxhiQ9pjGi1lJ4a3L_f3MxInNVC8eTgn9moUB13aaeyH9x_rFEbk2YfLHR09ANmu_j6NHUoIyfXfAIKfYcWeyDu3lSX1UK_ytKJu1q95i-aEMa1DGmM/s1600/04+P1040833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bykLCmYCGhiI1eqEAM8Dz33sfxhiQ9pjGi1lJ4a3L_f3MxInNVC8eTgn9moUB13aaeyH9x_rFEbk2YfLHR09ANmu_j6NHUoIyfXfAIKfYcWeyDu3lSX1UK_ytKJu1q95i-aEMa1DGmM/s320/04+P1040833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We saw ospreys all along the route as we traveled the waterfront along Porpoise Point and Anastasia Island along Salt Run.<br />
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We had lots of great spotters, who were treated to more than just the array of birds that were seen that morning.<br />
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We were also treated to a school of dolphins, joyfully leaping in and out of the water as they followed alongside the boat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAiJSPUp6mNCRwwJYYMDDkBTGMOeN2QG96AqDI5neNgn3cTRA3D72rHNhwHDvD-uNmj54naolNY7FKIF4Ps0GdwcxLOT5p0L7swVB5y4-w2KYitBJWMd8jI-LK7x-odZ-_UIAfqOz5A8/s1600/07+P1040841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAiJSPUp6mNCRwwJYYMDDkBTGMOeN2QG96AqDI5neNgn3cTRA3D72rHNhwHDvD-uNmj54naolNY7FKIF4Ps0GdwcxLOT5p0L7swVB5y4-w2KYitBJWMd8jI-LK7x-odZ-_UIAfqOz5A8/s320/07+P1040841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But there were also birds. The following is just a partial list of the birds seen on the trip, but if I get in reports of other species from others I'll post them here to try to have a complete list of species seen:<br />
<br />
<br />
Red-breasted Merganser<br />
Common Loon<br />
Double-crested Cormorant<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Great Blue Heron<br />
Great Egret<br />
Snowy Egret<br />
Reddish Egret<br />
White Ibis<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Northern Gannet<br />
Black-bellied Plover<br />
Killdeer<br />
American Oystercatcher<br />
Willet<br />
Ruddy Turnstone<br />
Sanderling<br />
Laughing Gull<br />
Ring-billed Gull<br />
Herring Gull<br />
Forster's Tern<br />
Rock Pigeon<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Belted Kingfisher<br />
Boat-tailed Grackle<br />
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And stay tuned here for details about our upcoming meeting on March 25th, and a field trip afterwards.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-32494640182199021382013-03-08T13:21:00.000-08:002013-03-08T13:25:46.912-08:00Neighborhood Nature Walk Fun (and a boat trip tomorrow!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-nl64V0fn7gg2h5CbS9kKDe5viy8uR1USQe2XbNQLxEM35YyrY9Mq0zg2X96fDftZzvs4XKLIjMqn6ZUdDkrRYj_YWfyALVZIT9IOQIzrmz5IIG5D3p1fLQqaBDmNo75vLzJOcp77K4/s1600/Audubon+01+laughing+gull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-nl64V0fn7gg2h5CbS9kKDe5viy8uR1USQe2XbNQLxEM35YyrY9Mq0zg2X96fDftZzvs4XKLIjMqn6ZUdDkrRYj_YWfyALVZIT9IOQIzrmz5IIG5D3p1fLQqaBDmNo75vLzJOcp77K4/s320/Audubon+01+laughing+gull.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
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What a shame so few people joined us on Tuesday for our latest Neighborhood Nature Walk. It was a glorious early spring day, and sunlight was sparkling on the waters at the Bayview Samantha Wilson Center. There were gulls galore as usual, and the laughing gulls were nearly all fully into their breeding plumage, and filling the air with their laughter.<br />
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There were just three of us along for the walk, but a small group is also a good one for spotting birds and being able to share everything seen and heard with the group. The tide was out and there were lots of small shorebirds out on the mudflats, and we found ourselves wishing for a scope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81bmA-9bb9-JhUaJpS5WFI90GVW-xfxHiclHMk9emleo_HsLaRDZIzs09PhVvCq5GKJzgRD58S5K8CQp1NaIIAzm9R4e5qHILxCIFr5z6LS0jArqI27aSPt12fxy14zJ4JfaD3NYDkjQ/s1600/Audubon+03+osprey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81bmA-9bb9-JhUaJpS5WFI90GVW-xfxHiclHMk9emleo_HsLaRDZIzs09PhVvCq5GKJzgRD58S5K8CQp1NaIIAzm9R4e5qHILxCIFr5z6LS0jArqI27aSPt12fxy14zJ4JfaD3NYDkjQ/s320/Audubon+03+osprey.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Several times we witnessed this osprey coming in for a meal, but coming up empty-taloned in its quest for fish.<br />
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This handsome immature red-tailed hawk with the bold dark belly-band was equally unsuccessful as we watched it. We hope both birds had better luck after we left the area!<br />
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After watching the shore birds a while we strolled through the neighborhood, serenaded by blue jays, yellow-rumped warblers, and red-bellied woodpeckers, and wound up at Lake Maria Sanchez.<br />
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There in the lake we saw a couple of hooded mergansers. They are such pretty birds and I was happy they hadn't left us for the season yet.<br />
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This anhinga almost seemed to pose for us as it rested and sunned itself at the edge of the lake.<br />
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We spotted a few great blue herons as well, but this one gave us the closest view. All it all it was wonderful day, and we saw or heard 40 different species of birds in this small neighborhood area. We had a great time and hope more of you will join us next time. Next time could be as early as tomorrow!<br />
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After all, it's not too late to sign up for tomorrow's <a href="http://stjohnsaudubonsociety.blogspot.com/2013/01/wildlife-boat-tour.html" target="_blank">Wildlife Boat Tour</a> out of St. Augustine.<br />
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And by the way, here is the complete list of species from our morning:<br />
<br />
Hooded Merganser<br />
Wood Stork<br />
Double-crested Cormorant<br />
Anhinga<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Great Blue Heron<br />
Great Egret<br />
Snowy Egret<br />
Little Blue Heron<br />
Tricolored Heron<br />
White Ibis<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Red-tailed Hawk<br />
Black-bellied Plover<br />
Willet<br />
Ruddy Turnstone<br />
Western Sandpiper<br />
Least Sandpiper<br />
Dunlin<br />
Laughing Gull<br />
Ring-billed Gull<br />
Black Skimmer<br />
Rock Pigeon<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Belted Kingfisher<br />
Red-bellied Woodpecker<br />
Blue Jay<br />
Tree Swallow<br />
Tufted Titmouse<br />
Carolina Wren<br />
Eastern Bluebird<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
European Starling<br />
Palm Warbler<br />
Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged Blackbird<br />
Common Grackle<br />
Boat-tailed GrackleAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-19724780184976295132013-03-02T17:33:00.002-08:002013-03-02T17:33:57.424-08:00Parking Lot Birding!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h8BFTZsCl8EYsEoMtolgil1kyFJEkm1IYZUUhbaHwQ-qHFS9VMdV4a7AohcxiE8scpW2bs7qwRtVljdobN_R3hvKOpISZYcv0rAlRAhDtSDnHEZdOYnOL7w5irpItGcnY2KKUq5uCX8/s1600/Audubon+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h8BFTZsCl8EYsEoMtolgil1kyFJEkm1IYZUUhbaHwQ-qHFS9VMdV4a7AohcxiE8scpW2bs7qwRtVljdobN_R3hvKOpISZYcv0rAlRAhDtSDnHEZdOYnOL7w5irpItGcnY2KKUq5uCX8/s320/Audubon+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Date: Tuesday, March 5</b></div>
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<b>Time: 9 AM – 11 AM</b></div>
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<b>Where: Bayview, COA, and Maria Sanchez </b></div>
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It's time to join us for our next Neighborhood Nature Walk! We will gather for the walk this coming Tuesday. Meet at the back of the parking area, Bayview's Samantha Wilson Center, at 181 Marine Street, St. Augustine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFJLNZx9d92v9fSkuk5oEKQCZdq3SnE1Y02HtRi7eNgX8YULbaim2b2G2bLw8sQl1L5Oot7_8JN576MOI0XuUmr_Sv1tgRHVzwhMWva9GzsrEM64k7zWoDhZJonCJ_5-T6Ckc4jwkLVc/s1600/Audubon+3+GBBC+palm+warbler+-+Spring+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFJLNZx9d92v9fSkuk5oEKQCZdq3SnE1Y02HtRi7eNgX8YULbaim2b2G2bLw8sQl1L5Oot7_8JN576MOI0XuUmr_Sv1tgRHVzwhMWva9GzsrEM64k7zWoDhZJonCJ_5-T6Ckc4jwkLVc/s320/Audubon+3+GBBC+palm+warbler+-+Spring+Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Special places are where you find them, and this is a very birdie area. The ecotone or edge along the back marsh has seedy bushes which attract a variety of birds. We'll bird around the parking lots, then check the harbor in front of the buildings. If time allows, we'll also include nearby Lake Maria Sanchez on our walk.<br />
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Please see previous entries for lists of some of the great bird species we have seen on our neighborhood walks and field trips. This is a great way to get an introduction to the birds that live right in your neighborhood. We look forward to seeing you there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-34911948986580374782013-02-25T14:55:00.000-08:002013-02-25T14:55:04.928-08:00Our Princess Place walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QvD6Si8E4FqWmIj6xcNsulgTzRka3g-KGLIsZaaj8_2eWPeRRZ4XlWzRTiqU3QroT4HJVESHf3kT8o7sznFomKkcFjQKucZ9xwRggos9bzMVLrQfMO-gZ79W7PcZBcl0dvLJ0_Ln1vU/s1600/01+marsh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QvD6Si8E4FqWmIj6xcNsulgTzRka3g-KGLIsZaaj8_2eWPeRRZ4XlWzRTiqU3QroT4HJVESHf3kT8o7sznFomKkcFjQKucZ9xwRggos9bzMVLrQfMO-gZ79W7PcZBcl0dvLJ0_Ln1vU/s320/01+marsh.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The day was a bit gray and overcast, but five of us turned out for our scheduled field trip to <a href="http://www.flaglercounty.org/facilities.aspx?page=detail&RID=18" target="_blank">Princess Place Preserve</a> on February 25. Rain threatened but never came down, and and it made the weather just about perfect! Not too hot, nor was it too cool. Just a nice day for a bird walk in a spectacular setting on the banks of Pellicer Creek.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOqILmcoEPxOQ9ryBhy9YUUOdGwyVl1vQMHrrpSocSYZwOUD9pD0xY6Ko3vFwSgBiURNq4huh932j0sguaL5VpC84bCKwimAlZQIHLVatkddlDTQnSu_RpDD5LOkILdBQZnLdwTaoFZM/s1600/02+hooded+merganser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOqILmcoEPxOQ9ryBhy9YUUOdGwyVl1vQMHrrpSocSYZwOUD9pD0xY6Ko3vFwSgBiURNq4huh932j0sguaL5VpC84bCKwimAlZQIHLVatkddlDTQnSu_RpDD5LOkILdBQZnLdwTaoFZM/s320/02+hooded+merganser.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After scanning the waters from the porch of the rustic lodge, at the confluence of Pellicer Creek and the Matanzas River, we took a hike along the shores of the creek. We heard titmice galore, and woodpeckers, and loud calling yellow-throated warblers who remained elusively out of sight. And in the waters we got glimpses of heron and gulls, high-flying tree swallows, and the hooded merganser above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_pv9ueX9gD-9zDBmkxZrCkKbEMo_0ZzPZ0iK3-r6Jxt8Tw1EUxy9_htI9s_v6Xdt4wcxGYw83Wk9IoUmiW-5CaFkrQX11Hf3XGDnCz-ykRQjtUyLQ4PthgKGWRUMrURNEvzTw48cgns/s1600/03+Eagle+nest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_pv9ueX9gD-9zDBmkxZrCkKbEMo_0ZzPZ0iK3-r6Jxt8Tw1EUxy9_htI9s_v6Xdt4wcxGYw83Wk9IoUmiW-5CaFkrQX11Hf3XGDnCz-ykRQjtUyLQ4PthgKGWRUMrURNEvzTw48cgns/s320/03+Eagle+nest.JPG" width="317" /></a></div>
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On the far shores of the creek we even spotted a perched bald eagle, and this eagle's nest.<br />
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But it was along the Loop Road that we stopped when we came to this sign, to look for the eagle's nest being monitored by volunteers, which we knew had young.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1ZCluK96tes587NjI630qQAPJ-G2qFJQ_D8D31WrVgILxvldB_xcJNTALQyLHP_yzMslOrDEykpURRsZKCWEbvzRHcbnhRP5PNMS5LRpD5oAI2v_NZ0ic5FZRPe8INfGm6Dq0rIVY_g/s1600/05+looking+at+the+eagle+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1ZCluK96tes587NjI630qQAPJ-G2qFJQ_D8D31WrVgILxvldB_xcJNTALQyLHP_yzMslOrDEykpURRsZKCWEbvzRHcbnhRP5PNMS5LRpD5oAI2v_NZ0ic5FZRPe8INfGm6Dq0rIVY_g/s320/05+looking+at+the+eagle+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In another year or two the pines in the foreground may grow up high enough to block views of the nest, but it hasn't happened quite yet, and with our binoculars we were able to pick up the massive nest, and with the scope were even able to see a young eaglet in the nest.<br />
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One of the parents was perched, on guard, nearby, looking headless with its white head blending into the background of the sky, and a branch crossing in front of its face.<br />
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From Loop Road it was on to a fishing pier past the canoe and kayak launch site, where we were just about as amused by the antics of the fiddler crabs as we were by the sight and sound of the birds.<br />
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We saw ospreys and vultures soaring overhead, but also this immature eagle. One of the young from a prior year at this nesting site?<br />
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At times it seemed like the birds were hiding themselves from us pretty well, but in all we saw or heard 35 different species. And for those who attended the walk, if I've missed any let me know! But this is the list of the species for the day:<br />
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Hooded Merganser<br />
Red-breasted Merganser<br />
Pied-billed Grebe<br />
Horned Grebe<br />
Double-crested Cormorant<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Great Egret<br />
Little Blue Heron<br />
Tricolored Heron<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Northern Harrier<br />
Bald Eagle<br />
Laughing Gull<br />
Ring-billed Gull<br />
Royal Tern<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Barred Owl<br />
Belted Kingfisher<br />
Red-bellied Woodpecker<br />
Downy Woodpecker<br />
Pileated Woodpecker<br />
American Crow<br />
Tree Swallow<br />
Carolina Chickadee<br />
Tufted Titmouse<br />
Carolina Wren<br />
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
Black-and-white Warbler<br />
Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />
Yellow-throated Warbler<br />
Savannah Sparrow<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged Blackbird<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-80626049912227986642013-02-12T12:36:00.001-08:002013-02-12T16:57:33.301-08:00Our neighborhood nature walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a beautiful sunny day today, and four of us turned out for the Neighborhood Nature Walk in the vicinity of the St. Augustine Lighthouse on Anastasia Island. We met at the boat ramp parking lot, and looked around the lot for a bit while we waited to see if anyone else might arrive. This mockingbird in a far tree caught out attention for a while, as its coloring looked very unusual in the light that we saw it in, and we were guessing all sorts of birds until we got close enough, and at the right angle, to see that it was just one of our mockingbirds!<br />
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After that excitement we went out onto the pier to look for wading birds, gulls, water birds, and other denizens of the shorelines and waters.<br />
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We saw many of our coastal denizens, including royal terns, laughing gulls, ring-billed gulls, brown pelicans, cormorants.<br />
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This little spotted sandpiper was probably our most interesting bird of the day. We had a great day, but their were no remarkable rarities among our day's count.<br />
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However I still get a thrill when I see a regal-looking osprey come in for a landing above me, staring down at the world below with a haughty air.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD39qR_rzQ8Kg5vpybZzSrJnxwC05YC6ErBqA24iCY9c_0kTtIF-Tmf8ZPyLucG7eRdTRBymIKnOgIEZvJGXSF-KhQE8euLZCU_CRoWl9T-S9oXNp-sq-p_o6HjbZNQfIu60pa3K9vgI/s1600/05+house+figurehead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD39qR_rzQ8Kg5vpybZzSrJnxwC05YC6ErBqA24iCY9c_0kTtIF-Tmf8ZPyLucG7eRdTRBymIKnOgIEZvJGXSF-KhQE8euLZCU_CRoWl9T-S9oXNp-sq-p_o6HjbZNQfIu60pa3K9vgI/s320/05+house+figurehead.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After that we looked we walked through the local neighborhood where the houses themselves were at least as interesting and diverse as the bird species found in the area, just as varied in color and shape, all with their own quirks, such as the ship's figurehead on this one. In the end we counted 27 species of birds on our list for the morning, these being the ones we counted:<br />
<br />
Double-crested Cormorant<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Black Vulture<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Northern Harrier<br />
Spotted Sandpiper<br />
Ruddy Turnstone<br />
Laughing Gull<br />
Ring-billed Gull<br />
Herring Gull<br />
Great Black-backed Gull<br />
Forster's Tern<br />
Royal Tern<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Belted Kingfisher<br />
Red-bellied Woodpecker<br />
Downy Woodpecker<br />
Blue Jay<br />
American Crow<br />
Fish Crow<br />
Tree Swallow<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
European Starling<br />
Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />
Red-winged Blackbird<br />
Boat-tailed Grackle<br />
<br />
<br />
We hope more of you can join us on our next scheduled outing to <a href="http://stjohnsaudubonsociety.blogspot.com/2013/01/field-trip-to-princess-place-preserve.html" target="_blank">Princess Place </a>on February 24!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-67146646411149156962013-02-09T18:13:00.001-08:002013-02-09T18:13:28.271-08:00Neighborhood Nature Walk - St. Augustine Lighthouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3A7nG7GngncG0lSB2jmozDEl1Cpi8QfONW0dxTDJdSMi8_Exl073lBugV3BQnbddtpUXSfquSNEKKDYV_s_woeyvMQKDeGKZhvKhvAhM5WI2mpoIPHUSZTBTmw8YAINdhv-JEitQ_IiQ/s1600/Lighthouse+Saint+Augustine+photoshopped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3A7nG7GngncG0lSB2jmozDEl1Cpi8QfONW0dxTDJdSMi8_Exl073lBugV3BQnbddtpUXSfquSNEKKDYV_s_woeyvMQKDeGKZhvKhvAhM5WI2mpoIPHUSZTBTmw8YAINdhv-JEitQ_IiQ/s320/Lighthouse+Saint+Augustine+photoshopped.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where: </b>St. Augustine Lighthouse neighborhood</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>When: </b>Tuesday, February 12</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Time:</b> 9 AM to 11 AM</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Meet: </b><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=81+Lighthouse+Ave,+St.+Augustine,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.885709,-81.286935&spn=0.002321,0.004715&sll=34.23508,-77.946861&sspn=0.008852,0.018861&oq=81+lighthouse+ave.,+s&t=h&hnear=81+Lighthouse+Ave,+St+Augustine,+St+Johns,+Florida+32080&z=18" target="_blank">Boat ramp parking lot</a></div>
<br />
Join us this coming Tuesday for our first Neighborhood Nature Walk of the season. A neighborhood nature walk is shorter than a field trip, and takes us to more local spots that are great places to look for birds. Our walk this coming Tuesday will take us to the neighborhood around the<a href="http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/" target="_blank"> St. Augustine Lighthouse </a>on Anastasia Island.<br />
<br />
<br />
We associate the old St. Augustine Lighthouse with history, but the surrounding neighborhood is also a very special place for a pleasant nature walk. We'll meet at the big boat ramp parking lot and scan the river for long-legged waders, shorebirds, ducks, and more. Then, we'll stroll through the old streets to look for woodpeckers, hawks, native plants and anything else of interest. This walk is always a favorite.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-28969434163209860262013-02-06T18:46:00.002-08:002013-02-06T18:46:37.457-08:00Great Backyard Bird Count<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbKImUAcnscrwLoLcCiH7PL2JB4-Vp4Kcs010PDxiI10h5a6xdfuPNQ_pGmO3z3YoeBd29D4wUQmcaKYDJfwh8Q9uaf-MSqX17s3IH7LcOOnx5wS9aOczjg9LlO18aqE1FF9XyV6VDFI/s1600/bluebird+at+feeder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbKImUAcnscrwLoLcCiH7PL2JB4-Vp4Kcs010PDxiI10h5a6xdfuPNQ_pGmO3z3YoeBd29D4wUQmcaKYDJfwh8Q9uaf-MSqX17s3IH7LcOOnx5wS9aOczjg9LlO18aqE1FF9XyV6VDFI/s320/bluebird+at+feeder.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
2013 is the 15th season for the <a href="http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a>, co-sponsored by the national Audubon Society. Anyone can participate. From a long trek to through the woods to 5 minutes watching the birds in your yard, or in a park. This year, locally, the <a href="http://www.sjcpls.org/content/anastasia-island-branch" target="_blank">Anastasia branch </a>of the St. Johns County library system is presenting a whole bunch of opportunities for local folks to learn about birding.<br />
<br />
Come to the library on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 PM, to hear Monique Borboen, Northeast Florida Policy
Associate for the Audubon Society, present a program on how
to identify birds in our community and how we can be stewards of the
natural environment.<br />
<br />
The following weekend we will have bird guides at various locations throughout the county to help folks look for and identify birds. See the library for details on when and where to find a guide.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTsWQbu9D6OUl-AuNdpAIOXQ8yDl5dmCx6cp1WxrPlLCKfVb8uCvDrPwVqT6r6494v2TNP8j_DkghHVp-SJcuDCBmS2NX3Q-YkIsRx7M2Ix1KS0dQPO7H4ZAAbcXqLeblAWlxo2NFj2U/s1600/John+and+Nainai+birdhouses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTsWQbu9D6OUl-AuNdpAIOXQ8yDl5dmCx6cp1WxrPlLCKfVb8uCvDrPwVqT6r6494v2TNP8j_DkghHVp-SJcuDCBmS2NX3Q-YkIsRx7M2Ix1KS0dQPO7H4ZAAbcXqLeblAWlxo2NFj2U/s320/John+and+Nainai+birdhouses.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The library is also sponsoring a birdhouse decorating contests. The birdhouses will be on display at the library for a week or so beginning Feb. 9. The larger one above will be in the contest representing the St. Johns Audubon Society. Come out and vote for our birdhouse! It will be one more small way we can help people understand some of the things we do.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-12907782719393987292013-02-01T07:13:00.000-08:002013-02-01T07:14:22.565-08:00Princess Place Date Change! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3eigWqND3esW9IzH-29Y6laoU7SimhGiS7dSVhv7pSgRFknKxQSzmD-C2xYXtOGPrxaBtwPLtL-1bPOEOMftTOsuWOlGmNEdFOiEzJTdoItQB7_FQlBV7iHElpPVaoo0T-2csBDeLww/s1600/Princess+Place+lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3eigWqND3esW9IzH-29Y6laoU7SimhGiS7dSVhv7pSgRFknKxQSzmD-C2xYXtOGPrxaBtwPLtL-1bPOEOMftTOsuWOlGmNEdFOiEzJTdoItQB7_FQlBV7iHElpPVaoo0T-2csBDeLww/s320/Princess+Place+lodge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Please note, the date for our scheduled field trip to Princess Place Preserve has been changed! Instead of going this Sunday, February 3, we are going on Sunday, February 24. All other details remain the same, which you can see at the <a href="http://stjohnsaudubonsociety.blogspot.com/2013/01/field-trip-to-princess-place-preserve.html" target="_blank">previous blog entry</a>, modified to reflect the new information.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM1NKvaz4QDMLHACW6c_khaTEmw2D3c-yhyphenhyphenzURFLqv-gJj_B0pPRizB8_45hfjkfOM70cNdu0NJ7-iaNdNTyLHYBjgWro13FmCagKt31XhTAVrPVlJjICqDtNfGcCh88QWRB91ClRyZk/s1600/Princess+Place+pelican.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM1NKvaz4QDMLHACW6c_khaTEmw2D3c-yhyphenhyphenzURFLqv-gJj_B0pPRizB8_45hfjkfOM70cNdu0NJ7-iaNdNTyLHYBjgWro13FmCagKt31XhTAVrPVlJjICqDtNfGcCh88QWRB91ClRyZk/s320/Princess+Place+pelican.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is better for me! I am out of town this Sunday, but should be here on Sunday the 24th. Princess Place is totally awesome, and I can't wait to get back there again. Hope to see you there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-12432126318764686182013-01-29T09:15:00.001-08:002013-02-01T07:14:51.352-08:00Field Trip to Princess Place Preserve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE2Mx5aViYfeGPs5l4dOgO3euFfU3oMGbexAgtM2AACgu-jKc75OQuin_2DwehJyZe64egux1VgfTWA4j6V6d2fSsIeEfsF5CWOVqA3JIgxiZ8LX7nEVYJRElL6RzKnMJ43e9rPzVgpE/s1600/Princess+Place+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE2Mx5aViYfeGPs5l4dOgO3euFfU3oMGbexAgtM2AACgu-jKc75OQuin_2DwehJyZe64egux1VgfTWA4j6V6d2fSsIeEfsF5CWOVqA3JIgxiZ8LX7nEVYJRElL6RzKnMJ43e9rPzVgpE/s320/Princess+Place+01.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHERE:</b> <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2500+Princess+Place+Rd.+,+Palm+Coast,+FL&hl=en&sll=29.811306,-81.339169&sspn=0.074323,0.146427&hnear=Princess+Place+Rd,+Palm+Coast,+Florida+32137&t=m&z=14" target="_blank">Princess Place Preserve</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHEN:</b> <b><span style="color: red;">Sunday, Feb. 24 (NOTE NEW DATE)</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>TIME: </b>2pm-5pm<br />
<b>MEET: </b>At the old lodge on the waterfront</div>
<br />
<br />
Have you ever visited <a href="http://www.flaglercounty.org/facilities.aspx?page=detail&RID=18" target="_blank">Princess Place Preserve</a>? It's a wonderful park just south of our St. Johns County, at the north end of Flagler County. Yesterday was my first visit there, and now that I've discovered this marvelous place I'll be sure to visit it again!. St. Johns Audubon is sponsoring a field trip on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 24. Princess Place Preserve is a very special place for nature enthusiasts. You'll see birds galore, a wide diversity of native plants, marshes, trails through both hardwood and pine forests. The property also has quite an interesting history. Bald Eagles are nesting, and the short trails always produce surprises. Bring your friends and a picnic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7jxHrIQtLnlaeMy3sQf7RyKXBx9TuxwZove-ORzNTUgFIvyZK0lUa7RhIAaJf8O73wHfCyW2FkoSdMo70m5Q23bxX_3LaZPqAwFdU4AnZxqcakBYMmmjsdUuP3KyPRG-pV0xvrJo29s/s1600/Princess+Place+02+bald+eagles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7jxHrIQtLnlaeMy3sQf7RyKXBx9TuxwZove-ORzNTUgFIvyZK0lUa7RhIAaJf8O73wHfCyW2FkoSdMo70m5Q23bxX_3LaZPqAwFdU4AnZxqcakBYMmmjsdUuP3KyPRG-pV0xvrJo29s/s320/Princess+Place+02+bald+eagles.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I visited yesterday with two friends so I could check this place out to post about it for our blog here, and it could not have been a more perfect day. The property faces Pellicer Creek and gives great opportunities to see water birds of all sorts. The Creekview Trail parallels the creek and gives even more views, but there are forests as well and changes to see forest birds. I added the brown-headed nuthatch to my life list yesterday at Princess Place!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWH9cv7S-p8JByo2f0c-m4wWeduj8dy6EMzIcYho6O60D1IQXTcF5jTo7uRrfnzyHUa2L9RmjvidumkUycRkES9m-1XX92PmPYVAnA3HI-nmC4kgGj3SIJ2BN_05Egi0U2oHwS11oLfw/s1600/Princess+Place+03+pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWH9cv7S-p8JByo2f0c-m4wWeduj8dy6EMzIcYho6O60D1IQXTcF5jTo7uRrfnzyHUa2L9RmjvidumkUycRkES9m-1XX92PmPYVAnA3HI-nmC4kgGj3SIJ2BN_05Egi0U2oHwS11oLfw/s320/Princess+Place+03+pano.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So we sure hope you will join us on the 24th. To give you a taste of what you might expect to see here is the list of bird species my two friends and I saw yesterday:<br />
<br />
<br />
Hooded Merganser<br />
Red-breasted Merganser<br />
Common Loon<br />
Horned Grebe<br />
Double-crested Cormorant<br />
American White Pelican<br />
Brown Pelican<br />
Great Blue Heron<br />
Great Egret<br />
Little Blue Heron<br />
Tricolored Heron<br />
White Ibis<br />
Black Vulture<br />
Turkey Vulture<br />
Osprey<br />
Bald Eagle<br />
Willet<br />
Ring-billed Gull<br />
Royal Tern<br />
Mourning Dove<br />
Belted Kingfisher<br />
Red-bellied Woodpecker<br />
Downy Woodpecker<br />
Pileated Woodpecker<br />
American Kestrel<br />
Blue Jay<br />
American Crow<br />
Fish Crow<br />
Tree Swallow<br />
Carolina Chickadee<br />
Tufted Titmouse<br />
Brown-headed Nuthatch<br />
Carolina Wren<br />
Ruby-crowned Kinglet<br />
Eastern Bluebird<br />
Gray Catbird<br />
Northern Mockingbird<br />
Common Yellowthroat<br />
Palm Warbler<br />
Pine Warbler<br />
Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />
Eastern Towhee<br />
Chipping Sparrow<br />
Northern Cardinal<br />
Red-winged Blackbird<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-48164699365091904112013-01-25T07:50:00.001-08:002013-01-25T07:50:47.987-08:00Wildlife Boat Tour! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCORhzpL0dxoJy62RZuG7KfpG9f26EHS5opADNJFRY_YQvNjM1gMrTNbrwAFuBwT6hgRXnvgp3vNcjziBD8V_GUaP7WNMZsFME90LX5Rr4D_Jn4Bz-S9vN-3e-gkmBOXBwu3E5Dtp6wPU/s1600/Boat+Trip+flyer-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCORhzpL0dxoJy62RZuG7KfpG9f26EHS5opADNJFRY_YQvNjM1gMrTNbrwAFuBwT6hgRXnvgp3vNcjziBD8V_GUaP7WNMZsFME90LX5Rr4D_Jn4Bz-S9vN-3e-gkmBOXBwu3E5Dtp6wPU/s320/Boat+Trip+flyer-001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">Join us for an exciting trip aboard the<a href="http://www.scenic-cruise.com/" target="_blank"> Victory III</a>. Those who attended our outing last year had such a great
time that we decided to repeat it. This will be a fund-raiser for both
St. Johns Audubon and HAWKE. Right now you can get the tickets via
PayPal right here on the blog. Just print out your PayPal receipt to use as your ticket. </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">As noted, we will provide a continental breakfast, and have hopes of seeing birds, dolphins, and wildlife galore. The Victory III can hold a lot of people so bring your friends!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-44406358385097505722013-01-22T15:49:00.003-08:002013-01-22T15:50:35.777-08:00Calendar of Events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWQNIUB7J3gNBqVIW4COaLhljKuFSuXOUpDaDYeJBcwcIqQZ6kLjwKUfBguHmHqV01P1R2qLKYpxJ4y_vO2NTgeKhwqi1OZvF_d3uaXyC1swMxzwykQRkHkwx1r7QCWBCbPOd9QlYKMY/s1600/Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWQNIUB7J3gNBqVIW4COaLhljKuFSuXOUpDaDYeJBcwcIqQZ6kLjwKUfBguHmHqV01P1R2qLKYpxJ4y_vO2NTgeKhwqi1OZvF_d3uaXyC1swMxzwykQRkHkwx1r7QCWBCbPOd9QlYKMY/s320/Calendar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Note that at the bottom of our blog page we display a calendar of upcoming events, both chapter-specific such as meetings and nature walks, and things of wider interest such as the Great Backyard Bird Count. We'll try to keep this up to date with all the pertinent information for events. Clicking on an event, such as a nature walk, will give you more details about the event in a pop-up, as shown in the example photo above.<br />
<br />
So be sure to check our calendar for the latest information on dates and events.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218061587724314565.post-6797576032304606712013-01-16T06:43:00.003-08:002013-01-16T14:15:23.975-08:00Welcome to a New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOg6io7mm3wOD6ufoFAEGZDXwdm17rAu6dJ5Mhx4agI3hsXOGmhedJuy5H2DXxzd_kUIMhYK9KgzEpWFKJKhiEhDfmu4Gr39XyLtQhRB1P6LrUzjQpPYOa-zpFfrnYwQ1frQ_RziTG0A/s1600/Florida+sunrise+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOg6io7mm3wOD6ufoFAEGZDXwdm17rAu6dJ5Mhx4agI3hsXOGmhedJuy5H2DXxzd_kUIMhYK9KgzEpWFKJKhiEhDfmu4Gr39XyLtQhRB1P6LrUzjQpPYOa-zpFfrnYwQ1frQ_RziTG0A/s320/Florida+sunrise+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Welcome to the new blog for the <a href="http://www.stjohnsaudubon.com/">St. Johns Audubon Society</a> located in St. Johns County, Florida. We are a large and sprawling county, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the St. Johns River, pictured in the photo above, on the west. We include wonderful shore birding areas such as <a href="http://www.gtmnerr.org/">Guana River </a>and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm">Fort Matanzas</a>, and beautiful parks along the river like <a href="http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/Recreation/Parks/AlpineGroves.aspx#.UPa7WWx9Jmg" target="_blank">Alpine Groves.</a> Our county seat is historic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine,_Florida" target="_blank">St. Augustine,</a> home of the first permanent European settlement in the US. We also have beautiful undeveloped countryside and farming communities.<br />
<br />
This rich variety of habitat gives us a wonderfully varied bird population as well, yet the changing demographics lead to many conservation challenges. With this blog we hope to keep you up to date with all the events and activities that we are involved with, and we hope you may join us in our journey and get involved too! We're happy to have you with us.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05496165100681422171noreply@blogger.com0