Non-profit

Audubon of Martin County Organization

U.S. Postage Paid
621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart FL 34994 Permit #57
Stuart FL 34995

Florida Scrub-Jay Art Logo

By Brian Sylvester

audubonmartincounty.org  772-288-2637

April 2009

Program Meeting: Thursday, April 16th Mark Your Calendars !

Office hours are generally 10 am—2pm
Monday through Friday. ―A Birders Photographic Journal‖ with Marta Gordon
Please call ahead at 772.288.2637 and Photo Contest Awards
April 2009
Join us on Thursday, April 16th for a presentation by widely-travelled 11 Birdathon—contact Laurie at 223-0339 and see
AoMC member Marta Gordon, who will share with us with bird photos inside for details
she has taken during travels to Trinidad & Tobago , Costa Rica and the 16 Program Meeting, “A Birders Photographic
Galapagos. See Trogons, Quetzals, penguins and more. Journal” with AoMC member Marta Gordon
Also Awards in the 2nd Annual Photo Contest will be presented to the 18 Field Trip— to Everglades Stormwater Treat-
photographers who won in the various categories. Best of Show and 1st, ment Area 1-W. Meet at Knights of Columbus
2nd and 3rd places will be awarded. Come
to leave at 7:00 am.
to see if your favorite images was awarded.
The meeting begins with a social gather-
25 Annual Picnic Meeting and Earth Day Event,
ing at 11:00, announcements at 11:30 and with Volunteer Awards, Student Essay Contest
presentation immediately thereafter. Bring Awards and Native Plant Sales.
Bird Identification Course your own brown-bag lunch.
May 2009
Meeting Location:
AoMC‘s annual Bird ID course recently ended after successful day-long sessions Congratulations to class participants: The meeting room is at the Martin County Board of Directors meetings are typically the second
at various key properties throughout the Treasure Coast region. Our thanks to eve- Extension Office at 2614 SE Dixie High- Tuesday of each month. Please contact a board
ryone who participated, all of whom seemed to come away from each session with Greger Anderson, Dudley Baker, Terri way. Hospitality-11:00 a.m., Program-11:30 member or committee chair if you have ideas for
new knowledge and a better understanding of the habits and habitats necessary to Brown, Carol Coyne, Ollie Davis, Joan a.m. (bring a bag lunch) Look for our sand- activities for May 2009 through April 2010.
sustain our population of resident and migratory birds. Doran, Judy and Bob Fishel, Laureen wich board on Dixie. Aracari - a type of toucan
Highlights of the course? I expect it would vary for each participant, but views of Gerrior, Marta and Bob Gordon, Char-
a caracara, shoveler, scrub-jays, a great-horned owl and painted buntings, are sure lie and Helene Howard, Cynthia Huber,
to be memorable. Marianne Jones, Sharon Lindgren, Rich
Our thanks to the sites that hosted us for classes, includ- and Judy Martin, Rosemary Matto, Elsa
ing, the Savannas Preserve State park, Florida Oceano- Millard, Kathleen Murphy, Carol New-
graphic Society, Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, ton, Kathy Petteruti, Ann Powell, Jim Field Trip : Saturday, April 18th
The Loxahatchee River Center and the Seminole Inn. Powers, Nancy Rad, Wende Reynolds, STORMWATER TREATMENT AREA 1-W
Thanks also to class coordinator Clare-Rue Morgan for Joe Richards, Jim Ries, Dee Staley,
helping to organize the classes and keeping track of the Mary Starzinski, Fran Stewart, Jim
multitude of details necessary to make the classes run Stewart, Wren Underwood, Caryl Vi- On Saturday, April 18th, we will travel to STA 1-W; one of the Ever-
smoothly. gnoli, Awilda Wildeman, and Linda glades Stormwater Treatment Areas to see the wading birds, waterfowl
Thanks especially to Dee Staley and Bob and Judy Fis- Wishney. and other bird life that is becoming established in these extensive shallow-
hel, who kept lists and took photos of species observed water marshes. Call our offices to sign up - Be prepared to carpool to this
during the field excursions associated with each class. great birding area. The drive to the area in PBC will take about an hour.

Meet at the Knights of Columbus, in time for a 7:00 AM departure.

Can you name these three birds seen during 1 Bring your binoculars, camera, field guide and your own refreshments,
Bird ID class field trips? (answers below) including lunch. Fee - $5 for Audubon members, $10 for non-members.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron at STA 1-W
2. First-year Great Black-backed gull Photos courtesy of class 2
1. Juvenile Little Blue Heron participant Bob Fishel
14 1
 Board Members 2008-2009 Message from our President
Executive Director – Greg Braun ~~~ Laurie Odlum
561-575-2028

This has been another extremely busy year.

President Laurie Odlum 772-486-2837
The dedicated volunteers and staff of OUR local
Vice-Pres Volunteer Needed Audubon chapter have put in many hours of
Treasurer Bob Gordon 772-546-2206 physical labor, mental labor and computer time
Secretary, Recording Joan Bausch 772-219-8285 to ensure that our varied projects succeed this
year. Ocean Research & Conservation Association corded water movement data is sent, using cell phone
Conservation Bob Matheson 772-283-5999 (ORCA) headquartered in Fort Pierce is working on a technology, to satellites and then down loaded to the
OUR new Properties Chair, Jim Kearman, has
Education Volunteer Needed
taken it upon himself to initiate vegetation man- water monitoring device to monitor critical facets of research facilities for review. This is just a short ver-
Field Trips Beverly Poppke 772-286-0061 agement (on a new personally high level) by water quality and movement. Meet Kilroy. Named sion of what Kilroy is doing to improve water quality
taking machete, loppers and saw to the many years of Brazilian Pepper after the WWII omnipresent cartoon, this device is be- in Florida, across the US and worldwide.
Resource Development Doug Warns 772-462-3751
overgrowth on our Maplewood Preserve, one of OUR many acres of ing placed in estuaries and waterways that have endan- To help Kilroy get installed in the Indian River La-
Membership Curt Wood 772-546-5435 gered water systems. Kilroy then takes samples of goon to help the rivers‘ scientists do the research nec-
property intended to be preserves for wildlife. Hopefully by this time
Programs Ed Fielding 772-288-2622
next year, with more helping hands, this property will be returned to a water for turbidity, salinity, microorganisms and re- essary to help the St Lucie River and lagoon regain a
Internationally recognized
Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Clark 772-545-2404 wildlife friendly property of which all of AoMC can be proud. In con- cords water movement. The actual water samples are healthy posture - deep-sea explorer

Properties Jim Kearman 772-708-0677 junction with the Martin County chapter of the Florida Native Plant So- collected from Kilroy by EPA scientists and the re- go to: teamorca.org Dr. Edith "Edie" Widder,
demonstrates Kilroy.

Public Relations Tom McNicholas 772-219-1719 ciety, we are building a plant list to accompany the ongoing bird list for
this property. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to start
Nature Center Susan Smyth 772-692-3489
what will be a very worthwhile project.
Newsletter Editor Lisa Fiore 772-528-9707 OUR new Land Stewardship Volunteer Coordinator, Debbie Clark, is
Wildlife Center Dan Martinelli 772-286-6200 preparing OUR volunteer squad to take on our Possum Long Nature
Water Resources Patrick Hayes 561-747-6397 Center so we/you can continue to bring this urban forest back to its for- Over the summer keep in touch with what is going on in
mer glory. A lot of work has already been done to portions of the prop- Audubon across the country. Find great places to visit and
Youth Liaison Jessie Green 772-283-3024
erty and there is still a lot of work to be done: removing a large number interesting like-minded folks with whom to talk about your
Garden Club Liaison Louise White 772-283-4416
of invasive non-native trees and shrubs, creating new pathways and favorite places.
IRL & Speakers Bureau Bill Hudspeth 561-667-5123 maintaining the recently planted areas. Debbie also has other projects Go to: http://magblog.audubon.org/
large, small, indoors and out – AoMC has a need for your skills.
OUR Managing Director, Pam Hopkins, was the guiding light and
OTHER IMPORTANT COMMITTEE CHAIRS
creative source for our Turkey Egg Hunt fund raiser this fall. She also
Eaglewatch Liaison Clare-Rue Morgan 772-286-9833 made sure that the newsletter went to the post office on time and worked Be a Bookworm: recharge your batteries with Special Bird ID
untold hours with ―Volunteer Doug‖ in PLNC to continue reclaiming Some Summer Reading a good book or two.
Librarian Bev Poppke 772-286-0061
our forest. Pam‘s list of self-starter projects is as tall as the top of the List Suggestions You never know
Cranewatch Coordinator Pam Hopkins 772-408-6153 Ruth Miles office building roof and much too long to list here. Silent Spring what will fly over-
Cranewatch Co-coordinator Carol Spinney 772-545-7987
It has been a challenge this year to work without critical Board Mem- Some of you have already A Land Remembered head while on an
bers: Field Trip and Education Chairs. If you or a friend could accept read a few of these; others The Killing of Mr. Watson. outdoor adventure.
Jaywatch Coordinator Pam Hopkins 772-408-6158
these responsibilities it would free up Greg, Pam and myself to do other have not gotten around to Silence of the Song Bird To the right is a
Jaywatch Co-coordinator Clare-Rue Morgan 772-286-9833 duties to make this a better chapter. them and some are new re- Dancing at the Red Sea white bird, large for sure, that was seen in Palm Beach
Christmas Bird Count Liz Hailman 561-746-7293 OUR board of Directors will be meeting in May and over the summer leases. Perhaps now is the Living Beaches County during the fall and spring migrations.
to make next year even more productive and interesting. Let us know time to find a quiet place and Paving Paradise
Webmaster Ed Fisher edaudubon@yahoo.com Can you identify it? See hint upside down.
your thoughts by filling out the Questionnaire and sharing your ideas. If
you don‘t let us know your ideas, we can‘t fulfill them.
AUDUBON HOUSE DOCENTS WATCH OUR WEB SITE FOR UNSCHEDUED FUN SUMMER
Clare-Rue Morgan, Beverly Poppke, OUTINGS!
Ed Fisher, Carol Coyne, Linda Wishney
of Florida News John and his wife have kept a daily bird list, from their break-
Open board seats: fast nook, since they
Contact Laurie Odlum or Greg Braun moved into their home in
They want your feeder lists. South Miami-Dade
A copy of the official registration and financial information may be John Odgen, AoF‘s Director of Bird Conservation, is County some 20 years
obtained from the division of Consumer Services toll-free within Florida working on bird location trends in Florida. As part of ago, and have listed over
800.435.7352. Registration does not imply endorsement,
approval, or recommendation by the state. Many other Audubon chapters in Florida have transitioned from Climate Change and its effects on birds, their migratory 158 species that have vis-
only offering seasonal activities to now providing program meetings and and resident habits, John has asked that those of you, ited their property. He
The Scrub Jay is published seven times a year on who keep lists of the species of birds you see at your
recycled content paper with soy-based ink. field trips on a year-round basis. Making such a move is sure to put a has found the compari-
higher strain on our limited number of active ―movers and shakers‖. feeder during the seasons, send your information lists to sons from year to year to
The new Board of Directors for 2009-2010 will soon be meeting to or- him. He is trying to compile a bird location model from be very telling.
Contact your U.S. Senators in Washington DC various locations within the state. He knows you write
ganize our activities for next year. If you‘ve got ideas you‘d like to John can be contacted
at the following numbers: share, or would be willing to help us conduct some member-related ac- the lists; now he wants to see what birds are listed there. for transmission details at:
Senator Mel Martinez: 202.224.3051 tivities this summer or next year, please contact Laurie, Greg or the ap- This request is separate from the national Feederwatch jogden@Audubon.org
Senator Bill Nelson: 202.224.5274 propriate board member. program in which many of you participate.

2 13
A Glimmer of Light envelope and the vast majority of them would require only a two
by Bob Matheson, Conservation Chair ounce stamp to post. Who would think its stature might cause
Martin County to rethink their plans to obtain the sand to
All too rarely do environmentalists have occasion to experience "restore" its most popular beach known as "the bathtub"?
a glimmer of hope. Most of the articles we read inform us of yet In the natural course of events most of the sand at the bathtub
another chapter in our efforts to "improve" our condition, often to beach was moved in the last couple of years. During the same
the detriment of the species with which we share the planet. I do time a sandbar north of the navigation channel between the St.
not fault the authors of the articles; after all, this reporting is ac- Lucie inlet and the crossroads continued to get bigger, naturally,
curate. as it has for many years. Martin County, desirous of
On the national level, the "renourishing" the bathtub beach, applied to the Army
past eight years have been Corps of Engineers for a dredging permit to take the sand
particularly depressing for off of 54 acres, the vast majority of the sandbar and pipe it
those who believe we should to the beach.
treat our planet with care, The County, in their dredging permit application, saw no
not to mention the counter- harm to anything.
productive absurdity of our But Mr. Greg Braun, the long time executive director of
leaders' efforts to govern Audubon of Martin County was not so sure. Many species
with guns. And what about of birds, including the Piping Plover, of which fewer than
the "change" offered by the 1800 pairs represent the Atlantic coastal population, have
new administration -- while been using the sandbar. The Atlantic population is federally
we support it wholeheartedly listed as "threatened." Another population occurs inland in
the northern Great Plains area (in the summer); even
It’s a Lunch
we note the dearth of envi-
ronmental discourse in the smaller, this population is listed as "endangered."
recent presidential cam- The decline of both populations is attributed to increased
paign. Is it reasonable for us development, recreational use of beaches, loss of habitat and
to care about preserving harassment by humans. The usual. Join your Board of Directors, docents, PLNC volunteers and other Audubon members as
habitat for the birds when so In December, 2008, Mr. Braun filed comments with the
Army Corps questioning the dredging plan. In January more
we honor all our volunteers and their efforts during the past year. Each year we show
many of us are concerned
with putting food on the than a dozen members of Audubon of Martin County visited our appreciation to those friends of Audubon who give their time to work for “bird seed”.
table? the sandbar with Mr. Braun; over a dozen Piping Plovers were Our many volunteers and Martin County school students will be honored. We are plan-
Even locally, here in Martin County, Florida, (a county hailed seen, not surprising, as they had been seen there regularly for
several months.
ning some special surprises for this year.
for its environmental protections) recent history has witnessed a
county commission more interested in diluting, rather than The species only visits here, preferring to nest more than 500 The picnic will be held at Possum Long Nature Center behind our offices at 621 SE
strengthening, environmental protections. As I write this our miles to the north. Palm Beach Road.
commissioners are considering a policy change to lessen the pro- In February, at a meeting with state and federal personnel
charged with protecting our environmental resources, the coastal
Schedule of Events:
tection afforded to "small wetlands."
So for the short sighted, being most of us if you count those engineer for Martin County agreed to consider amending the BRING A COVERED DISH TO SERVE 8 FOLKS ! - Lunch served at 11:30
unwilling in Martin County's last local election to vote for the dredging application to take only sand below the low tide line, ―My Favorite Bird‖ Essay Contest Winners will be here (so come by 11:15)
smart growth candidates, the economic situation seems to cast yet thus preserving the habitat so preferred by this little migrant to too !
another shadow on the darkening prognosis for the countless spe- our area. - Speaker at 12:30
cies with which we share space, including the Piping Plover. Kudos to Mr. Braun for the flash of light in the shadows. - Presentations and
So diminutive a bird! Its length is less than a standard business Remember: Please call AoMC offices to let us know awards begin at 1:15
how many of you are coming… We provide water, soda, - Clean-up... UNTIL
paper goods and cups.

Birds and Climate Change: These analyses of the CBC dataset

Ecological Disruption in Motion on winter distribution are part of
that effort.
Audubon recently released a new study using Christmas Bird The report, Birds and Climate AoMC and the Martin County Chapter of the
Count Data. These analyses would not have been possible with- Change, is available on Audubon‘s Florida Native Plant Society are having a Na-
out the hard work of CBC participants and the many chapters that web site and provides more details
organize and lead counts. We thank all that have participated on the analyses and results. To tive Plant sale to accompany the Earth Day
over the years for their effort. The study explored if birds had download the report, click on im- Event and Annual picnic. Experts will be available to
shown significant shifts in their winter distribution over the last age of the report cover to the right. help you get the right plant for the right place in your garden
40 years. As we all know, birds are good indicators of the envi- We will continue to undertake
ronment. We think birds provide important information to people scientific analyses of these data to
and yard. Bring your questions and learn plant ID too.
on changes in the environment and human quality of life. Audu- learn more about the status of birds Find plants that provide food and shelter for migrating birds at
bon has a goal of working bird indicators into regular reviews of and conservation needs. Please consider donating through the this time of year or another food source to brighten your butterfly
how the environment in the US is doing and hopefully helping web site to help us continue using the CBC data to move a con-
drive policy and funding that benefits the environment and birds. servation agenda.
garden.

12 3
 Eagle Watch An adult osprey delivers Field Trip Report—February Bird list for Cattle Egret
fresh 'catch-of-the-day' to Wakodahatchee Wetlands: Turkey Vulture
an awaiting mate and Gray Catbird
AoMC EagleWatchers are now reporting fledging of Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Wetlands are separate manmade Palm Warbler
young in the nest.
eaglets from many of the nests that we monitor. Our wetlands located in Boynton Beach; Wakodahatchee is 4 miles Mottled Duck
Double-crested Bird List for
thanks to Bill Borger, Pat Caruso, Dale ―Doc‖ Hipson, Image by Captain Phill Sherman south of Boynton Beach Blvd on Jog Road and Green Cay is 3
Cormorant Green Cay Wetland:
Jim Kearman, Ashley Robinson, Joette Smith, Fran miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd on Hagen Ranch Road.
and Greg Stewart, Linda Wishney, Paul Yorke and February is the perfect time of year to visit the Wakodahatchee Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird
AoMC Eaglewatch Coordinator Clare-Rue Morgan for
Azalea Street Ospreys Wetlands because the Great Blue Herons, Anhingas and other wet- Purple Gallinule Boat-tailed Grackle
their continued dedication to helping track our local bald Our thanks to Captain Phil land species are Fish Crow Moorhen
Baby An- Pied-billed Grebe Great Egret
eagles. Sherman, Barbara Milner and nesting and rearing hinga (left), Moorhen Royal Tern
A recent highlight was the discovery of a new nest on Dan Roberts for keeping us up- their young. The Great Blue Tri-colored Heron Osprey
preserve land near the St. Lucie River. The outlook for to-date with the successful nesting photographers are
bald eagles in Martin County continues to be positive, and of the pair of ospreys for which Heron with American Coot Common Grackle
lining the boardwalk young
we think that new eagle nests in the County are now likely we installed a nesting platform in Boat-tailed Grackle American Coot
to get the perfect (below) Eurasian Collared Dove
to be from youngsters that fledged from nests in Martin 2008 after their nest tree became Great Blue Heron
image, northern visi- Black-crowned Night Heron Green-backed Heron
County five or so years ago and are now of reproductive too weak to support it. Our thanks also to Mark and Brenda tors are enjoying our
age. Kaila for allowing us to erect the platform on their property. Anhinga Purple Martin
diverse wildlife and Yellow-rumped Warbler Double –crested Cormorant
If you‘d like to join AoMC‘s Eaglewatch team, give Most birds can do well without our help, but the installation of
children are wide- Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture
Clare-Rue Morgan a call at 772-286-9833. the nesting platform in this instance is sure to have kept this
eyed to see nature so Green-backed Heron Snowy Egret
pair of ospreys in the area.
close you can touch them – almost. Tree Swallow Tri-colored Heron
The Common Yellowthroat, Black Purple Martin Mourning Dove
and White Warbler and Blue-throated Savannah Sparrow Glossy Ibis
2009 Birdathon is Coming ! ! Vireo were three of the ―lifer‖ species
for some of our participants as were the
Black-bellied
Whistling Ducks
Pied-billed Grebe
Barn Swallow
flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks Common Yellowthroat Yellow-rumped warbler
APRIL 11, 2009 that circled the wetland a few times whistling and showing off their Blue-headed Vireo Palm Warbler
Your Participation and Support is critical for this aerial skills. The resident 14 foot alligator enthralled the young and Glossy Ibis Purple Gallinule
not so young, a very acrobatic gray Starling Green-winged Teal
Annual Fundraising Event squirrel captured our attention as he Great Egret Savannah Sparrow
hung upside-down enjoying an acorn Common Grackle Sora Rail
White Ibis Red-bellied Woodpecker
On April 11 teams from Audubon of Martin County will conduct a "Birdathon" to seek out as many bird spe- and the flocks of Tree Swallows and
Northern Mockingbird Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Purple Martin made for the in-depth
cies as possible in one day as a measure of the ecological health of our community. Put your team together Blue Jay Blue Jay
discussion of ―how do you tell them
and contact Laurie with their names. Red-shouldered Hawk Limpkin
apart when they fly so fast?!?!‖ – Light Morph Cattle Egret
Yours and the collective efforts of this generous community will provide for very vital conservation and edu- Applause, applause! to Nancy, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Curt Dawson Gull-species
cation initiatives that will help keep the birds vibrant and alive. Naomi and Marta for their eagle eye Black & White Warbler
Audubon of Martin County leaders, members and community volunteers will strike out in the wilds of Mar- spotting of those busy warblers.
About 10:15 we moved on to Green Cay where it seemed to be
tin County to find, identify and record bird species.
―Moorhen and Mottled Duck Day‖. The mile and a half long
Bring in or send in your pledge forms !! See below and on our website. Great Backyard Bird Count
boardwalk that encircles the wetlands provides for a complete view
of the inhabitants; having a spotting scope is very helpful too. Our thanks to everyone who participated in the 2009
Through the scope we found the Green-winged Teal and got a good Backyard Bird Count. Although it will be a little while be-
look at the Limpkin. We could hear the Limpkin calling from fore count results are tallied, if experience in recent years is
Audubon of Martin County—2009 Birdathon PLEDGE FORM across the wetland but had to wait until we got to the far eastern any indication, the number of participants and number of
Your support is critical for this Annual Fundraising Event! species is likely to have increased considerably. Begun ap-
side to find it. We had received reports that there was an Eastern
Yes, I would like to help support Audubon of Martin County’s Birdathon 2009 by pledging to donate Phoebe ―over there‖ but we did not see it. However, the reported proximately 10 years ago, this fun (and free) event allows
participants to view birds at their favorite location for as lit-
the following amount per species identified. Sora Rail was sighted, albeit briefly. We knew something interest-
tle as a 15-minute period and report their bird observations
ing was in the water when we heard ―…better in the water than up
Amount Pledged per species $______________ OR Flat Amount Pledged $____________ on-line. Last year, cumulative totals of 9.8 million birds of
here!‖ They were watching a foot-long water moccasin move
635 species were reported by approximately 85,000 observa-
Name ________________________________________________________________________________ through the duckweed and into the reeds. There were many Green- tions. The results of this nationwide count are already being
backed Herons, Little Blue Herons and Tri-colored Herons as well. analyzed from a wide variety of angles, to help reveal infor-
Street ___________________________________________ City _______________ ST_____ZIP _______ And then there was the nest of baby alligators – mom was not to be mation about things such as changes in populations within
seen. species, spatial variations (that may or may not be related to
Phone: ___________________________ E-Mail __________________________________ Green Cay has kiosks with benches scattered along the boardwalk climate change), impacts of West Nile virus, migration and
for contemplation and bird observation. They are very handy for others.
Clip and Mail to: AoMC at 621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart, FL 34994 retreating from the sun or rain and to setup a tripod. To learn more about this activity, see:
The boardwalk is wheelchair friendly. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/
Remember...Your contribution is Tax Deductible!!! Many thanks for AoMC members who participated.

4 11
Conservation Corner supported Scrub-jays within the last 15 Piping plovers:
years; the remaining 18 were considered as JOIN Audubon of Martin County Write your check payable to ―Audubon‖ and
possible Scrub-jay habitat. Of the 19 his- With funding by Martin County‘s Engi- Mail to: Audubon of Martin County
Scrub-Jays: torical sites only two now had Scrub-jays neering Department and logistic support Attn: Membership
provided by Ecological Associates Inc., Name
Recently AoMC‘s focus on bird conser- in residence; one with a pair and the other 621 SE Palm Beach Road
vation has shifted to Martin County ‘s a single bird. On a slightly brighter note, we‘ve recently completed a series of Stuart, FL 34994
highly controversial Green River Parkway 2 of the 18 previously undocumented sites shorebird surveys in the vicinity of the St. Address Select your Membership level:
project. AoMC‘s advocacy is on behalf of supported Jays. Because at least one bird Lucie Inlet. The prime goal of the project
O Individual or family…………………….$20
a family of Scrub-jays whose territory ap- in one of these pairs was identified as a has been to determine the extent to which a
O Senior (over 62) or Student…………….$15
sand bar area (that the County would like City State Zip
pears to include portions of the proposed female it is hoped that more sites have a O Scrub Jay Newsletter only……………...$15
roadway. The oak scrub in the area be- mated pair in residence. to use as a borrow area for sand that would
tween Pinecrest Lakes (on the east) and Scrub-jay breeding season begins in be used to renourish severely-eroded Bath- Chapter Code: C9ZE260Z
Phone Email
U.S. 1 (on the west) is part of the Haney March and runs through May so Jay- tub Beach ) is critical to the continued sur-
Creek Greenway, a meandering corridor of Watchers will be taking a break to not dis- vival of the local wintering population of
open space that extends south from the turb nesting birds. Monitoring activities piping plovers. We‘ve found piping plov-
Savannas Preserve State Park to the St. will be resumed in the summer to check on ers in the area on many of our surveys, and Audubon of Martin County Sponsorship Become an Audubon of Martin County
have a much better understanding of their
Lucie River. We‘re pleased that the the breeding success of the known fami-
preferred foraging and resting areas. Levels and Benefits Sponsor
County has used some of the funds from lies. Next season promises to be a busy one Yes! I want to be an AoMC Sponsor
the half-cent sales tax to acquire the 80- as well since there are still many known Based on sightings of several banded pip-
ing plovers, we now know that at least In addition to the basic membership, $ 500 Osprey Your tax deductible contribution will help us sustain
acre ―Gables‖ property which may help to and potential sites yet to be surveyed. you can become an AoMC sponsor. our programs, projects and conservation efforts.
some of these birds are part of the Great Sponsorship provides funding for pro- Wood Stork benefits plus a natural
sustain one of the two families of Scrub- If you would like to get involved with grams, projects, field trips and history tour led by an AoMC Board
jays that inhabit this area. JayWatchers or would just like more infor- Lakes population of nesting plovers – as at AoMC’s important conservation work. Name
least one of the birds was banded at Lud- member to the nesting colony at Bird
JayWatchers Nancy Price, LaWayne mation please contact JayWatchers Coor- Island in the Indian River Lagoon.
ington State Park, on the eastern shores of $ 50 Great Blue Heron Select your sponsorship level:
Niedzeilski, Ollie Davis, Linda Wishney, dinator Pam Hopkins at pamaudu-
Lake Michigan. Many thanks to all who Special recognition in the Scrub Jay and O Scrub Jay $ 5,000
Carol Spinney and Pam Hopkins have had bon@yahoo.com or leave a message on the $ 1000 Bald Eagle
participated. a certificate of appreciation. O Bald Eagle $ 1,000
a busy season. They visited a total of 37 Audubon Office phone:772-288-2637. Osprey benefits plus a natural history O Osprey $ 500
sites; 19 of which were known to have $ 100 Roseate Spoonbill tour led by an AoMC Board member to a O Wood Stork $ 250
Recognition in each Scrub Jay , a local birding destination of your choice. O Roseate Spoonbill $ 100
certificate of appreciation, an AoMC
O Great Blue Heron $ 50
t-shirt and one complementary member- $ 5000 and more Scrub Jay
O Other $
ship for a person of your choice. Bald Eagle benefits plus a natural history
Clark at (772)-288-2637 or
Property Management Activities clarkdebbie15@yahoo.com. $ 250 Wood Stork tour led by an AoMC Board member to Enclose your donation with this form and mail to:
Everglades National Park, Merritt Island Audubon of Martin County
Thanks again to the Native Spoonbill benefits plus one copy of the
Maplewood Preserve Sibley Field Guide to Birds and a lunch-
National Wildlife Refuge, Ding Darling Attn. Treasurer
Plant Society members National Wildlife Refuge or Arthur Mar-
AoMC appreciates the work of members of the Martin County eon briefing with the AoMC President 621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart, FL 34994
(several of whom are also shall Loxahatchee NWR.
Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society who recently visited and Executive Director.
AoMC members) who helped
our Maplewood Preserve to help us develop a plant list for the with this effort, including:
property. The native plant enthusiasts were at their best – finding Debra Klein, Joan Bausch,
everything from small epiphytic orchids to 12‘ tall ferns, and a Shawnee Bray, Bonnie Members of the Martin County
good time was had by all. Many thanks to AoMC properties Scherer, Marge Gasser, Chapter of the Florida Native
chair Jim Kearman, who personally took on the responsibility Pam Hopkins and John Plant Society and AoMC trek Stewardship – the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
several months ago of clearing a meandering footpath through the Bradford. Great work too through AoMC's Maplewood (Merriam-Webster‘s Dictionary).
poison ivy and over fallen trees, which allowed us access into the by AoMC co-leaders Jim Preserve inventorying plant life.
‗never seen before‘ interior portions of the property. Due to sea- Kearman and Greg Braun for Our Possum Long Property, in the heart of Stuart, at 621 S. E.
sonally high waters, the property is inaccessible for most months, putting together an interesting excursion that combined plants, Hello I‘m Debbie Clark and I have Palm Beach Road, is the most accessible. A beautiful ―Urban
and so it was good to get this work done at the height of the dry birds, hydrology and the inter-connectedness of urban wild been working since January as Audu- Forest‖ where peace and quiet and bird songs are all that can be
season. Unfortunately, the visit also revealed the extensive pres- lands. bon of Martin County‘s Land Steward- heard. Every Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.,
ence of the invasive, non-native climbing fern Lygodium. The Maplewood Preserve, like all other AoMC properties with ship Volunteer Coordinator. Whew – our ― Resident Biologist‖ and Managing Director, Dr. Pam Hop-
Jim and AoMC Executive Director, Greg Braun, have also re- the exception of Possum Long, is open to members on a by- long title! Yes, however, AoMC has a kins, can be found on the five acres welcoming members who
cently completed a grant ap- appointment-only basis. Contact Properties Chairman Jim Kear- big responsibility – hundreds of acres want to help her with the planting, trimming, weeding, etc. Oh,
plication in search of finan- man if you‘d like to schedule a visit. in Martin County entrusted to our care. and along the way you may just learn something new. Just drop
cial support to have invasive AoMC members also recently visited the Weybright property Yes – our care! All the members of by some Wednesday afternoon. We also want to have a docent at
non-native plants removed in Tequesta and continued with removal of pest plants at this 5- AoMC have been entrusted with the the Ruth Miles House, on site at Possum Long, at least five days
from the property by trained acre heavily-wooded waterfront tract on the Loxahatchee River . care of these beautiful lands, to hold in a week, if not six. So please get in touch with me if you can
professionals. The grant re- Nest boxes for flycatchers, screech owls, woodpeckers, bats and their native state not only for all the share your time with us as a docent.
quires a local match, though, wood ducks were given an annual pre-nesting season cleaning wildlife that share this land with us, But, that‘s not all—plenty of other activities are in the works,
and so we may need some and we were pleased to see a flock of goldfinches at the bird but for all future generations to know what natural Florida really even for the Summer! So just write me a line to let me know
volunteer labor hours to as- feeders. Thanks to all who participated, including: Bob means. And so, with your Board of Directors and your Executive you‘re interested and I‘ll be in touch!! My email address is
sist in this effort. If you‘d Gordon, Debbie Clark, Jim Kearman, Bob Leonard, Bev and Managing Directors, I am working to formulate a plan to aomcvolunteer@yahoo.com, or leave a message for me at the
like to help, please contact Jim at (772)-708-0677 or audu- Poppke, Nancy Price, Fran and Greg Stewart, Tom organize our membership to maintain these properties. office 772-288-2637.
bon@kearman.com or AoMC volunteer coordinator Debbie Tomlinson, Fran Wilkin and Greg Braun.

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 A bird is considered a casual visitor if it Curlew Sanpiper (left) and
Birds of the Month shows up in an area only once every two to
four years. Purple finches can be included in
range map of the Stilt
Sandpiper (below)
By Susan Whiting this category for Florida as these finches only
spend a winter in
This month this section should be called Florida every few
birds of the month, for we are not dealing with years. An acciden-
Announcing the Winners of AoMC’s just one species, but with many. ―Target tal is rarer and is
Birds‖ is the topic. What, you may ask, is a also called a va-
2nd Annual Photography Contest ―Target Bird?‖ One which you want to see grant. To qualify
and make an exerted effort to do so. For ex- for either of these
Thank you to the Elliott Museum for hanging our entries March 4 – 28!
ample, if you are from Massachusetts and titles a bird must
visiting Martin County, one of your target never have been Photo: Cambridgeshire
The Elliott Museum Staff and Executive Director, Ozzie Monzon, were very supportive and worked birds might be a Snail Kite or perhaps a Red- seen before in the Book Club
tirelessly to get our contest up in time. Our 106 images were hung around an entire room. dish Egret. Neither of these birds are normally state or hasn‘t been
Awards will be presented at our April 16 Program Meeting. Come and see if your favorite won. Im- found in Massachusetts. There are twenty-six seen in well over five years. A Curlew Sand-
ages awarded for Best of Show and First Prize for the individual categories of A) Flora, B) Fauna, C) Wildlife - Really Close up, other Florida specialties (not including the piper could be considered an accidental or
and D) General Landscape will be on the website. Look for them to be loaded on our exotics that have escaped from their gilded vagrant in Florida.
website by the end of April. All entries were judged on how well they expressed the cages or zoos) which birders come to Florida There are many web sites where birders can
natural environment of Florida. to find and see. A complete list of these can be research the locations of casual or the rarer List of Special Target Birds:
Thank you also to the judges: Sheri Walker, photographer and educator, from The found in Florida Birds, by D.S. Maehr and accidental or vagrant bird species. The best
Pine School, Kelly Rogers of the Stuart News and Patriche Fallon, Photographer and H.W. Kale II. place to start is www.birder.com/birding/alert. White-tailed Tropicbird
Graphic Artist, from the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County. Perhaps you are a serious Then click on to Florida. There are other sites Magnificent Frigatebird
lister or ticker (a person in which you can hunt for the latest bird news,
White morph of Great Blue Heron
who keeps a list of all the but you must subscribe to them. These are
Reddish Egret
birds he or she has seen usually free. Two good sites for Florida are:
We watched for a while to see how it was getting on; I decided Roseate Spoonbill
Was it the correct decision? By Laurie Odlum during their lifetime). A www.birdbrain.com and ww.floridabirds.com. Wood Stork
to call for a rescue. The wildlife rescue folks were familiar with Target Bird for a life lister It is always exciting to see a new species of
the area and were there in about 20 minutes. The rescue attempt Greater Flamingo
is one they have not seen bird. It is also nice to view a more common
Sooty Tern
―Turn around! I think I finally saw one!‖ was to no avail since the bird was very able to run and half fly to before. A Red-legged bird you haven‘t spotted in a long time.
Brown Noddy
―Saw what…?‖ keep just ahead of the would-be rescuer. During the wait to see if Range map of Honeycreeper was reported Watching a bird for an extended period of
the bird could be caught we observed 3 more Caracara in the vi- the Red-legged in southern Florida in 2003 Black Noddy
―You know, the bird with the orange bill!‖ time can give you an idea of how they live. So
cinity. One even brought a mouse, in its beak, to give to the in- Honeycreeper and again in 2004. So many White-crowned Pigeon
―What? Ok, OK, I‘ll turn around.‖ although you may
Mangrove Cuckoo
Waiting for traffic to clear so a ―U‖ turn could be made on Pratt jured bird. How do I know this? The gift carrying bird landed birders that had not seen this target a particular
Smooth-billed Ani
and Whitney Road during the final throws of rush hour, and after exactly where the injured bird had been when we drove up. It species before made a pilgrimage to view this species, don‘t just
called and looked around for about 5 minutes then took off to Burrowing Owl
a few questions regarding the ―one he saw‖, I was able to get little vagrant and add it look at it and check it
observe from atop a pole. It probably was the bird that was sit- Antillean Nighthawk
more clarity on exactly what my ―car-pool buddy‖ had seen. to their life list. off on your life list—
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
―There under the power lines I know I saw a Caracara! My very ting about 50 ft away when we arrived. There are a group of enjoy watching it for
Was it right to call for rescue? The bird was not caught and Mottled Duck
first one!‖ he said. He was SOOOO excited. bird watchers that keep a spell.
was more energy deprived after flopping around the cow pasture Masked Duck
Finally I made the turn and inched down the road (waiting to lists of the bird species
th for half an hour. Its friendly companion was bringing food for it Swallow-tailed Kite
get run over by a flying 5 wheel pickup) he pointed out the bird they have seen in vari-
and now was confused at its absence. Snail Kite
he saw. It actually was a Caracara! Amazing – at 70 mph he ous countries, states or Photo Courtesy:
Since the bird vs wire incident, we have observed the Caracaras Scottswildbirdfood.com Short-tailed Hawk
actually sighted it and identified it. (he is not a birder either) even counties. To un-
in the same area within 100 feet of the event on a daily basis. Crested Caracara
Under a closer, quick review with binocs, this bird was walk- derstand these avid
Are they feeding their downed companion? Will the bird be able Purple Finch (above) and Limpkin
ing in a field, just inside the birders we are intro-
to avoid the eventual meeting with the area resident Bobcat? range map of the Purple Gray Catbird
fence gate underneath the FPL duced to two more
lines. The bird had not matured I remain torn. bird watching terms: Finch (left)
into a beautiful orange legged casual and accidental.
adult but had the orange marking
Public Land Acquisition Update
Martin County‘s public Land Acquisition Selection Com-
on the face and the pale legs of a
mittee recently completed their final ranking of properties that
juvenile. The bird did not move
more quickly, just kept walking,
when we approached; although
are worthy of purchase using the half-cent sales tax that was
approved by voters in 2006. Acquisition has been completed Welcome New Members!
on several properties, and negotiations continue on several
the Eastern Meadowlarks were
others. One property of particular interest to AoMC is a ~ Eric Ahrens Paul O. Evans Lisa J. O'Brien Jim Stewart
spooked as my truck crushed and
500-acre tract that adjoins our Loop Road sanctuary. If ac- Frank Blesi John Forebaugh Mildred Olson Jean F. Swift
popped an aluminum can. Fi-
quired, this property, aka the ―Collier tract‖, would provide a Frances M. Carpenter Richard Sharon Gallo Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Pike Mary Timm
Photo - Reyno Rosete nally the bird took off and hov-
permanent preserved greenway linking AoMC property with P. Carroll Valerie Gryniuk William H. Porter Gilbert C. Turner
ered near the ground; not good
the County‘s ~ 400-acre Hawk‘s Hammock. We are grateful Edith Coddington Elliot & Doris Hurwitt Janet Ellen Powner Elizabeth Wade
as they usually take off pretty quickly. The right wing was flap-
to residents who voted for the 5-year sales tax; we are hopeful Ann Cofone Dingle Kent Thargueriley Purdy Awilda Wildeman
ping strangely and we could see some feathers were missing. It
that the County will continue its success in obtaining match- Robert Conner Audrey A. Kight Wende Reynolds Frank Ziegler
had a broken wing. It had probably just had a collision with the
ing funds for remaining acquisitions. Henrietta Creighton Helen B. McBride Alfred J. Seaman Gregory Zolton
electrical power lines.
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Yes No I think that the chapter newsletter, the ―Scrub Jay‖ effectively communicates to the membership. AUDUBON OF MARTIN COUNTY
MEMBER’S QUESTIONNAIRE Spring 2009
Please list any suggestions for improvement the ―Scrub Jay‖.
In order to better serve the needs of our community next year, your Audubon Board of Directors needs your help. Please take
Please list your suggestions for future program meeting topics, presenters, field trip destinations or any other suggestion. just a few minutes to complete this questionnaire about the goals, activities and program topics that you would like us to con-
sider for next year. Please clip, fold and return it to us AoMC by the end of April.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AUDUBON? WHAT FIELD TRIP OR WORKSHOP WOULD YOU
(Check all that apply)
___ To get Audubon Magazine
ATTEND IF IT FOCUSED ON:
___ To promote conservation ___ Wildlife photography
___ To attend field trips ___ Creating backyard wildlife habitats
___ To learn more about birds ___ Citizen‘s role in local decision-making & advocacy
___ To meet people with similar interests ___ Identifying plants and animals
___ Other ________________________________________ ___ Habitat restoration work
Please list your suggestions for future program meeting topics, presenters, field trip destinations or any other suggestion. WHAT TYPE OF MEETING TOPICS DO YOU FIND THE MOST Other:______________________________________________
INTERESTING?
___ Birding WHAT TYPES OF FIELD TRIPS ARE YOU MOST INTER-
___ Conservation issues ESTED IN ATTENDING?
___ Habitat preservation or restoration
___ Weekend trips ___ Hiking
___ Natural history and wildlife
___ Weekday trips ___ Plant ID
___ Other ________________________________________
FOLD PLEASE CHECK THE CONSERVATION ISSUES THAT YOU
___ Canoe/kayak trips ___ Local trips
___ Boat trips ___ Distant locations
BELIEVE SHOULD BE PRIORITIES FOR US ___ Birding ___ Wilderness areas
___ Protection of birds Other __________________________________
___ Protection of beaches & barrier islands
___ Protection of wetlands IN WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD YOU BE INTER-
___ Energy conservation ESTED IN PARTICIPATING ?
___ Land acquisition and habitat protection ___ Assisting at the AoMC office
___ Recycling/solid waste management ___ Assisting with fund-raising
___ Protection of endangered species ___ Assisting with grant writing/administration
___ Environmental education ___ Assisting at community events & outreach
___ Other______________________________ ___ Assisting with program meetings
___ Assisting the conservation committee
CHECK IF YOU HAVE EVER CONTACTED A GOVERN- ___ Assisting the education committee
MENTAL OFFICIAL OR AGENCY ABOUT A CONSERVA- ___ Assisting with public relations
TION ISSUE AS A RESULT OF: ___ Assisting the treasurer
___ Assisting with field trips
___ A monthly program meeting ___ Assisting with hospitality
___ An article in the Scrub Jay ___ Birdathon
FOLD ___ Public media
___ Another conservation group
___
___
Christmas Bird Count
Organizing or participating in bird surveys
___ Audubon of Florida ___ Contacting elected officials
___ Helping with a “telephone tree”
Affix I WOULD ATTEND THE BIRD ID COURSE IF IT ___ Management of AoMC properties
Stamp FOCUSED ON: ___ Organizing letter-writing campaigns
Here ____Birding by ear ____habitat & its birds ___ Representing AoMC at community mtgs
____Plumage variations ____Migration influences ___ Serving on the Board of Directors
____Backyard birds ____Field work ___ Writing an article for the Scrub Jay
____one family group ____Rarities
Name__________________________________________
____Local birds by month ____Right place wrong bird
Audubon of Martin County Phone:_________________________________________
IF IT WERE HELD ON: Week ___NIGHT ___DAYS
621 SE Palm Beach Road Weekend ___ DAYS

Stuart FL 34994
Yes I will get my newsletter off the website. (Don‘t send me a newsletter)
Name: _____________________________City ________________ST___ZIP____________
Yes I would like to get AoMC Field trip reminders & updates electronically.
Yes I want to receive newsletter notifications via e-mail.
Yes I want to receive my newsletter electronically.
Please provide your email address.______________________________________________

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