The St.

Petersburg Audubon Society

WingSpan December 2007 - January 2008

CONSERVATION CELEBRATION
Calendar of Events -
December, January + Wednesday, December 5th, 6:30 - 10pm
Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton
Dec. 4 (Tues.) - SPAS Board meeting, 6:30-9pm at the Science
Road, Largo 582-2120
Center, 7701 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Dec. 5 (Wed.) - Conservation Celebration. See article on this

page.
Dec. 9 (Sun.) - Scout for Christmas Bird Count. Don Margeson,
572-0227.
Dec. 15 - 108th Annual Christmas Bird Count. Participate in a day
of full contact birding. Call Don Margeson to volunteer, 572- 0227.
Countdown dinner 6pm at Panera Bread, 2285 Ulmerton Rd., in
Feather Sound. Dave Goodwin, compiler. See article inside.
Jan. 1 (Tues.) - Rich Paul New Years Day Birding Open. Bird in the
New Year at Ft. DeSoto Park and help support Audubon of Florida's
Coastal Islands Sanctuary. Join a team or bird on your own.
Trophies, door prizes. Cost: $20 minimum donation/person. Start as
early as you like that day; all checklists need to be turned in promptly
at noon. Pack a lunch. Drinks and dessert provided. Call Mauri
Peterson to pre-register, 398-4124.
Jan. 6 (Sun.) - Weedon Island Preserve, 1800 Weedon Dr. NE, St.
Petersburg. Meet at the Visitor Center, 8am. Geared for beginners
and families; children welcome. Leaders: John & Lindsay Hood,
461-4762. Pack a lunch.
Pinellas County Native Plant Society and St. Petersburg
Audubon Society present the annual Conservation
Celebration on Wednesday, December 5th, from 6:30 –
10pm at the Pinellas County Extension in Largo.
There will be a silent auction, environmental infor-
mation from local groups, and great food.
The guest speaker will be Terry Tomalin, outdoors
editor for the St. Petersburg Times. His program - A
Paddle and a Prayer: 25 years on the wild waterways of
Florida, will take us through Florida’s rivers, coasts, and
blue water in everything from sea kayaks and dugouts to
ocean-going outrigger canoes.
Join us for this fun-filled evening. Please bring
something for the potluck.
(Be kind to our environment, bring along your own
non-disposable glass or coffee mug to minimize the trash
we create. If you want to really help, bring your non-
disposable plate and flatware too. We only have one Earth
and there really is nowhere else to escape to if we trash it.)

Jan. 19 - “Duck Hunt.” Visit various local water holes in search of

wintering ducks. Meet at Sears, 94th Ave. N & 9th St., St. Petersburg Tuesday, January 15th, 7:00pm at the SCIENCE
at 7:30am to carpool. W e will end the morning at the Tierra Verde
ponds, then go to Jojo's for lunch. Leaders: Doug Clark, 398-1871, and
CENTER, 7701 22nd Avenue N., St. Petersburg
Mauri Peterson. 727-384-0027
Jan. 26 - Indian Prairie Guided Buggy Tour, Lake Placid; A Division
of Archbold Biological Research Station. See article inside.
The Role of Cattle Ranches in
February Shorebird Classes - Learn to decipher those cryptic winter Florida Conservation and
shorebirds with John Ogden & Maureen Arnold. See article inside.
Environmental Sustainability
Feb. 2 - Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin. Meet 8am at
McDonald's, Alt. US 19 & Curlew Rd., to carpool. $5/car. Leader: W ilf - Dr. Patrick Bohlen, Archbold Research
Yusek, 587-0473. Biologist & Director of Research at the MacArthur
Feb. 10 (Sun.) - Roosevelt Wetlands. Small wetlands area off 43rd Agro-ecology Research Center
St. N, where we will look for Least Bittern, Purple Gallinule, snipe,
various sparrow species, Black-necked Stilt, Limpkin, Moorhen, Kill-
deer and Green Heron. In the winter Caspian and Royal terns, Osprey Cattle ranching in Florida has been perhaps the
and Bald Eagles commonly feed here. Also seen: Red-shouldered, single most important industry in terms of
Red-tailed, Cooper's and Broad-winged hawks. Meet at 8am at Sears,
94th Ave. N & 9th St., St. Petersburg, to car-pool. Leaders: Don &
sustaining native Florida habitat and wildlife in
Lorraine Margeson, 527-0227. the midst of rampant development. Our state’s
rich natural diversity is still found on these vast
Feb. 15, 16 & 17 - Great Backyard Bird Count. W atch the
land holdings, and one of them is now an open-air
newsletter for more details or contact Maureen Arnold, 577-0448.
laboratory where researchers learn about the complex
Feb. 16-18 - Camping at Myakka River State Park. W eekend of interrelationship of agriculture and nature.
hiking, birding and the now-famous potluck spaghetti dinner Saturday Come hear about this fascinating relationship, and
night. Call Frank Pattie, 397-3952, for campsite reservations. Space
prepare to be pleasantly surprised at what has been and is
is limited, call early.
happening “down on the farm.”
 PRESIDENT’S M ESSAGE
Dave Kandz and I represented
SPAS at the Audubon Assembly
the first weekend in November.
We had a chance to meet with
other chapter leaders and Audubon of Florida staff. I
attended the President’s Breakfast where a discussion was
led by David Anderson, Executive Director of AoF, on the
problems National, as well as local chapters, face regarding
membership. SPAS is experiencing the common problem
of a static number of members. I would encourage you, as
I have the Board of Directors, to invite friends, neighbors
and relatives to become SPAS members. The $20
introductory membership includes not only a membership
to SPAS, but the state organization and National Audubon.
They will receive the National magazine, a quarterly
publication from the State, and our local monthly
newsletter.
CONSERVATION NEWS
Shell Key
Having been approved unanimously by the Board of County
Commissioners, the revised Shell Key Management Plan is
tentatively scheduled for view by the state Acquisition and
Restoration Council (ARC) on December 14th. Once
approved, the County will begin to phase in implementation
of the new plan.
Boyd Hill
If you have walked the trails at
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve lately,
you might have noticed lots of Air
Potato and other invasive exotic
species. Representatives from St.
Petersburg Audubon and the
Pinellas Chapter of the Florida
Native Plant Society met with St. Petersburg city staff,
which resulted in a 10-point plan to correct this situation,
and improve conditions in general in the Preserve. Watch
the newsletter and stpeteaudubon.org for details on how
you can get involved!
by Mauri Peterson, SPAS President
By now most of you will have received our Annual
Appeal letter. We were very successful last year, raising
over $5000, and I thank those of you who contributed. It
is through your generous donations that we are able to
continue and improve upon our many activities, programs
and projects.
The holiday season is rapidly approaching. So if you
are in need of a little “down time,” consider attending one
of our meetings, field trips, or our Conservation
Celebration on December 5th. Any one of these will give
you a break from what I call the “have-to’s” of the next
couple months.
This will be the last newsletter of this year so I would
like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a
happy, safe and healthy holiday season.
by Dave Kandz
Whooping Cranes
The annual return of
Whooping Cranes to Florida
is in progress. In past years
the Cranes usually return to
their wintering grounds in the
Chassahowitzka NWR in
mid-December. If you have
never watched their inspira-tional fly-in over the
Dunnellon airport you’ve missed an incredible sight!
Follow their progress at www.operationmigration.org
and start planning a last-minute trip to Dunnellon!
Progress Energy Power Plant
SPAS met with Progress Energy staff to discuss ways to
create bird-friendly habitat at their Weedon Island
Power Plant, including creation of Least Tern nesting
areas.
Discussions are ongoing, and we thank Progress
Energy for their willingness to share their facilities with
the birds, and for our continued access to the area for
Christmas Bird Counts.
 Shorebird The cost of the three-class
Classes on Tap program is $30 (proceeds go to St.
Petersburg Audubon Society).
We will have three classes starting in February Leaders: John Ogden and Maureen
to help you learn how to identify the major Arnold. Local excellent birders will
wintering shorebirds found on Pinellas beaches. provide scope views and expertise.
Classes will be held on Saturday mornings, 8am Interested? Call Maureen Arnold
- 11:30am at Ft. DeSoto County Park. The dates will be chosen at 727-577-0448 or email maureenarn@earth
based upon the anticipated tide level. link.net

What makes the Coffee Pot Bayou Bird Island Owners Tick?
by Lorraine Margeson

I’ve been asked to describe the folks who formed the BIRD for many years, our favorite evening excursion is to
ISLAND, LLC corporation to buy CPB Bird Island in order to save take friends and family around Bird Island at sunset.
it from development as it awaited official designation as a preserve. We love watching the various species of birds arrive
As you all know, that legislation has now been accomplished. for the night, counting the squadrons of incoming ibis,
What kind of folks are willing to spend $60,000 to save an listening to the cacophony of calls, spotting the
important bird nesting island AND wish to remain anonymous to nestlings during the spring. It is
boot! important to us to have this to enjoy
One of the owners is a lifelong resident who now - and to preserve for our
grew up on the waters of Coffee Pot Bayou. His wife grandchildren and their children - and
arrived when the brown pelicans were being for all the inhabitants of our
imported from Louisiana because of the DDT community.
damage in Tampa Bay. She had never seen a “real”
pelican before and quickly fell in love with Florida’s From the time of the cruise that
flora and fauna. They’ve watched this place go from Don and I sponsored for local residents
basically a dead mangrove island to a roosting site living in Snell Isle and Old Northeast
for Brown Pelicans. The pelicans began nesting here several years ago, I had kept in touch
and then the island over time became a rookery for with the now-new owners who were
13 species - several of which are imperiled. CPB some of the guests on that cruise. And
has been a place that this owner and family have
One now-owner set foot on the island then, the news came out about Scherer
treasured for many MANY years, a place they for the first time during the Development and the stilt house plans
thought would always be there for the birds. monofilament clean-up day and which I shared with all of the contacts
Some travel notes that have given the owners witnessed first hand the damage of that developed from that day. It
reason to marvel worldwide at wildlife, their words discarded fishing line seemed impossibly unreal, but finally
on travel experiences that created their need to do the folks who now comprise Bird
some good: Island, LLC felt that the risk was great enough to act
S Zaire (The Congo) to view the silverback gorillas. on behalf of wildlife. An act that has resounded
S Baja Mexico, St. Ignacious Bay where the mother gray whales throughout the environmental community in a most
were nursing their calves before their trip up the coast to positive way.
Alaska. One of the mothers with her calf came to our zodiac When you spend time with these folks, there is no
and bumped it gently (all 35 tons of her!). She allowed us to pretense or even emphasis on this amazing philan-
scratch the top of her head and to touch the baby. thropic act... they are fun, friendly, savvy, educated
S We have watched the polar bears in the midnight sun several and humble in the most genuine way. They live, work
hundred miles from the North Pole. and play in St. Pete. They are true stakeholders
who’ve learned the value of such places simply by
Direct comment from one of the owners on the Coffee Pot living in and loving our planet in all its diversity,
purchase: We do not think of this as money being thrown out the spectacle and wonder. That’s the way I see Bird
door, so to speak. To us it is an investment in our personal quality Island, LLC, and I am truly honored to call them
of life and an investment for the future of our community. Bird friends, and humbled by their efforts. You don’t
Island is a unique entity in the middle of an urban area. It makes bump into folks like this every day, but I’m surely
Coffee Pot different and special. I cannot tell you how many times, glad that I did!!
 December Events at the Weedon Island Preserve

1800 Weedon Drive N.E., St. Petersburg. Call to register for all events: (727) 453-6500;
See http://www.pinellascounty.org/Events/ for more events

Saturday, Dec. 1; 9am - Noon & Friday, Dec. 7; 12:30 - 3:30pm

Guided Canoe Trip at Weedon Island Preserve
Explore the south canoe trail of Weedon Island Preserve. Trained guides lead you through mangrove stands and over
seagrass and oyster beds while pointing out various flora and fauna. The cost for this unique experience is $10/person or
$20/canoe with a maximum of three people in each canoe. Children should be over 6 years old and accompanied by an adult.
Spaces fill quickly so call and pre-register ASAP.

Saturdays, Dec. 1, 8, 15, and 22; 9 - 11am Saturday Guided Hikes at Weedon Island Preserve
Take a two-hour hike with the experts through Weedon Island Preserve’s coastal mangrove and upland ecosystems. Learn
about the coastal environment and the Preserve’s early residents. Free, call to register.

Saturday, Dec. 8; 11am - Noon Give the Gift of Nature Workshop

Replace hectic holiday traffic and last minute shopping with walks outdoors and time with the family. Learn how to create
beautiful, personal and one-of-a-kind gifts using common household materials and natural objects for friends and relatives.
Create up to three different nature crafts. Free. The workshop is best for those over 5 years old. Pre-registration required.

Saturday, Dec. 15; 10:30 - 11:30am Wading Bird Behaviors at Weedon Island Preserve
Learn about wading birds and the meaning of their rather unusual head gestures, sounds, courting and preening. After a
classroom session, take on a short hike to a salt-water pond to look for wading birds in action. Free, all ages welcome.
Registration required.

IT’S GREAT TO BE GREEN by Barb Howard

The holidays are hard on the environment!
Many people put up lights for the holidays. If you’re one of
them, have you noticed how much your electric bill rises each
December? Beside the cost to you there is a definite a cost to
the environment in the pollution created when that excess
energy is created. Fortunately we don’t have to give up our
traditions, just make a few adjustments. Put your lights on
timers that come on when it gets dark and turn off when you go
to bed. There are new lights on the market now that are LED
and use 90% less energy than the traditional ones. They can be
found at Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Home Depot & Lowe’s or on
line - shop around.
Paper products abound at the holidays. Choose wisely.
Pinellas County has free holiday wrapping paper made from the
paper we recycle. It’s available at various county offices. Look
for it at the upcoming Conservation Celebration. Once you’ve
opened the packages don’t forget to recycle that paper. You can
also make your gift wrap a part of your gift by using a scarf or
towel to wrap the gift. Wrapping in newspaper with a festive
bow can also be done, but don’t forget to keep that bow for next
year. Gift bags can be used year after year and are a quick and
easy way to wrap.
If you send out holiday cards, look for cards made with
recycled paper. There are many e-cards available that you can
send out via e-mail avoiding paper completely. If you receive
cards from your family and friends, recycle the envelopes and
parts of the cards that aren’t foil or sparkles. Another option is
to cut out the front of the card to use
for gift tags on future gifts and then
recycle the rest.
When your family and friends come for a holiday
meal, please don’t use styrofoam, plastic, or paper
disposables. Bring out your non-disposable glasses, plates,
and flatware. If you don’t have enough place settings for
all your guests, ask them to bring their own. Make cleanup
a group effort and part of the festivities. Conserve water
while washing the dishes by filling a basin to wash and
rinse in. Don’t let the water run needlessly. Buying local
produce and organic foods will also help the environment.
What gifts are you buying for your family and friends?
Look for things without excess packaging and things that
are useful to the recipient. Intangibles such as zoo,
aquarium, or museum memberships, Audubon, Native
Plant Society, or other memberships, restaurant, grocery
store, or movie gift cards make great gifts. Prepay a
recipient’s utility or other bill. Buy something useful, not
something that will end up at the resale shop or in the
waste stream. Shopping at garage sales or resale shops for
gifts can be an adventure and give items a second life.
It’s time to make small changes in our lives that will
help our environment. With some creative planning we
can have wonderful holidays without negatively impacting
the environment. Let’s all have a Green Holiday, our Earth
deserves it.
 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP - SO BENEFICIAL!
Did you know you could help save critical habitat for birds and other wildlife by purchasing a
Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the “Duck
Stamp”? This $15 stamp is a vital tool for wetland conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of every
W inning 2008 Federal
dollar generated by the sale of the Duck Stamp goes to the purchase or lease of wetland habitat
Duck Stam p Art
by Joe Hautm an for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Without wetlands, many of the bird
species we know and love would not survive.
You can purchase the stamps at many U.S. Post Offices and sporting goods stores. Your stamp will also be an
entrance pass into National Wildlife Refuges where admission is charged. For more information on the Federal Duck
Stamps and pictures of each one, dating back to 1934, visit www.fws.gov/duckstamps.

Omens and Owls

by Joe Maier
Owls have been given a bad name
By those who make the claim
N ATION AL A U D UBO N S OC IETY
That owls are an omen of doom
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION That they carry messages from the tomb.
INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP Owls do make sounds like hooo hooo or too
$20.00 (New membership only) But they hardly ever say boo.
9 Please enroll me as a member in the National Audubon People are filled with fright
Society. Start my subscription to A U D UBO N magazine & send
my membership card. Because owls are mainly creatures of the night.
9 I do not wish to receive A U D UBO N magazine.
9 I wish to receive the SPAS W ingSpan only electronically. While they may be found nesting in red-painted barns
Owls really don’t have any horns.
Name _____________________________________ It isn’t their fault when someone has a fatal fall
After hearing an owl’s plaintive call.
Address ___________________________________ Accidents happen, after all.
City ________________ State___ Zip___________ Still...
Phone _________________________ According to ancient Indian lore
There is something more.
E-mail address ______________________________
Please enclose a check, payable to the National Audubon Partnership Offers Rewards
Society, and mail to:
Captain Alva Sholty, a SPAS member and Skipper of the
St. Petersburg Audubon Society
Shell Key Shuttle, generously provides the Shuttle to ferry us
Post Office Box 49087
to Shell Key for bird counts, work days, and much more.
St. Petersburg, FL 33743-9087
Thanks, Captain Alva!
9 National Audubon occasionally makes its membership list
available to carefully selected organizations whose mailings you may
find interesting. To have your name omitted from this list, please check Shell Out
here. Shell Key Shuttle $22/adult
$11/child <13
9 I would also like to help my local chapter. I have a special interest
and/or skills in:
& Sunset Cruises
9 Local conservation issues 9 Board of Directors
9 Education /Audubon Adventures 9 National Bird Counts
9 Legal 9 Publicity 9 Financial Matters
MERRY PIER
9 Hospitality - Greeters / Refreshments 9 Insurance 801 Pass-A-Grille Way Ž St. Pete Beach, Florida
9 Membership 9 Exhibits at fairs and festivals
727-360-1348
E06 7XCH www.shellkeyshuttle.com
This form is only for new memberships, not renew als. Captain Alva Sholty
“Visions of Florida” - Jason Hahn,
Professional Nature Photographer Hahn’s collection will make great holiday gifts. This
exhibit is free and open to the public during normal hours
“Visions of Florida” is a detailed study of various Florida through Sunday, December 30, 2007 at the Weedon Island
ecosystems from the Everglades to the Myakka River. This Cultural and Natural History Center.
visual journey groups together photographs of each location Go to: http://www.pinellascounty.org/Events
around a major theme, exploring the essence of that Email: weedonisland@pinellascounty.org
environment. Fine art prints, note cards, and calendars from

The St. Petersburg Audubon Society NON -PROFIT ORG .

P.O. Box 49087 St. Petersburg, FL 33743-9087 US POSTAGE
www.stpeteaudubon.org 727-384-0027
Chapter Representatives
PAID
St Petersburg, FL
President: Mauri Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398-4124
Permit #6340
Vice President: Maureen Arnold (Membership) . . 577-0448
Treasurer: Rick Potter (Ways & Means) . . . . . . . . 822-9637
Secretary: Open
Board Members and Duties:
Harold Albers (Education) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864-1113
Mary Brazier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867-7151
Suzanne Cooper (Newsletter) . . . . . . . . . . . . 813-892-4342
Wanda Dean (Special Events) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321-3995
Peter Edmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593-1796
Barb Howard (Programs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343-1272
Dave Kandz (Conservation & Publicity) . . . . . . . . . 471-0699
Mark Mueller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686-3179
Jeanne Murphy (Programs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391-8362
Nancy Ogden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894-5940
Lee Snyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865-2293
Gabe Vargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864-2683
Neighborhood Outreach: Barb Zias . . . . . . . . . . 521-4997
Least Tern Project: Monique Abrams . . . . . . . . . 230-0732
Shell Key: Barb Ranck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374-7039

The Christmas Bird Count needs you!

INDIAN PRAIRIE BUGGY TOUR,
by Don Margeson
LAKE PLACID
It’s time to enjoy the fruits of our (A Division of Archbold Biological
labors! We’ve worked hard all Research Station)
year on preservation, conservation
and education, but now it’s our Saturday, January 26, 2008, 1:30 - 4:00pm
time to shine! Please join us to (Note time change from the annual program)
celebrate the 108th Audubon
Christmas Bird Count by parti-
Climb aboard this outdoor tour buggy for a fun and
cipating in this most important of Hooded Warbler - Could it be educational experience on the Lake Wales Ridge. This
citizen science projects. unique 10,500-acre working cattle ranch is also an
the newest addition to the
The St. Pete CBC is rich in St. Pete CBC list?
ecological research center. It provides habitat to some of
tradition, this year hosting our 71st Florida’s most interesting wildlife, including crested
consecutive CBC. We’ve been blessed to be lead by great caracaras, northern harriers, meadowlarks, gopher
compilers, such as the late Glenn Wolfenden, Ron Smith and tortoises, alligators, white-tailed deer and numerous
currently, Dave Goodwin. We’ll be accessing new areas this other species which we may see.
year, with opportunities to explore new habitat and see new Ranches can be excellent wildlife habitat - come see
birds. I think this could be the year we break our previous for yourself!
record of 162 species! This is a SPAS field trip. The
So join in the action and help contribute valuable data to
cost is $15/person. Limited space is
local, national and international advocacy efforts. We’ll end
the day with our annual countdown dinner at Panera Bread on
available, so call as soon as possible
Ulmerton Rd. north of Carillon. to reserve your seat. RSVP to
For more information and to volunteer, call Don Margeson Jeanne Murphy at 727-582-2461.
at 727-527-0227, Ext. 253 or email donatdonlo@aol.com