Message Alert - You Have 1 Important Unread Message!
http://martines.zoomshare.com/files/sexygirl.htm

“SAVE THE DATE”
2009 Marine Resource Council (MRC) &
Partnership for a Sustainable Future Christmas Party
and
Sierra Club Winter Solstice
December 12, 2009. 5:00 p.m.
At the Lagoon House, on U.S. 1
(3275 Dixie HWY. NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905)

A pot luck celebration.
Live Entertainment, Fun and Friendship!
NO RSVP Required.
Hosted by MRC
Maureen Rupe, 2009 MRC Christmas Party Chair (639-6839)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello All



Have been seeing a lone MFB coming over from the beach to the Banana River
in South Cocoa Beach on occasions for the last couple of weeks.



Today at around 4.30 pm one immature came over and ten minutes or so later 3
more birds including a male met up with the first bird and gave a wonderful
display for 5 or 6 minutes before disappearing from my view ( from the pool)
over the buildings towards the river. Wonderful sight for me.



Not much else to report except the wonderful views of ever present Ospreys
fishing.

Best wishes

Sylvia



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A light morph Short-Tailed Hawk was circling near Michigan Ave and Rt. 1  about
2:00 today. I only got a 2 second glimpse but it is quite distinctive with the
black primaries contrasting with the white body.

Brad Martin


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There were about two dozen skimmers at Parrish Park in Titusville late this
afternoon. Parrish Park is along the causeway that includes the boat ramps east
of the Indian River on SR 406. The group was just east of the road construction
on the north side of the causeway. These are the first ones I have seen for this
migration cycle. A rude person drove their car between the birds and me while I
was taking photos. The birds flew but returned. Other people honked their horns
as they passed trying to spook the flock. One person however, was considerate as
they wanted to look too. They asked what kind of birds those were so I was happy
to help them with their appreciation of what they were seeing.

Jim Boland
Titusville, Fl

Hey Everybirdy,


Brevard County Parks and Recreation invites you to ride with us on Sunday
December 20, 2009, for a beginning bird tour through some very distinct
Florida habitat in and around the lake Kissimmee area.  We will be riding
along Joe Overstreet Road and the public boat ramp, which runs through 5.5
miles of pastures and flatlands and open out onto Lake Kissimmee.  Many
interesting bird species to be encountered all along the way including
Crested Caracara and the endangered Snail Kite as well as possible looks at
resident non-migratory Whooping Cranes.  If time permits we will also
explore limited areas of 3 Lakes Wildlife Management Area.  Tour will depart
from Kiwanis Island Park at 7:30 a.m. and return around 3:00.  Bring your
lunch with you.  You must pre-register for this trip by calling 455-1385.
Fee:  $25.00

   See you out there!

Tom Dunkerton
Titusville, FL


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 12/4/09 6:34:20 AM, info@... writes:


>
> Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> A Pepper Busting event is scheduled at Ulumay Park Wildlife Sanctuary for
> December 11 and 12.�We are seeking volunteers to work in three person
> teams.�One person will operate the chainsaw. A second team member will take
the
> lead in removing limbs from the immediate area after cutting.� The third
> team member will apply herbicide to the stumps shortly after
> cutting.�Training and assistance will be provided on-site. We are seeking
volunteers who
> can work either Friday or Saturday.�If you only want to work for a couple of
> hours, your help will be greatly appreciated.� Work will start at 8 AM and
> we will continue until 4 PM.
>
> Saturday, December 12 is also a cleanup day in coordination with Keep
> Brevard Beautiful. We plan to be removing exotic pest plants in near the
> entrance while�removing the trash�from other areas.�
>
> If you cannot perform physically demanding work, we need some people to
> handle tasks like welcoming the workers at the entrance.
>
> �
>
> If you have already volunteered for this event, we look forward to your
> participation.
>
> Please send an email to vince@... or call Vince at
> 321-258-5168 to sign up or ask questions.
>
>
> Friends of Ulumay
> www.ulumay.org
>
>
>
>
>
> You provided your email address at a Friends of Ulumay event.
>
> Unsubscribe smljay@... from this list.
>
> Our mailing address is:
>
> Friends of Ulumay
>
> 11590 Dragon Point Drive
> Merritt Island, FL 32952-7001
>
> Add us to your address book
>
> Copyright (C) 2009 Friends of Ulumay All rights reserved.
>
> Forward this email to a friend
> Update your profile
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: Turtle Coast Sierra Club
>
>  Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 6:19 AM
>
>  Subject: Sierra Club nature hike on Sunday
>
> Visit a unique Florida landscape with the Turtle Coast Sierra Club. Smack
> dab in the middle of Rockledge is the Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary
> , part of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands program.
> Since 1990, Brevard County has purchased for conservation and passive
> recreation, lands that represent important biodiversity of the local
environment.
> The Cruickshank Sanctuary is a 140-acre pocket of Florida oak scrub, an
> ecosystem found only in Florida and fast disappearing. Learn how proper
> management of the land has restored the landscape to its previous condition
and the
> impact this restoration has had on the return of the Florida Scrub Jay.
>
> This small island of Florida scrub in the suburban area is home to very
> special animals and plants endemic to Florida, found nowhere else in the
> world! Residents we hope to see include the personable and family-oriented
> Florida Scrub Jays and Gopher Tortoises as well as many unusual plants. So if
> you enjoy learning about what makes Florida special, a leisurely walk on
> sandy paths and fine fall weather, please join us for a couple of hours on the
> morning of December 6th.
>  There is no charge for the outing, but you must call Deborah
> Longman-Marien at 321-305-4344 to reserve a spot and for time and place to
meet. Plan
> to bring water, hat and sunscreen, binoculars.
>
>  Sierra Club - Turtle Coast Group
>
>  �
>
>
>
> It was sent from: Turtle Coast Sierra Club, 11590 Dragon Point Drive,
> Merritt Island, FL 32952.
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey Everybirdy,

   Take a trip with Brevard County Parks and Recreation on Sunday December 6,
200 to TM Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, a nearly 6,300 acre restoration
project in the upper St. John's Basin in southwest Brevard County.  The
project is designed to creat high-quality wetland habitat for wintering,
migrating, and resident waterfowl and other wetland wildlife, and to provide
recreational opportunities to the public.
   We will tour the grounds to encounter some of Florida's resident species
as well as wintering migrants.

   Tour will depart from Kiwanis Island at 7:30 a.m. and return around 2:30
p.m.  Don't forget to bring your lunch.  You MUST pre-register for this
trip.
   Call 455-1385 for information.  Fee: $20.00


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello All,

Jim and I are working the contact process now and we'll be following-up with
phone calls to leaders and others soon.

It may be easier for you (and us) if you reply via e-mail rather than by phone
but whichever way you choose is OK.

Here's what we'd like to know:Will you be joining us on the Best Refuge Count in
the US this year?

If you've been one of our team leaders, will you continue in that role? (We have
all the info on what area you cover etc)

Jim and I need to put together teams, arrange transport, secure badges, order
healthy doughnuts etc. soon- so if you will take a minute to reply we can put
this thing together.

Here's the info:
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Christmas Bird Count

Monday,December 21st...Meet @ Refuge VIC 5:30 AM (a little earlier for coffee
and healthy breakfast stuff-see above)

Notes-
Because of your excellent photo and/or written documentation of species observed
on last year's count, the following rarities were accepted with no problem:

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Ross's Goose
Black-necked Stilt
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Clay-colored Sparrow
Short-tailed Hawk

Thanks to all of you for providing great documentation.  We are in the Digital
Camera Age; Bring yours along-shoot rare stuff-email me the pix...photos just
have to be good enough for ID.

Oh, there are a few birds in the area that Jim will be gathering up and
relocating to the Refuge soon...Purple Sandpiper at Ponce Inlet, Neotropical
Cormorant at Viera Wetlands and Bluebirds near the Biolab...also a Flamingo was
on the Black Point Wildlife Drive last month.








A little Historical Trivia-
Some Big Numbers from the past on the Refuge CBC




American Wigeon�.10,889�'76


Blue-winged Teal�..5,000�'03


American Green-winged Teal�.7,800�'71


Canvasback�.576�'77


Redhead�.10,000�'72


Ring-necked Duck�.2,563�'88


Bufflehead�.680�'73


Ruddy Duck�.1,157�'97


Horned Grebe�.495�'73


Northern Gannet�.6,150�'07


American White Pelican�.10,000�'02


Brown Pelican�.1,800�'72


Black-crowned Night-Heron�.132�'06


Osprey�.629�'94


Northern Harrier�.93�'76


Merlin�.22�'76


Sora�.210�'77


American Coot�.70,300�'75


Western Sandpiper2,000�'71


Short-billed Dowitcher�.1,597�'95


Least Sandpiper�.2,090�'07


Herring Gull�.1,362�'82


Black Skimmer�.1,160�'06


Royal Tern�.1,496�'73


Tree Swallow�.103,377�'87


American Goldfinch�.1,185�'74


Please let us know soon-we need to tweak some teams etc.,


Ned Steel (nedsteel@...) and Jim Pedersen




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mitchell Harris, Ken LaBorde, and I saw the bird about an hour ago in
the north Click Pond.  It was very active, sometimes hanging with the
Double-cresteds, sometimes swimming off on it's own.  It flew toward
the Viera Wetlands once, then turned back and landed in the north
pond again.

David Simpson
Fellsmere, FL

On Nov 30, 2009, at 2:48 PM, Thomas J. Dunkerton wrote:

> Hey Everybirdy,
>
>   Took a quick ride to Viera.  It was close to vehicles when I
> arrived as a grader was working the dike roads.  So I walked up to
> look out over cell one and observed an interesting pair of birds
> chasing each other over the southwestern corner of the cell.  Got
> them in the bins to recognize the substantial size difference and
> joked to myself "imagine a neotropic?".  Lo and behold they began
> to fly towards me, and I was able to see the white edges to the
> throat, this bird also exhibits the white tuft on the side of the
> head and very clear size differnce from the double crested flying
> with it.
>   It broke of from the Double-crested, and headed towards the cick
> ponds.  After a couple drives around it was not relocated and I
> went back to the wetlands area to watch a large flock of Tree
> Swallows working the wax myrtles.  After a short time I went back
> to the ponds and found the Neotropic perched at the pump station
> between the two click ponds.  It then joined a small group of
> Double-crested in the norht pond.  Good luck if you go!
>
>   See you  out there!
>
> Tom Dunkerton
> Titusville, FL
> To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv
> list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/
> archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET
> BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV@... Report any
> problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin@...
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ______<neotropic flight.jpg><neotropic perched.jpg>

Hey Everybirdy,

   Took a quick ride to Viera.  It was close to vehicles when I arrived as a
grader was working the dike roads.  So I walked up to look out over cell one
and observed an interesting pair of birds chasing each other over the
southwestern corner of the cell.  Got them in the bins to recognize the
substantial size difference and joked to myself "imagine a neotropic?".  Lo
and behold they began to fly towards me, and I was able to see the white
edges to the throat, this bird also exhibits the white tuft on the side of
the head and very clear size differnce from the double crested flying with
it.
   It broke of from the Double-crested, and headed towards the cick ponds.
After a couple drives around it was not relocated and I went back to the
wetlands area to watch a large flock of Tree Swallows working the wax
myrtles.  After a short time I went back to the ponds and found the
Neotropic perched at the pump station between the two click ponds.  It then
joined a small group of Double-crested in the norht pond.  Good luck if you
go!

   See you  out there!

Tom Dunkerton


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yesterday and today there were three Eastern Bluebirds present near the Sendler
Education Outpost on Rt. 3 in Merritt Island NWR.  Today I last saw them perched
on the power line going into the Sendler Education Outpost and flying into the
stand of trees nearbye.  I have a few photos I took of the birds today but have
never set up a Yahoo site so if anyone would like to see them, please send me a
request.  They are not great shots but you can see what the birds are.  They are
pretty shy so stay in your car if you find them.  Al Brayton, Titusville, Fl
abrayton@...    Eastern Bluebirds are not listed in the MINWR checklist
and are listed as rare in the cc of the Brevard Co list I have.

Hi All and Happy Thanksgiving,

Took advantage of a trip over to Clermont for Thanksgiving Dinner to check out
some "flycatchers." �First stop was Scrub Jay Lane in Minneola for the
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher--yes! �Bird wasn't on�Scrub Jay Lane�but across Rt
561A from the T-intersection, on the powerline along a dirt road/driveway. �As a
bonus, there was a Western Kingbird in a small tree on the west corner of Scrub
Jay Ln and Rt 561A. �by the way, if you head from here over to see the Say's
Phoebe, you can turn left onto Rt 561A and it will take you to Rt 561; turn
right and follow previously posted directions to Astatula.

Speaking of the Say's Phoebe, it was present but on the left side of the road,
along the fenceline that's through the middle of the field. �Chased an Eastern
Phoebe. �Am. Kestrel hanging out in the area along with several E. Phoebes.

Happy hunting!
--
Sarah Linney
Cocoa, FL


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There have been very few birds in Lori Wilson Hammock all fall.   When I walked
today I was pleasantly surprised to see a small flock- mainly Yellow-rumped
Warblers and several Blue Jays,  but  the Yellow-throated Vireo was a lovely
addition.  One was in the hammock this past winter, seen in January and
February.

Also seen today were two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Blue-headed and White-eyed
Vireos. A Phoebe called from a snag above the pond.

Phyllis Mansfield,
Cocoa Beach,
Every Day a New Adventure

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

��� I am fairly certain that a small flock of perhaps 12 to 15 flew high
overhead this morning. I, too, was without binocs and really heard them more so
than saw anything identifiable. I was unsure, but now having seen both of these
posts...I believe they were Robins afterall. This was in the Sharps area of
Cocoa.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Everyone,

I was pretty sure I saw one (heard it first) fly over my house 11/12,.

Then thought I saw a small flock the following day but I was driving
(had no binocs on either occasion).

I live in south Titusville, saw the flock closer to downtown.

Thanks, Madeline Klinko

-----Original Message-----
From: SpaceCoastAudubon@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:SpaceCoastAudubon@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Nicolay
Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 12:44 PM
To: Space_Coast_Audubon_Society_eMail_List
Subject: [SpaceCoastAudubon] American Robin


Hello all,

We had our first American Robin on November 17th. We wonder if anyone
else has been spotting them?

Every bird, a good bird,

Mary and Hugh Nicolay

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello all,

We had our first American Robin on November 17th.  We wonder if anyone else has
been spotting them?

Every bird, a good bird,

Mary and Hugh Nicolay

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

About ten participants showed up for the field trip at Sebastian Inlet State
Park this morning, and we weren't disappointed.  Before the trip even started I
found a winter plumage Franklin's Gull in the mixed flock of gulls, terns,
skimmers, and shorebirds in the tidal cove.  Songbirds included stunning looks
at an Orange-crowned Warbler, decent looks at Black-and-White and Prairie
Warblers, and a few House Wrens that we only heard and could not see.  While
scanning the ocean we had a 30 minute burst of excitement when everyone in the
group got to see a Cory's Shearwater within 250 yards of the shore, several
Magnificent Frigatebirds, multiple flocks of Northern Gannets, and most people
got on one of the 3 jaegers seen (I think there were 1 Pomarine and 2
Parasitics).  The roosting flocks on the south side of the inlet produced a
single Common Tern and several Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls.

I think most people on the trip added a few new birds to their life list!

Good Birding,
Andy Bankert


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi all,
Had our first American Goldfinches here at the feeders today, 4 so far.
Hopefully they'll bring friends. I had heard a goldfinch about 3 days ago, but
it was just passing over high up in the "stratosphere".   It would be great to
have a year again like 1999-2000 winter, the last big finch invasion year.  On a
side note we had a FOTS American Robin way back on November 6th, but none since.
Poor bunting year so far, and average RThummingbird year(no western strays this
fall).
bob
rpaxson@...
South Merritt Island, Fl

The automatic reminder was not refreshed - I'll have it set up for next month's
meeting.  Don't forget about our General Meeting tonight!  Speaker is Rich
Ataman, Photographer.

Date: Friday November 20, 2009
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Rockledge Presbyterian Church
Street: 921 Rockledge Drive
City/State/Zip: Rockledge, FL 32955

==========

Directions:

From Cocoa: South on US1, turn left on Orange Avenue. Take it to the end and the
church is on the left.

From Melbourne: North on US1, turn right on Orange Avenue. Take it to the end
and the church is on the left.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any board
member. Contact information is located on the inside of the Limpkin or on the
website at www.spacecoastaudubon.org.

Look forward to seeing you there!!

Does anyone know the exact number? I tried to count from the FWC website and I
came up with 39.

Thanks
Betsy S. Franz

Only a few fieldtrips remaining this year.  Hope to see you out there.



Upcoming SCAS Field Trips:



Saturday, November 21 - Sebastian Inlet State Park led by Andy Bankert.
Meet 8:00 a.m. at the parking lot under the bridge on the North side of
Sebastian Inlet State Park.  Entrance fee for park.



Sunday, November 22 - Blue Heron Wetlands and Canaveral Marsh led by Matt
Heyden & Lora Losi.  Meet  8:00 a.m. at Cracker Barrel parking lot in
Titusville on Hwy. 50 west side of  I-95.



Saturday, November 28 - 10:00 a.m. Kayak trip to Thousand Islands in Cocoa
Beach led by kayak nature guide Jim Durocher.  Great activity for the
Saturday after Thanksgiving.  This easy, fun, and relaxed paddle will
feature migratory as well as resident wading and shore birds in addition to
manatees and other marine life.  You will receive the discounted rate of $20
which includes kayak, life vest, paddle, sunscreen, water and instructions
for a 2+ hour paddle.  Bring your own boat $10.  Family and friends of
members are welcome for this adventure. We can stop and see the progress of
the invasive plant removal and native plantings on one of the islands by the
Brevard Environmentally Endangered Lands Program.) We will be launching at
the pavilion by the Cocoa Beach golf course-pool-tennis courts.  Please call
Jim at 321-243-0279 for more information or to make a reservation.  Check
out his website www.spacecoastkayaking.net





Vicky Hamilton,

SCAS Field Trip Coordinator







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi all,

I spent the morning tromping around Teague Hammock Preserve in St.
Lucie County.  I had a great time and added two more species to my
St. Lucie list.  The place is pretty dry right now.  It has a lot of
potential for rails and sparrows as well as migrant songbirds.  Paleo
Hammock, right across the road and has more hammock and some
wetlands.  Eventually, or maybe they already have done it, there will
be a trail leading over to Hackberry Hammock as well.

Here is a link to Teague Hammock Preserve

http://www.stlucieco.gov/erd/teague.htm

It's a great site for county listing.

David Simpson
Fellsmere, FL

Begin forwarded message:

> From: do-not-reply@...
> Date: November 18, 2009 3:49:24 PM EST
> To: simpsondavid@...
> Subject: eBird Report - Teague Hammock Preserve  St. Lucie , 11/18/09
>
>
>
> Location:     Teague Hammock Preserve  St. Lucie
> Observation date:     11/18/09
> Notes:     Walked all trails and most of perimeter.  Dawn on
> Carlton Road at the south gate.  Foggy early.  Calm and mostly
> sunny later.
> Number of species:     57
>
> Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - Dendrocygna autumnalis     1
> Heard in the dark.  Flyover?
> Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo     2
> Northern Bobwhite - Colinus virginianus     1
> Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
> Great Egret - Ardea alba     1     Flyover
> Snowy Egret - Egretta thula     1     Flyover
> Green Heron - Butorides virescens     2
> Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus     1     Flyover
> Wood Stork - Mycteria americana     1     Flyover
> Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus     10
> Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     30
> Snail Kite - Rostrhamus sociabilis     1     Flyover.  Male headed
> south.
> Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus     4
> Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
> American Kestrel - Falco sparverius     1
> Virginia Rail - Rallus limicola     1     Pond near south line.
> Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis     2
> Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus     1
> Wilson's Snipe - Gallinago delicata     1
> Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     5
> Barred Owl - Strix varia     1
> Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     4
> Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus     1
> Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus     1     South fence line.
> Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     16
> White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus     4
> Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     2
> American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     3
> Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     300     Heading north and
> sitting on power lines north of property.
> Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     13
> House Wren - Troglodytes aedon     40
> Sedge Wren - Cistothorus platensis     37
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula     3
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea     16
> American Robin - Turdus migratorius     30
> Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     29
> Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     4
> Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum     1
> Magnolia Warbler - Dendroica magnolia     4
> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     45
> Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica     3
> Palm Warbler - Dendroica palmarum     19
> Palm Warbler (Western) - Dendroica palmarum palmarum     8
> Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     1
> Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     2
> Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis     1
> Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     24
> Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus     2
> Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis     7
> Grasshopper Sparrow - Ammodramus savannarum     2
> Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana     12
> Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     10
> Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea     4
> Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris     10     Nine green birds.  All
> birds found in hammocks
> Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     1
> Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna     8
> Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1
>
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I drove through Viera Wetlands on Sunday and the place was PACKED.  It was a
gorgeous day. I didn't see much that was unusual but did get some good shots of
what I think are a male and a juvenile common yellowthroat. I thought this
kissy-face photo was cute, too.

http://www.takecareofflorida.com/2birds.jpg

Also, just wanted to let everyone know about a project that me and my friends
and family are working on in memory of relatives that we have recently lost.
http://www.naturesdetails.net/BetsyFranz/lousgreenhouse.htm

We will be having plant sales and other events to help raise funds. I will also
be offering my photos and books as incentives for donations. My two latest books
are Chicken Soup for the Soul books which contain some of my essays. One of the
newest books, Count Your Blessings, has an essay about how I first saw
hummingbirds after a hurricane. (And there's the little guy outside right now!
All these years after the storms!)

All my best,
Betsy S. Franz
www.naturesdetails.net

I got my first of the season painted bunting on my feeder this
morning. It was a female. We removed a lot of the brush from the yard
this summer, so I was a little worried my little buddy buntings
wouldn't come back, but they seem to have found  me!

Dee

In a message dated 11/15/09 1:07:46 PM, joan.faulls@...
writes:


>
>
> Hello,
>
>  We would like to invite you to come to the Forest during this beautiful
> weather.
>  Below are listed the programs going on in November and our December Music
> event.
>  Flyers are attached for your info. 
>   
>  LUNCH WITH NATURE – Tues., Nov. 17 - 12:00noon.  Bring your bag lunch and
> enjoy while listening to the dynamic Erin LeClair speak about recycling. 
>   
>  FRIENDS OF THE ENCHANTED FOREST meeting, Thurs., Nov. 19 - 6:30 pm. 
> Please join us at the Forest in the evening.  It’s beautiful here at night.
>   
>  SCOTTSMOOR FLATWOODS SANCTUARY - VOLUNTEER WORKDAY – Sat., Nov. 21 -
> 9:00am to 12:00noon.  This is a chance to explore Scottsmoor and help to
remove
> trash and debris from this site after a controlled burn.  Please be sure
> to wear old clothes and close-toed shoes; and bring water, insect repellant,
> hat and gloves.
>  MEET at Parrish Park - Scottsmoor, 4055 Magoon Ave., Scottsmoor, Florida.
>  Directions:  From Northbound I-95, take Exit 223 (SR46) and go East on
> SR46 for 1.5 miles.  At US Hwy. 1, make a left and go North 7 miles to Magoon
> Ave., make a left and continue west to the park.
>  From Southbound I-95, take Exit 231 (5A) and go East to US Hwy. 1, make a
> right and go South 1 mile, make a right onto Magoon Ave. and continue west
> to the park.
>   
>  PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB – Sat., Nov. 21 - 9:00 - 11:00am  The Friends of the
> Enchanted Forest offer this fun class on photography and a chance to share
> info and photos.  This program is free and reservations are not required.
>   
>  LEAF LITTER CRITTERS - Sat., Nov. 21 - 11:00am - 1:00pm.  Crustaceans on
> land?  Discover these and other organisms living in and on the leaf litter
> at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary.  This program is free and fun for all
> ages. 
>   
>  THANKSGIVING DAY - THURSDAY, Nov. 26 - The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
> will be closed.  Happy Holiday.
>  FRIDAY, Nov. 27 - the Sanctuary will be open. 
>   
>  MUSIC IN THE FOREST – Holly Daze – Sat., Dec. 5  -  5:00 – 8:00 PM. 
> Night event - Come enjoy the sights and sounds of the Forest and the musicians
> playing on the screened porch at night.  You may bring a picnic dinner and
> enjoy this musical event.  This is a great opportunity to be in the Forest
> at night.
>   
>
>  All programs are free and fun for all ages
>  For more info, please call 321-264-5185 or visit www.eelbrevard.com.
>   
>  We hope to see you in the Forest !
>   
>   
>  Joanie G. Faulls
>  Sanctuary Steward
>  The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
>  321- 264-5185
>   
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In case you missed the article in the Sunday paper....
Sarah Linney


>
> Years at sea shape activist's life on land
>
>
>  BY JIM WAYMER • FLORIDA TODAY • November 15, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
>  TITUSVILLE — -- "Shortie" gripped the wheel, pointed her vessel straight
> into the oncoming 40-foot swells. No time to think of all the bad things
> that could happen, or the decision to keep fishing in the threat of a storm.
>  Laurilee Thompson had much to prove as a young, 5-foot-2 captain of a
> "longline" swordfishing boat nearly three decades ago. She was among the first
> women in Florida to try it.
>  Thompson and her crew chose to stay among the big fish near the Keys,
> rather than power north away from the approaching hurricane as the veteran
> captains had urged.
>  She needed money. Her father, a boat builder, had gone bankrupt. He
> borrowed at sky-high interest to keep his last boat, the 65-foot "Mary Jean"
--
> named after her mother -- so Thompson could fish and be the family
> breadwinner.
>  But now, a tempest trapped her. For three days, the ocean pounded and
> sloshed onto the cabin floor.
>  "We were just trying to stay alive," said Thompson, now 56. "We were just
> trying to keep the boat from turning over . . . It takes every ounce of
> your being to focus on holding the wheel steady."
>  Today, "Shortie" faces another storm, this time economic. Thompson sees
> the toughest challenge yet to her family business and her hometown since
> Apollo ended.
>  "The end of the shuttle program is catastrophic," Thompson said, sitting
> in Dixie Crossroads, the seafood restaurant her father opened a quarter
> century ago.
>  But Thompson stays positive and focused, always selling the reasons why
> tourists should come here.
>  When the shuttle lands for the last time, there'll be thousands of jobs
> lost and one less reason for people to visit the Space Coast.
>  "She electrifies the environment and makes things happen," said Truman
> Scarborough, a Titusville lawyer and former Brevard County commissioner.
> "Somehow Laurilee is that spark that unites the community. She's able to go
> from the dirty dish at the restaurant to talking with the most powerful people
> in the state."
>  Thompson "grew up" on her city's pier, fourth-generation Titusville: a
> crabber, shrimper, longliner, then restaurateur and ecotourism visionary. The
> international birding festival she pioneered brings an estimated $1
> million annually to the local economy.
>  "If you dwell on the negative, you'll just make yourself crazy," said
> Thompson, vice president of the Tourism Development Council. "Once again,
> Brevard has the opportunity to diversify."
>
>  Growing up in the biz
>
>  As a young girl, Laurilee dipped shrimp nets from Titusville Pier. Her
> grandfather, Herbert Thompson, owned and ran it.
>  Among her crusades has been to fix the landmark after hurricanes ravaged
> it, to maintain the city's fishing culture.
>  Her father, Rodney, a shipbuilder, ran Thompson Trawlers and a seafood
> processing plant.
>  Laurilee wasn't into frilly dresses or dolls. By elementary school, she
> already knew how to work with fiberglass.
>  As a teenager, "Shortie," as friends called her, hit the pier daily after
> school, slipped on high boots, yellow rubber overalls and a cap, then
> motored out in a 14-foot wooden boat to empty her crab traps. She could lift a
> bushel of baitfish without straining a muscle.
>  When she first started laying traps, her mother and grandmother didn't
> like it.
>  "Don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't do something because
> you're a girl," her father told her.
>  In the late 1970s, Thompson ran her first small fishing boat out of Port
> Canaveral. Fishermen scoffed. Then in 1981 she landed a job as the first
> woman to work on the boat of the best longline sword fisherman at the time.
>  As they docked in Wrightsville, N.C., loading supplies to head north to
> the Grand Banks, her parents waited.
>  "Mom said, 'Dad lost everything,' " Thompson recalled.
>  At one point, her father had run three boat-building facilities in
> Brevard, two seafood restaurants and a shrimp processing plant. But recession
> forced bankruptcy.
>  Thompson's father borrowed at 24 percent interest to keep the "Mary
> Jean." So Thompson came home.
>  Again, fellow commercial fishermen doubted her, but they forgot she had
> grown up in a boat-building factory. Thompson packed wooden crates with
> hydraulic hoses and other spare parts, and soon, her former critics were
> calling her when their boats broke down.
>  Adjusting to life on land
>
>
>  In 1983, Thompson's family opened Dixie Crossroads on Garden Street.
> Others considered their staple menu item, rock shrimp, too hard to clean and
> not worth eating. But Thompson found that a steak knife in their guts did the
> job.
>  "It was my idea to cut them open and broil them like a lobster," she
> said. "They just tasted so good, like lobster."
>  That changed attitudes about the small, hard-shelled critters.
>  Her father founded a wholesale seafood market at Port Canaveral, where he
> began processing and selling rock shrimp. Known as Wild Ocean Seafood
> Market now, it is co-owned by Thompson's sister.
>  Thompson "left the ocean" in 1987 to help run the restaurant, where her
> prize catches line its walls.
>  After the brutal life at sea, she said, "it took me years to adjust to
> being in society and living on land."
>  Restaurant workers with scratches on their fingers would want to go home
> .
>  "It was hard for me not to laugh," Thompson said. "I had worked with
> people who literally cut the ends of their fingers off, and they would put
> bandages on them and keep cleaning fish." Finding her true beliefs
>
>  Thompson opposed the 1995 ban on nets that entangle fish by the gills and
> readily accepts blame for depleted fish stocks and admits she fished
> aggressively, during spawning season, tearing up bottom and decimating
grouper.
>  She sees her "flip-flop" to conservation as good business, knowing that
> protecting the ocean's harvest and the Space Coast environment is key to her
> livelihood.
>  But Thompson decries the thick documents and statistical models that
> don't jibe with what she knows the fishermen pull up.
>  She's against the proposed red snapper and bottom-fishing ban, she said,
> because of faulty data that shows overfishing.
>  "She really does think like a scientist and very much understands the
> complexity of the natural world," said Duane DeFrese, a biologist from
> Indialantic who's active in regional conservation. "Laurilee doesn't spin
> politics. She tells you what she thinks, and you can take it to the bank."
>  While the Thompsons helped create demand for rock shrimp, when Gulf
> fishermen converged on the shrimp's fragile deep reef habitat off Cape
Canaveral
> in the mid 1980s, Laurilee and her father fought hard to protect it.
>
>
>  "We were right there screaming, 'This is bad,' " Thompson recalled.
>  The federal government agreed and prohibited trawling the reef. Playing
> an active role
>
>  When former commissioner Scarborough left office last year because of
> term limits, Thompson's name came up as a replacement. She opted against
> running.
>  She sits on the Brevard County Planning and Zoning Board and the Local
> Planning Agency. She also serves as chairwoman of a Tourism Development
> Council committee pushing for a $2.5 million visitor center on Interstate 95
in
> North Brevard.
>  And she's nudging county officials to come up with a marketing plan
> --fast -- to find ways to soften the blow from the shuttle's retirement.
>  She believes the future may depend on capitalizing on the environment and
> the people who will come here to see it.
>  On land as at sea, Thompson keeps steaming straight into the swells.
>  "The passion of what she believes comes out of her," said Rob Varley, TDC
> executive director. "It just spills over to whomever she's talking to.
> That's how she gets things done."
>  Contact Waymer at 242-3663 or jwaymer@....
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 11/16/09 2:39:36 PM, bhoelscher@... writes:


>
> FYI--this is great news!   Thanks to Barbara H. for passing it along!
>
Sarah Linney


>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>
>  From: Frank Jackalone
>
>  To: FL-FLORIDA-REPORT@...
>
>  Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 2:10 PM
>
>  Subject: Judge approves settlement requiring EPA to set numeric nutrient
> standards in Florida
>
>  ***EARTHJUSTICE NEWS RELEASE***
>   
>  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>  November 16, 2009
>   
>  Contacts:
>  David Guest, Earthjustice, (850) 228-3337
>  Manley Fuller, Florida Wildlife Federation, (850) 656-7113; cell (850)
> 567-7129
>  Andrew McElwaine, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, (239) 438-5472
>  Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club, (727) 824-8813, ext. 302; cell (727)
> 804-1317
>  Neil Armingeon; St. Johns Riverkeeper, (904) 256-7591; cell (904)
> 635-4554
>   
>
>  Judge Approves Historic EPA Settlement: EPA and Florida Must Set Limits
> on Fertilizer and Animal Waste Pollution in State Waters
>  Polluters’ Arguments Rejected in Favor of the Environment
>   
>  TALLAHASSEE – A federal judge in Tallahassee today approved a historic
> consent decree which requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set
> legal limits for the widespread nutrient poisoning that triggers harmful
> algae blooms in Florida waters.
>   
>  The change in federal policy comes 13 months after five environmental
> groups filed a major lawsuit to compel the federal government to set strict
> limits on nutrient poisoning in public waters.
>   
>  Nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen poison Florida’s waters every
> time it rains; running off agricultural operations, fertilized landscapes, and
> septic systems. The poison runoff triggers slimy algae outbreaks which
> foul Florida’s beaches, lakes, rivers, and springs more each year,
threatening
> public health, closing swimming areas, and even shutting down a southwest
> Florida drinking water plant.
>   
>  Ruling from the bench, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle rejected
> arguments made by polluters who sought to delay cleanup and get out of
complying
> with the Clean Water Act. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson,
> the Florida Pulp and Paper Association, four of the state’s five water
> management districts, sewage plant operators, the Florida Farm Bureau, and
> others tried to derail the settlement.

>   
>  Today’s action has nationwide implications. Currently, Florida and most
> other states have only vague limits regulating nutrient pollution. The U.S.
> EPA will now begin the process of imposing quantifiable – and enforceable
> -- water quality standards to tackle nutrient pollution, using data
> collected by the Florida DEP.
>   
>  “The Clean Water Act is strong medicine,” said Earthjustice attorney
> David Guest. “The EPA can now get on with the work of setting standards that
> will clean up our waters. We’re hoping to see safe drinking water, clear
> springs, lakes and rivers again.”
>   
>  A 2008 DEP report concluded that half of the state’s rivers and more than
> half of its lakes had poor water quality. The problem is compounded when
> nutrient-poisoned waters are used as drinking water sources. Disinfectants
> like chlorine and chloramine can react with the dissolved organic compounds,
> contaminating drinking water with harmful chemical byproducts.
>   
>  Exposure to these blue-green algae toxins – when people drink the water,
> touch it, or inhale vapors from it - can cause rashes, skin and eye
> irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, serious illness, and
even
> death.  In June 2008, a water treatment plant serving 30,000 Florida
> residents was shut down after a toxic blue-green algae bloom on the
> Caloosahatchee River threatened the plant’s water supply.
>   
>  “The long-lasting and worsening pollution of our lakes, rivers, beaches
> and springs hurts Florida's economy and needs to end,” said Florida Wildlife
> Federation president Manley Fuller. “This day has been a long time
coming.”
>
>   
>  “Asking for clean water is not a stretch,” said St. Johns Riverkeeper
> Neil Armingeon.  “There are algae blooms even today in the St. Johns
River. 
> Moving forward quickly is imperative.” 
>   
>  “Florida is one step closer to having the tools it needs to adequately
> address the threats that nutrient pollution poses to our quality of life and
> our tourist economy,” said Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club.
>   
>  The public interest law firm Earthjustice filed the suit in the Northern
> District of Florida on behalf of the Florida Wildlife Federation, the
> Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Environmental Confederation of Southwest
> Florida, St. John’s Riverkeeper, and the Sierra Club in July 2008.  The
suit
> challenged an unacceptable decade-long delay by the state and federal
> governments in setting limits for nutrient pollution.  Speaking from the
bench
> today, Judge Hinkle said the delay was a matter of serious concern.
>   
>  The EPA originally gave Florida a 2004 deadline to set limits for
> nutrient pollution, which the state failed to meet. The EPA was then supposed
to
> set limits itself, but failed to do so. Under the administration of
> President George W. Bush, the EPA let the states off the hook by allowing them
to
> formulate plans without deadlines for action.
>   
>  The dire state of Florida’s polluted waters made the delay unacceptable
> and dangerous, so the five groups sued.
>   
>  Florida’s current narrative standard says: “In no case shall nutrient
> concentrations of a body of water be altered so as to cause an imbalance in
> natural populations of aquatic flora and fauna.”
>   
>  Clearly, nutrient poisoning is altering water bodies all over Florida. As
> Earthjustice noted in a letter it sent to the EPA:
>   
>  “Potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria have been found statewide, including
> river and stream systems such as the St. Johns River in the Northeast
> Region and the Caloosahatchee River in the Southwest Region.  In the
Southeast
> Region, toxin levels in the St. Lucie River and estuary during an algae
> bloom in 2005 were 300 times above suggested drinking water limits and 60
> times above suggested recreational limits. Warning signs had to be posted by
> local health authorities warning visitors and residents not to come into
> contact with the water.  Lake Okeechobee, which is categorized under state
> regulations as a drinking water source, is now subject to almost year-round
> blue-green algae blooms as a result of nutrient pollution.”  
>   
>  The St. Johns River has been under a health advisory due to a toxigenic
> blue green algae bloom.  In 2005, a similar bloom shut down all boat traffic
> on the river.
>   
>  Tampa Bay has suffered an outbreak this year of Pyrodinium bahamense, and
> Takayama tuberculata has sullied waters around San Marco Island.
>   
>  Nutrient pollution also fuels the explosive growth of invasive water
> plants like hydrilla, which now clogs countless springs, rivers and lakes. 
>   
>  EPA’s agreement to set enforceable nutrient limits is available here.
>   
>  A fact sheet addressing the opponent’s claims is attached. A jpeg of an
> algae bloom on the St. Johns is attached. Here is the cutline:
>   
>  PHOTO FOR TODAY’S EPA ACTION STORY: This green slime photographed on July
> 31, 2009, on Christopher Point Creek, a tributary of the St. Johns River,
> is an algae bloom fueled by nutrient poisoning. Photo by Chris Williams,
> GreenWater Laboratories/CyanoLab.
>   
>   
>   
>   
>
>  ##
>   
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To
> unsubscribe from the FL-FLORIDA-REPORT list, send any message to:
> FL-FLORIDA-REPORT-signoff-request@... Check out our Listserv
Lists support
> site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view
> the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:
> http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kinda of a neat day since it was rather cool and windy with lots of birds
showing up today. With no further comments here they are:

painted buntings - 6 (3/3)
titmice -----------2
chipping sparrows  2-3
canada geese-------9-12
northern oriole----2 9m/f)
b&w warbler--------1
palm warblers------3+
prairie warbler----2
Yellow-throated----1
yellow-rumps-------50+
r-c kinglet--------2
r-t hummingbird----2
hummingbird(species)- 1 (id hopeful soon)
roseate spoonbills 9 (flock flew over yard at 500pm)
common grackles----40+
b-h cowbirds-------too %%^$#**&& many
blue jays----------5-6
mockingbirds-------4-6
mourning doves-----10+
whitewinged doves--10+
e-collared doves---4
Red shouldered hawk-2
coopers hawk-------1 (at least)
both vultures------many
fish crows---------100's
d-c cormorant------1
anhinga------------2
house sparrows-----8+ - yeech
carolina wren------2
house wren---------1
laughing gulls-----40+ (flying east in late pm)
r-b woodpecker-----2
pileated woodpecker-3 (on same pole)
downy woodpeckers--2
   There may have been more but i forgot them and i was chilled from the wind and
being outside for over three hours but what a nice birding day. Danny came over
and also got some nice pics of some of these- GOD really blessed  danny and i
today - have a nice day and happy birding to all of you.
Doug -- (G.L.Y.)