Shorelines
The newsletter of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society
Calendar of Events
CAS monthly meetings
First Thursday of each month at 6:30
PM at OWC Learning Resources
Center (LRC), Room 131.
December 1: Dr. Bobby Harrison of
Oakwood College in Huntsville,
Alabama reports on seeing an Ivory-
Billed Woodpecker.
January 5: Lisa Miller, Wildlife
Rehabilitators Partnership will be pre-
senting "When wildlife truly need our
help". Sometimes well meaning people
"kill with kindness" not knowing when
an animal is in need of human interfer-
ence.
February 2: Dr. Jonathan Bryan,
Professor of Earth Science at OWCC
will address the possible relationship of
dinosaurs and birds, laying out some of
the information and myth-information
on the subject.
Chapter Walks
December 10: Beginner's Bird Walk in
Fort Walton Beach at Okaloosa County
spray fields and holding ponds. Meet at
7:30 am, at Coach & Four parking lot.
Leader: Don Ware, 862-6582
December 19: Christmas Bird Count,
all day event, multiple locations. Please
call Don Ware to participate, 862-6582
January 14: Bird Walk, Destin and Fort
Walton Beach coastal areas. Meet at
7:30am Uptown Station or 7:50am
Destin Bridge to carpool.
February 4: FWB spray fields and
holding ponds. Meet at 7:30 am, at
Coach & Four parking lot.
For Chapter Walk information,
please call
Bob Penhollow, 729-2602
Dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.
Volume XXXIV Number 10 December 2005
GUEST SPEAKER:
DR. BOBBY HARRISON
Obsessed with the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
For more than 60 years, every potential sight-
ing of an ivory-billed woodpecker was met with
ridicule and scorn. Respected researchers and natu-
ralists were branded as quacks just for having the
temerity to say that the ivory-bill still exists. But Bobby
Harrison and Tim Gallagher refused accept the grim
conclusion of most scientists that the ivory-bill was
extinct. Together they traveled through the South,
interviewing people who claimed to have seen this
ghost bird of the shadowy swamp. And if a sighting
seemed credible, they hit the swamp, wading through
hip-deep, boot-sucking mud and canoeing through
turgid, mud brown bayous where deadly cotton-
mouths abound. On one of these trips, checking a
recent sighting by an Arkansas kayaker, an unmistak-
able ivory-bill flew past at close range in front of their
canoe. This sighting-the first time since 1944 that two
qualified observers had positively identified an ivory-
billed woodpecker in the United States-quickly led to
the largest search ever launched to find a rare bird
and ultimately to the announcement this past April of
the rediscovery of the species. In December’s CAS
monthly meeting, Bobby will tell the story of the ivory-
bill's near demise and miraculous resurrection and
discuss how the Grail Bird was rediscovered.
 Mark your calendars for the
Choctawhatchee Audubon Annual Retreat, February 17-20th, 2006
The Rally for the Rivers will be held at the
Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, Florida
Field trips include Birding, Hiking, Biking, Canoeing/Kayaking, Pontoon
Boat tours, Native Plant tours, Mushroom ID Walks...
The Rally for the Rivers Festival will feature Arts & Crafts, Live Music,
Story Telling, and much more! There is surely something for everyone!
Come on a trip with CAS and get to know your fellow members!
For more information visit:
www.ChoctawhatcheeAudubon.org

SOUTH FLORIDA BIOLOGISTS RESEARCH BURROWING OWLS

By Ronald J. Sarno, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor, University of South Florida
The goal of our research project is to investigate the level of genetic variation of burrowing owls
from around the state. We are doing this by capturing owls and collecting blood from 10 individuals in
each location. We are using 2 classes of molecular markers to do this.
The 1st class is known as microsatellite markers (aka microsatellites). In sexually reproducing
species microsatellite genotypes are reshuffled at each generation, thus making them powerful tools
for investigating fine-scale population processes including individual identification, paternity, gene flow
among populations, and demographic history.
The second class of markers is known as mitochondiral DNA markers. Because the mito-
chondrion exhibits maternal inheritance we can investigate potential differences in movements, popu-
lation history, and dispersal of males and females by comparing mtDNA and microsatellite data.
We also hope to gain more understanding about burrowing owls by tracking their movements
using radio-telemetry in which each owl is fitted with a small transmitter on its back and we home in
on their location by using a receiver and antenna.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME...

By Gee Oakman
This is the time to be keeping a sharp lookout for any strays or unusual birds, as birds stream
down from the North to wintering grounds. Some years a south Texas species, the groove-billed ani
strays over here. This is one of those years and it has been seen. An even more unusual one, a
black-throated gray warbler, was spotted--unusual indeed! But mostly it is a chance to see the more
common migrants. By late December flocks of Robins stream down here for the winter, along eith
numerous waterfowl and also the little goldfinches; drab-colored now, not bright summer yellow, so
barely recognizable, but their black and white wings are diagnostic. Several northern sparrows also
spend the winter--white-throats, chippies and possibly a less common white-crowned or fox, a large,
rusty-striped sparrow. Enjoy the fall weather, study with binocs any flocks for possibly something
unusual!
December 2005.......Page 2
A LASTING MEMORIAL FOR CHARLIE PARKEL
By Pat Baker, CAS Corresponding Secretary

As most of you know we lost a true southern gentleman in October. Charlie Parkel was taken from
us in a tragic auto accident while he was in Birmingham, AL attending his Alma Mater (Alabama) football
game against Florida.
What most of you may not know is that Charlie spent hours every week for three years in
Fred Gannon State Park compiling a check list of the birds he observed there. Rain, wind, cold, ticks, or
unbearable heat, Charlie would show up and record the birds seen so that future birders of the park would
know what to look for. Choctawhatchee Audubon Society wants to place a permanent memorial in Fred
Gannon State Park so that visitors will know what Charlie had done. Friends of the Emerald Coast State
Parks, heard of our desire to do this and have said that they will match the funds we are able to raise for
this purpose. Ben Faure (the park manager), the rangers, and the CSO Board are all very enthusiastic
about honoring Charlie with an enduring memorial.
Some of the ideas we have for this memorial include a memorial bench, an interpretive kiosk with
information on the park and its flora and fauna. A display board for ongoing reports on bird sightings, a
plaque with information about Charlie and boxes for the placement of brochures, trail guides, and bird
check lists. So now CAS needs your help, we are asking for your monetary memorial donations to this
project. All donations should be earmarked "Charlie Parkel Memorial", and mailed to:

CAS
P.O. Box 1014
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32549

Before I end this request for your donations, just let me add a few little stories about the Charlie I
knew. Just a week before his death he and I were sitting next to each other at a CAS Board meeting, and
as usual I was snapping out a few funny lines to him, and I can hear his laugh right now, with a few of his
Jimmy Stewart, "Yes, yes, oh yes's" thrown in.
Charlie, Hud Huddleston and I headed for St. Georges Island when the Snowy Owl was spotted
there. We walked in the rain for four hours before we finally got to see it. I was able to get some good
pictures of it and Charlie never stopped reminding me, "I sure would like a copy of the Owl picture." I final-
ly remembered and had a copy framed and presented it to him at a chapter meeting. He loved it! He
often spoke of that trip and how we persevered….in the rain…..until we got to see it.
Hud and Charlie, Lois Gilman, Bev Christiansen and I took another trip to the Dry Tortugas out of
Key West along with the Miami Audubon Chapter. On the first night out to the Islands we all slept on the
ship. I was miserable, not seasick, I have sea legs, it was the tiny little bunks we had. If I turned over my
nose hit the bunk above. (true!) The next night Lois, Bev and I camped in our tents on the beach while
Hud and Charlie slept on the ship. I kidded Charlie the whole trip about what he must have looked like
folded up (Charlie was at least 6'3" tall) in his bunk. He said he had been fine, he was never one to com-
plain.
Speaking of height, my last little story took place on Dauphin Island at one of our weekends with
AOS. A group of birders had gathered at the Shell Mound where an "important" sighting had taken place.
Of course I ran to see what everybody was looking at. I know it was of the warbler family but to this day
I can't remember what it was. I got in front of Charlie and he did his best to point it out to me…"there,
there-right in front of us," I still couldn't see it. Then I heard Charlie say, in about the sternest voice he
could muster, "well it would be better if you stood up!" Of course I was standing up, all 5' 3" of me. I was
by then laughing so hard that the bird was forgotten. I never saw the bird, but I had that wonderful moment
with Charlie.

December 2005.......Page 3
 CHAPTER
REPRESENTATIVES
President: Nonie Maines: 862-9588, nonie@noniesark.com
Vice Pres.: Bill Burke: 678-0440, manateeadvocate@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Karen Newhouse: 897-3745, newhouse@earthlink.net
Rec. Sec.: Carole Goodyear: 897-2666, carolegoodyear@msn.com
Corresponding secretary: Pat Baker: 678-2953, flabirder@cox.net
Count coord.: Donald M. Ware: 862-6582, donware@earthlink.net
Conservation: Josh Barbee: 218-0573, josh@heyroy.com
Education: Nonie Maines: 862-9588, nonie@noniesark.com
Field trips: Bob Penhollow: 729-2602
Hospitality: Gertrude Oakman: 664-0312
Membership: Theresa Dennis: tinkinneverland@yahoo.com
Publicity: Linda Daugherty: 269-0665, wbudestin@earthlink.net
Programs: Thelma Phillips: 651-0508, TCMagures@aol.com
Editor: Karin Barbee: shorelines@choctawhatcheeaudubon.org

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Nonprofit Organization

Shorelines, December 2005 U.S. Postage PAID
P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32549
Permit No. 110

Printed on recycled paper

Donations are welcome, please contact
CAS treasurer Karen Newhouse at 678-0440.
All memorial donations for All contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free to
specify a particular fund/event that you wish to
Charlie should be marked: sponsor.
A great big THANK YOU to the following
"Charlie Parkel Memorial" CAS sponsors:
and mailed to: ALYS BEACH
ALLSTATE FOUNDATION
CAS DON & CAROL WARE
P.O. Box 1014 RICHTER FAMILY
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32549 Introductory Audubon Society Membership (E-11):
This form is to be used for new memberships only.
If you have any questions Name:__________________________________________
about this special project Address:________________________________________
City:____________________________ State:__________
please contact Pat Baker or Zip:_____________ Phone: _______________________
E-mail: _________________________________________
Robin Stiles. Introductory membership is $20/individual or $15/student
Pat Baker: (850) 678-2953 or senior citizen to join national, state, and local Audubon
groups and receive Audubon magazine and the Shorelines
flabirder@cox.net newsletter. To join, mail this form and a check, payable to
National Audubon Society, to NAS Membership Data
Robin Stiles: (850) 897-2823 Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.

rcstiles@cox.net Chapter Code: E-11 7XCH

© 2005 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.