8/8/2019 November 2010 Scrub Jay Newsletter, Audubon of Martin County

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8/8/2019 November 2010 Scrub Jay Newsletter, Audubon of Martin County

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

M e s s a g e f r o m o u r P r e s i d e n tby Lisa Fiore

STAFF MEMBERS

Managing Director Pam Hopkins 772-285-1445

  Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Clark 772-545-2404

BOARD MEMBERS

President Lisa Fiore 772-528-9707

 Vice President Fran Stewart 772-245-8180

Treasurer Robert Gordon 772-546-2206

Secretary Carol Newton 772-209-0789

Past President Laurie Odlum 772-486-2837

Director Curt Wood 772-546-5435

Director Susan Whiting 772-220-1992

Director Susan Smyth 772-692-3489

Director/Garden Louise White 772-283-4416

Conservation Tony Chatowsky 000-000-0000

Education Linda Wishney 772-486-1935

Field Trips Mary Starzinski 772-221-9953

Legal Bob Matheson 772-485-0944

Membership Bev Poppke 772-286-0061

Programs Ed Fielding 772-286-6131

Properties Greg Braun 561-575-2028

Possum Long Nature Ctr. Pam Hopkins 772-285-1445

Publicity Joan Bausch pr@audubonmartincounty.org

Resource Dev. Debbie Clark 772-545-2404

  Youth Liason Jessie Green

OTHER IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Bluebird Coordinator/ Librarian Bev Poppke

Eaglewatch Coordinator Jim Kearman

Cranewatch Coordinator Pam Hopkins

Jaywatcher Coordinator Pam Hopkins

Christmas Bird Count Liz Hailman

Webmaster Jim Kearman

 AUDUBON HOUSE DOCENTS

Dina Allison, Ed Fisher, Dawn Hutchinson, Bev Poppke, Linda Wishney

Contact Your U. S. Senators

Bill Nelson 202-224-5274Second seat is up for election November 2.

 A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of 

Consumer Services toll-free within Florida 800-435-7352. Registration does not imply endorsement,

approval, or recommendation by the state.

The Scrub Jay is published seven times a year

on recycled paper

Saturday, November 20, 2010. Blue Cypress LakeRegister early, as this sunrise birding/paddling trip is limited to 12

lucky participants. We will launch at 6 am from the Middleton FishCamp at Blue Cypress Lake with our guides, Dr. Richard Baker, presidenof the Pelican Island Audubon Society and Dr. Juanita Baker.

 At over 6500 acres, Blue Cypress Lake is the largest lake on theTreasure Coast. It derives its name from the blue appearance of thecypress trees as the rising rays of the sun reflect off the water. Expect tosee hundreds of osprey in the cypress trees.

There is a charge of $20/person in addition to our regular $5 fee formembers. This is Dr. Baker’s requested contribution to the Pelican Islan Audubon Society.

Please bring your own boat. Dr. Baker will provide canoes if you donot have access to a boat but please let us know ahead of time. There

will be no extra canoes unless requested.Consider staying at the Middleton Fish camp (800-258-5002 or

772-778-0150) as the put-in time is early. Toilet and showers are avail-able.

The Bakers will be in a van on site during the night. We will meetat the Middleton Fish camp at Blue Cypress Lake at 5:30 am. Directionswill be provided to participants.

 We would love to get to know you! Please join us on November 18 after our regular pro-

gram meeting for coffee and dessert to welcomback our members who fly north for the sum-mer.

 Also, please stop by for a visit and get toknow us! There's a lot of work being done atPossum Long to make it an even more beautifuplace. The Stormwater Retrofit Project is near-ing completion and progress is being madedaily.

Our Ospreys should be returning any day,if not already, and Belted Kingfishers have beenspotted, among others.

Remember to save this date: January 23rd

2011! We'll be having the dedication of theStormwater Retrofit Project and we would lovefor you to be there.

Many, many thanks to the Cancer BiologyGroup at Scripps for their hard work clearinginvasives at Possum Long on October 2nd.

 Lisa

Field Tr ip Informat ion (cont inued)

BOARD MEMBERS 2010-11

Executive Director - Greg Braun

561-575-2028 Office

561-575-0042 Fax

exec-dir@audubonmartincounty.org

The fee for trips is $5 for Audubon members; $10 for non-mem-bers. Proceeds go to our local chapter. Sign up and reserve your fieldtrip space by emailing Mary and Kathy at fieldtrips@audubonmartin-county.org or calling 772-221-9953 (home) or 772-233-2820.

Patricia Neidhart

Randy Swaringen

Harris & Kathy Schulman

Norma Patel

Garry Gardner

Terry Rauth

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Bird watchers often overlook common birds,such as the Boat-tailed Grackle, when out in the field.‘Tis a shame as the behavior of all birds is interestingand, of some, mind boggling.

 We were birding at a Stormwater Treatmentfacility near Manatee Pocket in eastern Martin

County one day and observed a Boat-tailed Gracklestanding in the marsh. The grackle would cock itshead to one side, look down and then probe into themarsh. This behavior caught our attention as the birdcontinued the combined moves for five minutes. Atthe end of this time, the grackle hauled a fresh watermussel out of the marsh. We figured the gracklecould never open the mussel. We were provenwrong. A few moments of bill manipulation and theshells were split and the mussel meat had been eaten.

Research led to the discovery that Common andBoat-tailed Grackles are fitted out with a hard keel onthe top of their upper mandible (bill) with which

they crack open nuts, egg shells and shellfish-includ-ing fresh water mussels!

Floridians have Boat-tailed Grackles all over theState near fresh, brackish or salt water. If you arelooking for Boat-tailed Grackles in the rest of thecountry you will have to look in the tidewater areas.

These grackles love the mudflats where they can foage for shellfish, catch aquatic insects, frogs, shrimpand small fish. A truly omnivorous bird, the gracklwill also eat seed and grain, as well as fledgling birdKenn Kaufman in his Lives of North American Birds ,notes that Boat-tailed Grackles will go into heron

colonies and eat eggs out of nests.The female Boat-tailed Grackles are the star of 

the family. Not only do they build the nest, lay andincubate the eggs, but are the only ones to feed theyoung until they fledge. It seems the male of thespecies exerts so much energy in finding a mate hecan’t deal with raising the family. To give the male alittle credit, his courtship routine is quite a show. Hfinds a perch in the open and then proceeds tospread the keel-shaped tail, flutter his wings, bob hhead up and down in the light to show off his glossplumage at the same time utter harsh and gutturalsounds as well as whistles that can actually sound

like a wolf whistle.Bird behavior is what makes bird watching suc

a wonderful hobby. So don’t just mark off the birdson your checklist as you see them, take some time study and enjoy their behavior.

Howard Petrie

Carol Newton

in recognition of 

her mother

Betty McLure

BIRD OF THE MONTH

 By Susan B. Whiting 

THANK YOU 

SPONSORS

Boat-tailed Grackle(Quiscalus major) 

hoto credit: Lanny McDowell

 AoMC Education Coordinator, Linda Wishney,announces “Birding Adventures for Children” willtake place Saturday, November 20, 2010, from 9 amto 12 pm, at 621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart,Florida, 34994. Children in grades 6, 7, 8 (MiddleSchool) are invited to attend.

 All children will need permission to attend andmust be accompanied by an adult.

The event includes: Introduction to the worbirding, bird ID, and habitats; Hiking our trails tsee birds, including our new osprey nesting site newly created pond; Powerpoint presentation of birds; Sketching of birds and journal entries of obirding encounters; Demonstration and discussioenvironmental issues. The event is free. Pick up istration and permission forms at the office.

Birding Adventures for Childrenat Possum Long Nature Center November 20

New member Howard Petrie brings Scripp’s colleagues to PLNC Oct 2 to assist with land stewardship in the hammock just east of the chickee. Invasive plants

removed and hammock friendly species were planted. Joining the crew are Lisa Fiore,AoMC president; Pam Hopkins, managing director and members of her

Creation Team, Jim Stewart and Ralph Mallory.

Photos courtesy of Dean Smith

Newport Storm:

Gigantic waves

riptides

no surfers out -

except sanderlings,

running the wash.

Tony Chatowsky

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Non-profitOrganization

U. S. Postage PaidPermit #57

Stuart, FL 34994

621 S.E Palm Beach Road

Stuart, FL 34994

Logo design by Shark River Creative,

Jensen Beach, Florida. 772-232-1384

photos courtesy of Dean Smith

Thank you Partners!

City of Stuart

Eddie Huggins Land Grading

Evergreen Engineering

KLS Earth Concepts

Florida Pole Setters

Frenchy’s Crane Service

Lucido Associates

National Resources

Conservation Service

SFWMD

St. Lucie River Issues Team

and

Our Many Volunteers,

and Board MembersPartners pictured left to right, front row: Karen Sjoholm of KLS,

Kevin Henderson of Evergreen Engineering, Shannon Martin of

Eddie Huggins, Donna Smith of NRCS. Second row left, Kathy

LaMartina of South Florida Water Management District, and Scott

Wolfe of Lucido and Associates.

Board members pictured left to right, front row, Doug Warns, Greg

Braun, Pam Hopkins, Joan Bausch,Louise White, Bob Matheson.

Second row, left to right, Carol Newton,Curt Wood,Lisa Fiore, Ed

Fielding, Linda Wishney, Bev Poppke, Debbie Clark.

Missing from photo: Susan Smyth,Tony Chatowsky, Mary Starzinski,

Fran Stewart, Soo Whiting, Bob Gordon,Laurie Odlum, Dan Roberts and

Jessie Green.