autumn 2014 vol 39 no 1 - Sanibel

The Pileated Woodpecker
The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
AUTUMN
2014
Vol. 39 No 1
PO Box 957, Sanibel FL 33957
Our Mission: Promoting Interests in Wildlife on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and
fostering the Cause of Conservation with Emphasis on Birds and their Habitat.
Newsletter reply only: 440 Glory Circle, Sanibel, FL 33957,
Board Members
Jim Griffith
President.
Phyllis Gresham
Vice President
239-579-0720
[email protected]
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, JIM GRIFFITH
It is time for each of us to deliver on a rare opportunity to do big
things for Florida’s water and land conservation, restoration, and land
management!
Susan Harpham,
Secretary
VOTE FOR AMENDMENT 1 ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH.
Malcolm Harpham
Treasurer
Why?
Kevin Bowden
Without a penny increase in taxes over the next twenty years, this
amendment directs 33% of the existing real estate “doc stamp” fees to
fund the Land Acquisition Trust Fund until it sunsets in 2035. With the
passage of Amendment 1, the revenue cannot be used for any other purpose (as is now the case) except water and land conservation projects
such as:
Bill Jacobson
Elaine Jacobson
John MacLennan
Dale McGinley
Hugh Verry
Restoring funding to protect rivers.
Acquiring, preserving, protecting, and managing wildlife habitat for us
and for future generations to enjoy.
Supporting restoration of the Everglades.
Various other water quality projects.
We just cannot miss this chance with our “Yes” vote to have such a significant positive impact
on our precious land and waterways. And to do it without raising taxes! But, we must achieve a
sixty percent (60%) margin to amend our state constitution. If you haven’t voted and won’t arrive at your precinct by November 4th, please call your local Supervisor of Elections to request
a mail-in ballot. For Lee County, call 239-533-8683.
Jim
The Pileated Woodpecker autumn 2014
page 2
BIRDING NOTES AND BIRDWATCHING TIPS
BIRDING NOTES:
BIRDWATCHING NOTES (cont’d)
Wilson’s Snipe: the snipe is a chunky, bulky bird, hardly
elegant. It has short legs, an absurdly long bill which it uses
to probe deep in wet soil for food; its eyes are set high on
its head which enables it to watch for danger while its bill is
buried in the mud. The snipe has an intricate pattern of
brown, black, and straw, camouflaged to hide among dead
grass. The dark head has prominent buffy to whitish
stripes. The dark back has three long buffy streaks, one
running down each edge, one down the center. The buff
chest is streaked and spotted with brown; the sides are
heavily barred with black. In flight, the wings are dark
above and below. Look for Wilson’s Snipes at the Bailey
Tract on Sanibel, this is one of our less common sightings
but also predictable throughout the winter season.
Big Bend Scenic Byway, Wakulla County
The “Bend” is where Florida’s Gulf Coast curves westward,
sheltering vast seagrass beds, marshes, winding rivers,
sugar-sand beaches, deep forests, and crystal-clear
springs. Over 300 species of birds, 2,500 plant species,
and more carnivorous plants (30) than any similarly sized
area in the world call the Bend home. The Tallahassee
Regional Airport is located on the Big Bend Scenic Byway’s Forest Trail East and resources can be accessed by
turning on Capital Circle SW (SR 263) from the airport in
either direction. Travel time from Sanibel is a little over six
hours. Internet information available at http://
www.floridabigbendscenicbyway.com/
The Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival.
. BIRDWATCHING
NOTES:
The STA5 schedule is out for 2014/15. The following
Saturday dates are showing open for STA5 birding:
Dates 2014: Nov. 22, Dec. 13, Dec. 27
Dates 2015: Jan. 17, Jan. 31; Feb. 14, 15, 16 “Great
Backyard Bird Count Weekend”,Feb. 28, March 14,
March 28, April 11, April 25, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug
8, Sep 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Nov. 28, Dec. 5
Trips are limited to 60 participants. Registration required.
Participants meet at STA5 gate at 8:30 a.m. To sign up
for a trip send an e-mail to Margaret England, “[email protected]” with your name
and contact information including an emergency cell
number for the tour day, the date you want to go, and the
number in your party. You may also leave a message at
(863) 674-0695 or (863) 517-0202. For more information,
please access www.hendrygladeaudubon.org.
DIRECTIONS: From Fort Myers, West on Hwy 80 to
South Bay. Continue west on US27 to Clewiston, 13.6 mi.
Look for Evercane Rd (CR835) and the J&G Ag Prod
sign. Continue south on CR835, 26.7 mi. Turn left onto
Deer Fence Rd for 2 mi, cross bridge at STA5, continue
to parking east of tower.
While this event has passed us by for 2014 (Sep 2328), look for the 17th annual festival in September
2015. This festival includes a Sunday excursion to
Dry Tortugas National Park, guided birding and butterfly walks and talks, a photography workshop, a
free, family-friendly all-day wildlife fair, citizen science
with Florida Keys Hawkwatch and several backcountry excursions. Festivalgoers and hawkwatchers
monitor the flights of record numbers of peregrine
falcons and other raptors from a perch at Curry Hammock State Park. This is the southernmost migration
count in the continental United States, documenting
as many as 25,000 diurnal birds of prey of 18 species
and more than 120 species of waders, shorebirds
and songbirds.
Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival:
The 18th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife
Festival is scheduled for January 21-26, 2015. The
2015 Festival is located at: Eastern Florida State College - Titusville Campus ( NEW name for Brevard
Community College ) 1311 North US1 Titusville, Florida 32796. The featured bird of the 2015 festival is
the Red-cockcaded Woodpecker – an endangered
species that makes its home in mature pine forests.
The Red-cockcaded Woodpecker is best seen in Brevard County at the St. Sebastian River Preserve
State Park and nearby Orange County at Hal Scott
Regional Preserve & Park. For more information,
please access
www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org
The Pileated Woodpccker autum 2014 page 3
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, SANIBEL-CAPTIVA AUDUBON,
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA AUDUBON SOCIETY
Every year, the Sanibel-Captiva Christmas Bird Count attracts
more participants (121 in 43 teams last year) than 95% of all of
the country’s more than 2,300 CBCs. Some years, our totals
SATURDAYS 8:00 AM…SUGGESTED DONATION
are up from previous years and multi-year averages, other
$ 2.00 / PERSON
years they are down. 2013 counters found 12,411 birds, down
NO DONATION ACCEPTED AT “DING” DARLING WILD- from 2012’s 14,063; 96 species, down from 104 species in
LIFE REFUGE
2012. Bill Jacobson, the local CBC coordinator, collects all of
the data, collates and forwards it to National Audubon. What
OPEN TO ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE, FROM NOVICE happens to this information at this point, you might ask?
2015 BIRD WALKS
TO EXPERT
BAILEY TRACT: Take Island Inn Rd across from Bailey’s.
Free parking at end of road in field at back entrance to the
Bailey Tract.
Well, this year, National Audubon has published a new climate
study (called the Audubon Report) which lists over 300 North
American species that it feels are at risk from climate change
resulting in habitat changes and loss. This is not just an emoBOWMAN’S BEACH: Park in the beach parking lot at the
end of Bowman’s Beach Road. Meet at the Wooden Bridge
tional statement that Audubon has put out. Rather, it is based
on the way to beach. Non-Resident parking $3.00/hour.
on years and years of data collection, mainly from the Christmas Bird Counts which have been held every December since
BUNCHE BEACH: Across causeway approx.
1900. “Begun as a way to assess the health of bird popula2.5 miles. Right on John Morris Rd to beach parking lot. Wations, data from the annual census are now key to predicting
terproof shoes a must. Parking fee $ 2.00/hour
birds’ responses to climate change. Using hundreds of thousands of standardized observations from both the CBC and the
DING DARLING REFUGE: Meet in overflow
North American Breeding Bird Survey…….able to describe the
parking lot at Refuge Visitors Center. Free Parking.
‘climate envelope’ for each of the 588 North American speFORT MYERS BEACH LAGOON: Meet at Villa Santini
cies.” (The CBC had also been used in the 1960s to document
Plaza (Approximately 5 miles from the Ft Myers Bridge diago- declining populations of raptors which augmented Rachel Carnally across from the Wyndham Garden Inn on Estero Blvd ) son’s research as published in “Silent Spring”, with the result
Free Parking.
that North American use of DDT as a pesticide was eventually
banned.)
POND APPLE TRAIL: Meet in the front parking lot of
the Matzaluna Restaurant on Periwinkle Way. Free Parking.
The Audubon Study lists some birds of local interest that could
start to see declining populations due to climate change and
SANIBEL LIGHTHOUSE: Meet in the Fishing Pier parking lot
habitat loss. The Brown Pelican, for instance, could lose 63% of
at the Lighthouse. Non-Resident parking $ 3.00/hour
its non-breeding range and 58% of its breeding range by 2050;
while its range may expand into new coastal areas by 89%,
Dec 20 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
how its prey fish will respond to climatic shifts is uncertain.
Other local birds with poor long-term prospects include the
Jan 3 DING DARLING REFUGE
American Kestrel, American Oystercatcher, American White
Jan 10 FT MYERS BEACH LAGOON
Pelican, Anhinga, Bald Eagle, Black-Bellied Plover, BlackCrowned Night Heron, Black Skimmer, Black Vulture, BoatJan 17 BAILEY TRACT
Tailed Grackle, Caspian Tern, Fish Crow, Forster’s Tern,
Jan 24 POND APPLE TRAIL
Greater Yellowlegs, Herring Gull, Laughing Gull, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mangrove Cuckoo, Osprey, Palm Warbler, Peregrine FalJan 31 BUNCHE BEACH
con, Pine Warbler, Red-Breasted Merganser, Red Knot, Reddish Egret, Ring-Billed Gull, Roseate Spoonbill, Royal Tern,
Feb 7 BAILEY TRACT
Ruddy Turnstone, Sandwich Tern, Semipalmated Plover,
Feb 14 DING DARLING REFUGE
Snowy Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Tree Swallow, and Wilson’s
Plover. This is a daunting list!
Feb 21 POND APPLE TRAIL
Feb 28 DING DARLING REFUGE
Mar
7 BAILEY TRACT
Mar 14 BOWMAN'S BEACH
Mar 21 BUNCHE BEACH
Mar 28 DING DARLING REFUGE
Apr
4 BUNCHE BEACH
Apr 11 SANIBEL LIGHTHOUSE
The 115th Christmas Bird Count is Citizen Science at its most
basic level- collecting data locally that, when combined with
other local counts across North America, provides a national
database from which highly trained and well-equipped scientists can run complex programs to spot trends, to propose
causal factors, and to suggest policy changes. We look forward
to your participation this year, to volunteer, please call Bill Jacobson at (239-246-1054).
The Pileated Woodpccker autumn 2014 page 4
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, DECEMBER 14, 2013
SPECIES
10 yr 27 yr
2013 2012 2011 avg
avg
Anhinga
74
101 103
110
125
Blackbird, Red-winged
3
0
1
7
65
Cardinal
65
96
79
70
52
Catbird, Gray
95
125
79
103
84
Coot, American
Cormorant, Doublecrested
40
32
62
29
42
314
599 706
410
596
Crow, American
31
46
15
9
Crow, Fish
444
513 514
306
721
Dove, Eurasian Collared
79
96
183
118
127
Dove, Ground
33
58
55
45
61
Dove, Mourning
345
649 1014 625
9
523
SPECIES
Egret, Reddish
2013 2012 2011
5
Egret, Snowy 134
4
10 yr
avg
27 yr
avg
12
10
10
163 160
205
295
Falcon, Peregrine
Flicker, Northern Yellow
Shafted
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
2
2
18
Flycatcher, Great crested
5
4
6
4
6
Frigatebird, Magnificent 378
25
47
62
58
Gannet, Northern
2
10
4
6
3
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray
42
63
29
51
98
Godwit, Marbled
1
0
0
0
0
Dove, Rock
1
0
0
0
0
Goldfinch, American
0
2
0
9
26
Dove, White-winged
2
0
28
6
3
Grackle, Boat-tailed
33
38
109
91
108
Dowitcher, Short-billed
Duck, Am. Greenwinged Teal
25
0
39
62
167
Grackle, Common 171
163 369
415
311
0
1
0
3
2
Grebe. Pied-billed
77
55
82
51
61
Duck, Am. Wigeon
0
0
0
0
28
Gull, Bonaparte's
0
2
3
1
1
Duck, Blue-winged Teal
Duck, Hooded Merganser
40
29
65
86
112
Gull, Herring
67
20
44
36
79
4
4
1
3
3
Duck, Lesser Scaup
0
18
0
6
3
106
81
Duck, Mottled
118
108 123
Duck, Pintail
Duck, Red-breasted
Merganser
0
0
0
0
2
95
42
59
48
87
Duck, Redhead
0
2
6
1
Duck, Ring-necked
0
1
0
Dunlin
286
2
Eagle, Bald
22
Egret, Cattle
Egret, Great
Gull, Laughing 1653
Gull, Lesser Black-Backed
6
Gull, Ring-billed 287
690 2199 1360
11
0
381 361
2084
2
1
286
541
Hawk, Broad-winged
2
0
0
0
0
0
Hawk, Coopers
0
3
2
2
1
0
0
Hawk, Merlin
1
2
4
1
1
97
235
248
Hawk, Northern Harrier
0
1
2
1
0
22
12
14
9
Hawk, Red-shouldered
40
39
27
42
48
12
29
26
31
36
Hawk, Short-tailed
0
1
0
0
0
199
149 196
194
215
Heron, Black-crowned
8
2
10
9
9
Heron, Great Blue
42
99
96
70
81
The Pileated Woodpccker autumn 2014 page 5
10 yr 27 yr
avg avg
SPECIES
10 yr 27 yr
2013 2012 2011 avg avg
7
6
8
19
Skimmer, Black
Snipe, Wilson (was
"Common")
Heron, Little Blue 219
75
126
157
204
Sparrow, House
0
0
8
2
14
Heron, Tri-colored 52
Heron, Yellow-crowned
Night 9
63
36
68
94
Spoonbill, Roseate
29
31
14
61
55
59
6
28
44
Starling, European
160
428
265
294
316
Stork, Wood
25
31
18
30
46
SPECIES
2013 2012 2011
Heron, Green
4
Ibis, White 1061 879 1004 1010 1115
271
577
0
203
142
0
0
0
0
1
Swallow, Tree
9
1212
83
460
200
3
2
3
4
6
Tern, Common
0
7
3
1
3
Kestrel, American 18
29
27
25
28
Tern, Forster's
18
99
568
119
181
Killdeer 35
77
78
63
55
Tern, Royal
424
822
867
643
798
Kingfisher, Belted 12
37
50
43
57
Tern, Sandwich
295
872
1781
960
627
Knot, Red 46
20
21
55
310
Turnstone, Ruddy
318
110
265
224
278
3
6
24
13
11
Vireo, Blue-headed
0
0
1
2
2
Mockingbird, Northern 21
28
34
46
62
Vireo, Red-eyed
0
1
0
0
0
Moorhen, Common 22
39
57
65
115
Vireo, White-eyed
1
3
0
3
3
Vulture, Black
3
2
121
19
24
Osprey 404
468
427
342
287
Vulture, Turkey
Warbler, Black and
White
Warbler, Common
Yellowthroat
218
430
377
181
231
1
3
1
2
5
16
6
18
19
20
Warbler, Palm
133
288
137
163
160
Warbler, Pine
4
16
6
7
3
Warbler, Prairie
Warbler, Yellowrumped
Warbler, Yellowthroated
0
3
4
4
10
105
235
165
240
315
4
6
10
7
6
Willet
615
187
491
358
434
Woodpecker, Downy
4
5
3
3
4
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker, Redbellied
41
55
87
52
49
136
149
220
149
137
Wren, Carolina
9
45
17
19
13
Wren, House
0
19
7
10
5
Yellowlegs, Greater
2
3
3
14
11
Yellowlegs, Lesser
0
2
7
6
8
Jay, Blue
Loon, Common
Owl, Barn
0
0
0
0
1
Owl, Great-horned
0
0
3
2
2
Owl, E. Screech
2
5
3
2
3
Oystercatcher, Am.
2
0
0
16
9
Parakeet, Monk
2
0
0
0
0
Pelican, Brown 849 1224 2339 1385 1197
Pelican, White 561
208
250
291
156
Phoebe, Eastern 29
28
32
24
20
Plover, Black-bellied 225
52
192
134
169
7
67
81
48
39
Plover, Snowy 12
2
7
6
12
0
3
1
10
0
620
32
9
21
38
377
21
17
30
1
891
87
17
83
13
791
48
23
85
31
930
71
31
122
2
5
0
6
48
2
6
0
4
6
5
4
5
2
3
Plover, Semi-palmated
Plover, Wilson's
Robin, American.
Sanderling
Sandpiper, Least
Sandpiper, Spotted
Sandpiper, Western
Sapsucker, Yellowbellied
Scoter, Black
Shrike, Loggerhead
0
TOTALS:
BIRDS
SPECIES
12411 14060 18477 14418 16581
96
PARTICIPANTS 121
104
142
103
130
100
102
The Pileated Woodpccker autumn 2014 page 6
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA AUDUBON
2015 LECTURE PROGRAM
SCHEDULE
Held at the Sanibel Community House
2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL
7:30PM Start Time - Doors open at
6:30PM
Suggested Donation - $5.00 per person
.January 8, 2015 – “Birding in the Land of
the Midnight Sun” – Join wildlife photographer, educator and guide, Shawn Carey as he
kicks off our lecture season by sharing his
expert images and intriguing stories from his
recent birding journey across Iceland.
January 15, 2015 – "The New and Enhanced Nature Trails of
Sanibel" – Holly Milbrandt, Environmental Biologist, Natural
Resources Department of the City of Sanibel, gives us a tour of
Sanibel’s unique public nature trail system with emphasis on the
many new additions of interest to both birders and nature enthusiasts.
January 22, 2015 – “The Plight of
the Snail Kite & Southeastern
American Kestrel” – Dr. Ken
Meyer of the University of FL,
Dept. of Wildlife Ecology, and
Founder of Avian Research and
Conservation Institute (ARCI), will
relate the background, present state,
and outlook of these unique raptors.
January 29, 2015 – “Adventures
with Island Amphibians and Reptiles” – San-Cap favorite, Charles
LeBuff is joined by Chris
Lechowicz, SCCF’s Director of
Wildlife Habitat Management, to
enlighten us on the variety and
lifestyle of our local cold blooded
neighbors from their new book,
Amphibians and Reptiles of Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Florida:
A Natural History.
February 5, 2015 – “Australia’s
Birds” - Ken Burgener, world
birder and head of CarefreeBirding.com takes us on a unique trip
down-under to discover the intriguing birds inhabiting this island continent.
February 12, 2015 –
“Fascinating Facets of the
Fakahatchee Strand” –
Mike Owen, Park Biologist at the Fakahatchee
Strand State Preserve, describes the uniqueness of
the largest strand swamp in
the Florida Park system. It is also the U.S. bromeliad and
orchid capital, Florida’s fern capital and houses the largest
population of Royal Palms in the country.
February 19, 2015 –
“Some Shore Birds of
Bunche Beach &
Sanibel” – Join bird
photographer par excellance, Rick Bunting, as he utilizes his
unique photographic
perspective to enhance
our understanding of
the bird species inhabiting our local shores.
February 26, 2015 – “America’s
Rarest Wading Bird – The Reddish Egret” – Dr. Ken Meyer,
founder of Avian Research and
Conservation Institute (ARCI),
returns to update us on his ground
breaking study of one of Sanibel’s
favorite birds, which is also the
rarest wading bird in the U.S.
The Pileated Woodpccker autumn 2014 page 7
Clair passed away on Friday, August 29, 2014. His
passion for studying and photographing the natural
world instilled in his family and those who knew
him both a love of nature and the value of lifelong
learning. Clair lives on through his beautiful and
insightful photographs, cherished memories we
hold of him in our hearts, and the smiles on our
faces when we think of him. Thanks to Bill Jacobson
============================================
REDDISH EGRET RESEARCH ON SANIBEL
Clarence "Clair" Postmus
1927 – 2014
With fond memories and heavy feelings of loss,
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon acknowledges the passing of Clair Postmus. For the fourteen year period
ending in 2004 Clair and his wife, Bev, were vital
components of the Sanibel birding community.
Their influence in mentoring Sanibel birders is undeniable. Many of San-Cap Audubon’s members,
past and present, owe their interest in birding and
nature in general to the teaching, enthusiasm and
friendship of Bev and Clair.
Bev and Clair were invaluable volunteers at J.N.
“Ding” Darling NWR and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) during their time in
Sanibel. While Bev was happy learning about the
natural world, Clair loved to photograph it. Clair’s
pictures have been published in books and magazines, and were regularly seen in many editions of
the Sanibel-Captiva Nature Calendar. Clair was
quick to say that Bev was the birder and he took
pictures. However, anyone who spent time with
him on a bird-walk or attended one of the many
birding classes he and Bev conducted at SCCF
knows he was also a darn good birder.
Clair’s wonderful bird photos were used by the
Postmuses in the many Thursday night San-Cap
Audubon lectures they presented over the years as
well as their in SCCF bird identification classes.
Many who attended their bird I. D. classes will remember being delighted by the whimsical byplay
between them during their presentations. On the
national stage they used Clair’s work in several
presentations at international meetings of the Photographic Society of America.
.
ARCI introduced Ding, a Reddish Egret fitted with a solar-powered, GPS-equipped satellite transmitter on 20
June 2014 at the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida. Ding's transmitter dispatches data to orbiting satellites, granting us the opportunity to study his movements every day. Some highlights we have seen include:
 Two days after being tagged, Ding flew nearly 4
miles east to a large wading bird nesting colony in Tarpon Bay, where he stayed just one day.
 Ding has favorite roosting and foraging locations
along the Refuge’s Wildlife Drive, which were quite predictable for the first two months of tracking. However, on
19 August, Ding began making 5-mile day trips north to
the southwest coast of Pine Island.
Ding's movements are tide dependent; as the tide recedes, it
opens up shallow foraging areas.
You too, can follow Ding. Link through our website to
see the last 14 days of Ding's movements: http://
arcinst.org/arci-tracking-studies and
http://arciavianconservation.blogspot.com/search?
updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:0005:00&max-results=6

AUTUMN 2014
The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva
Audubon Society
P.O. Box 957 Sanibel, Florida 33957
Newsletter reply only:
440 Glory Circle
Sanibel, FL 33957
[email protected] 239-579-0720
AUTUMN 2014

A Message from our President,
Jim Griffith

Bird and Birdwatching Notes

2015 Bird Walks

Christmas Bird Count, Notes,
2013 Results

2015 Audubon Lecture Series

Claire Postmus Remembered

Reddish Egret Research at Ding
FIRST C
LASS M
AIL
Darling
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