Southeast Volusia Audubon Society, Inc. Issue Vol. III- No.

7 November, 2008

The Southeast Volusia Audubon Society promotes the protection of birds, other wildlife and their habitat through education and activism.

Prez Sez Meetings

Birds in Decline Meetings are held the 1st Wednesdays
BirdLife issued a new international report entitled State of Oct. thru March at 7 P.M.
the World's Birds that reveals precipitous declines in popula- Edgewater Library 103 Indian River Blvd. 7: P.M.
tions of many of the world's most familiar birds. This comes on
the heels of the Audubon's 2007 Common Birds in Decline Smoke-free environment. Refreshments are served.
Plenty of parking. Public welcome.
analysis.
Next meeting is November 5, 2008
The BirdLife report highlights avian losses worldwide. A
staggering 45% of common European birds are declining and Speaker: Ms Samantha McGee,
more than half of the bird species that breed North America and
winter in the Neotropics show declining populations over the Park Environmental Specialist
past 40 years Subject: Red Cockaded Woodpecker
Citing the 2007 Audubon report, BirdLife's State of the See Speakers, page 3
World's Birds report states that populations of "Twenty North
Programs & Field trips subject to change.
American common birds have more than halved in number in
the last four decades." The Northern Bobwhite fell most dra-
matically, by 82%. As documented in Audubon's first State of Field Trips
the Birds report in 2004 and reinforced in this report, "Some of
North America's fastest declining birds are grassland species Field trips begin at 8:00 A.M. unless otherwise noted.
whose habitat has been damaged by agricultural expansion Meet in the Market Square parking lot Edgewater, Ridgewood
and intensification." Ave. & 442, between Dunkin Donuts & Chik-Fil-A.
To read more of the Audubon report, point your browser Bring lunch & drinks. Don't forget bug-spray!
to http://web1.audubon.org/news/pressRelease.php?id=920. Sat., Nov. 8 - Deleon Springs
To read the entire BirdLife report, go to See details p.4
http://www.birdlife.org/sowb/pr/SOWB_global.html.
Questions? Contact Gail Domroski 428-0447
“Direct habitat loss continues to be a leading cause for
concern at home and abroad," emphasized Audubon Bird Con- Audubon members and guests are all welcome.
servation Director, Dr. Greg Butcher, speaking from Buenos
Aires, the site of the BirdLife conference. "As we found in
2007, this report points out the increasing impact of large-scale Our Email Address
environmental problems such as global warming, along with the.skimmer@yahoo.com
the continuing toll from weak conservation policies at home." If you'd like to have The eSkimmer emailed monthly,
I wonder if Dr. Butcher considers over-development in the contact us at the above address.
category of “weak conservation policies”? If so, he should say Type subscribe in the subject line.
it because we are certainly going to see and feel it. If you like
Restoration and Reflections, you’re going to love Farmton. Our Website
http://sevolusiaaudubon.org/
Farmton Tree Farm is a 58,000 acre property located west
of I-95, starting at Restoration and running south into Brevard
County. It is owned by Miami Corporation and has been
managed mainly as a timber operation for over 80 years. Of Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can
note is the fact that Miami Corporation planted the trees on laugh at his so called scientific knowledge.
mainly open ground to create the forest that now exists. As - Thomas Edison
timbering is no longer economical in East Central Florida, the
company is looking for other income.
See Prez Sez p.3
The eSkimmer November, 2008

the end of the earth. It is almost at the end of the highway from
Wandering Members Morehead City on US Rte 70. The campground is about 15
acres of level (and leveled) sand without trees but surrounded
Ken Gunn inn Canada on three sides by sand pines and live oak trees with a few cedars
October in Alberta in the mix. There is a 100-foot long beach on the south end that
faces Core Sound. Across the Sound about two miles is a
As I was preparing to write this, on October 20th, our barrier island.
two resident fawns wandered into our yard through the back
gate. I thought that they had been weaned during the three As it is in all of our other trips, birding is one of my
weeks that I was back in Florida but they are still fat as little passions. And I kept separate lists for each of the two visits.
hogs. Obviously doing well on their own. Actually, I saw them Even though the number of species is close from one visit to the
near their mother later in the day and while she does not appear other, it is striking to see the differences in the species and
to still be nursing, she must still be looking after them to some number of birds from spring to fall.
degree. I have seen no sign of the one survivor of the other For example in the spring, there were tons of terns. I saw
twins born in our hamlet so fear he must have met an unfortu- lots of Forster’s, Caspians, Royals, Least, Common, and even
nate end. Gull-billed terns (new life bird for me). Not many terns this
My feeders ran out of sunflower seeds during the three time, mostly Royals and a few Forsters. Last time, most of the
weeks I was away. As a result the Juncos all left. I am gulls were Laughing Gulls. This time there were lots of Great
surprised that they haven’t come back since I restocked as they and Lesser Blacked Back Gulls, Herring Gulls and Ring-billed
do winter in this area. The chickadees and nuthatches remained. gulls in addition to the Laughing Gulls. There were a few
While they appear to prefer oil sunflower seeds, they will also Northern Flickers and a Pileated. This time there are tons of
eat the other feed I put out. Blue Jays are in the area all the time Red-headed woodpeckers (lots of juveniles as well), some red-
and raid any feeders they can set on. bellied, hairy and even a Pileated. Last time there were Black
Skimmers, Tree and Barn swallows, Purple Martins, Clapper
As of today, I have a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches, who Rails, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and Great Crested Flycatch-
are year around residents; a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches, ers. None this time. This time there were Little Blue Herons
who appear to want to winter here; two pair of Black-capped (including white phase), Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, White
and one pair of Mountain Chickadees, all of whom will probably Ibis (including lots of juveniles), Canada Geese, Mallards
winter here; and two to six Blue Jays. American Widgeon, Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones where
In the surrounding area the bird population is thinning out there were none last time. All this from the same fifteen- acre
for winter. There are many ravens who stay year round but vantage point.
appear to increase in number in the fall. Their nemesis, the Just as striking as the differ-
crows all seem to have gone south. The eagles appear to have ence in time period is the change
moved on although I did see one second year Bald Eagle in the in weather. When the days were
air yesterday. The coots and many of the ducks have started to sunny, most of the gulls and
leave but the Mallards are still here. Resident Canada Geese are shore birds were across the
still here but so far I have not seen any of the large northern Sound. When the weather was
flocks of either Canadas or Snows. very cloudy and the wind from
Based on the late arrival of the geese, the fact that I have not the South, lots of Gulls gathered
seen any elk in the valleys yet and as the muskrat houses are on the boat docks on this side of Don Picard
small, Old Indian Gunn forecasts a late fall and mild winter this the Sound like those in the picture, and the Sanderlings and
year. Turnstones and Spotted Sandpipers were on our little part of the
—Ken Gunn beach. The Sanderling in the above picture regularly came
within five feet of me without any anxiety.
In the early 1990’s, when I was in the Air Force in En-
Don Picard in North Carolina gland, a Royal Air Force Squadron Leader (USAF Major
equivalent) who worked for me got me interested in birding. At
Birding over time. the time it was exciting merely to identify the birds we saw.
As most of you know, Since then, my interests have evolved to understanding their
Maureen and I spend our habits and habitats and to trying to preserve and protect them
summers in National and their habitats as and integral part of our personal experi-
Parks. Birding is one of ence. I encourage you to do the same.
my passions and I keep a If you are a reader of this newsletter and you have a story
log of the birds I see in you would like to share with fellow readers, I encourage you to
each place. Obviously email it to the.skimmer@yahoo.com If there are enough en-
there is a new life bird or tries, I will start another page in our website
two in each place. This www.SEVolusiaAudubon.org . You do not have to be a mem-
year, for reasons known to ber of the club to participate in this or any of our meetings or
my inner circle, we spent Don Picard
field trips.
the spring from mid-June to mid-July and the month of October
in a campground in Sealevel, North Carolina. Sealevel is near —Don Picard

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The eSkimmer November, 2008

Prez Sez from p.1 Native & Nice

The first of two meetings of the Farmton property “stake-
holders” took place Thursday, September 25 at the Brannon Fakahatchee Grass
Center. Ken attended the meeting along with Karyn from West Tripsacum dactyloides
Volusia Audubon. To read Ken’s report, check it out in our A misconception among
website. native plants is that they are
Can you imagine that in 15 to 20 years New Smyrna somehow all drought tolerant.
Beach/Edgewater will lose all the small town charm we take This simply is not the case.
for granted and will swell from 40,000 people to 100,000 Florida has many microcli-
people. Enjoy the serenity and the beach while you can. As mates, making it important to
Ken says in his report, “This is important!!” We are going to consider your individual land-
have to watch this. scape when choosing native plants. Consider their natural
habitat and try to match this with your own. This brings us to
One of the most important things we can do as citizens
the native plant for this month’s article, Fakahatchee Grass.
during these times is to stay informed of the issues and vote
your concerns. That includes federal, state and local elections. Fakahatchee Grass, also called Gamma Grass, is a native
City and County officials may have more impact on our quality to Florida and the Southeast United States. Its native habitats
of life than state and federal officials. So get out and vote. This include moist areas around freshwater lakes, but also in bogs
is important!!. and marshes with brackish water. Fakahatchee grass prefers
fertile soils, but is tolerant of many types as long as it is moist.
See you at our meeting.
In a traditional neighborhood setting, twice a week watering is
—Don Picard sufficient to keep Fakahatchee happy.
Fakahatchee adds beauty and function to any landscape. It
is a tall bunchgrass with broad, upright leaves and grows from
Speakers 3 to 5 feet tall. It grows well in full sun to part shade. When
Fakahatchee is exposed to frost, the leaves assume shades of
November Speaker red and bronze creating winter interest.
Our November speaker will be Ms. Samantha McGee, When gamma grass blooms the most noticeable parts are
Park Environmental Specialist at St. Sebastian River Preserve the wine-colored anthers that are held on fine stems. It blooms
State Park. Sammy is a native Floridian, born and raised in from late spring through early fall.
Melbourne Beach. She attended university in North Carolina
and earned a BSc in Environmental Science and Religious The best time to divide this plant for propagation is in
Studies from St Andrews College in 1998. spring.

Her first job out of college was an administrative position —Debbie Pell
in Yellowstone National Park. Wishing to be outdoors and
Fakahatchee Grass is available at Lindley’s Nursery & Garden
dedicated to protecting the beauty and diversity that surrounds Center, W. Canal St. & Old Mission Rd., in New Smyrna Beach.
us, Sammy next joined Americorps National Civilian Commu-
nity Corps. She served on a team of 15 young adults who
travelled throughout the southeast United States for one year,
working on environmental restoration, disaster relief, educa- Donnadine Tree
tion, and other unmet human needs. She enjoyed the experi-
ence so much that she re-upped. This time she went to the Tree Planting This Month
Pacific Northwest as team leader of an environmental restora-
tion team. Sammy spent three years in Portland, Oregon with We will be having a tree planting ceremony in honor of our
various environmental agencies but the swamps, pine flat- dear friend Donnadine E. Miller in Riverside Park, New
woods and, of course, the ocean and climate of Florida, called Smyrna Beach on Monday, November 10 at 11 a.m.
her home. As most of you know by now, Donnadine passed from this
Sammy has been at the St. Sebastian River Preserve State plane into the light on April 7, 2008.
Park in Brevard and Indian River Counties since early 2004. She was an Audubon member (SEVAS), a community
This is an amazing 22,000 acre preserve with 23 different activist, a lovely friend to those who knew her and a loving
natural community types and 74 protected species. Her many wife.
projects there include prescribed fire management, hydrologic Please join us in this tribute to her.
restoration, exotic invasive species eradication, public educa-
tion and outreach, and protected species management and —Kathy Reinhart
monitoring. Her talk will be about one of those species and is
entitled Red Cockaded Woodpecker: Biology, Monitoring and
Thanks to the combined efforts of the City of New Smyrna Beach, Liz
Management.
Yancey in particular, SEVAS, the many friends of Donnadine's who gener-
—Ken Gunn ously contributed to the fund and to Lindley's Nursery for donating the tree.

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The eSkimmer November, 2008

Editor's Note In The Field

Confessions of a Non-Birder Our November field trip will be Saturday November 8,
to DeLeon Springs State Park.
Okay, I go to the meetings and I go on the field trips but I
The four-mile Wild Persimmon Trail meanders through
still can't tell one warbler or sparrow or tern from the other.
oak hammock, flood plain forest and abandoned agricultural
It's not that the help isn't there. Our SEVAS group is full of fields. Deer and turkey can often be seen, and Florida black
real birders, people who can tell the difference between a bears have been spotted occasionally.
Piping and a Wilson's Plover. They're available at meetings and Native Americans visited and used these springs as long as
on the trips. And I did buy The Sibley Guide to Birds which I 6,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, settlers built sugar and
use as reference for this newsletter (it's where I found the cotton plantations that were sacked by Seminole Indians during
Plovers). But, truth be told, I don't want to know. I like to see the Second Seminole War. By the 1880s the springs had be-
the birds, like to watch them fly and dart and walk about. I like come a winter resort, and tourists were promised "a fountain of
to hear their noises, their songs, their squawks. youth impregnated with a deliciously healthy combination of
But most of all, I like being around the people who totally soda and sulfur." Birding is excellent in and around the spring
immerse themselves in the wonderful world of bird watching. run
The newly renovated Visitor Center features exhibits on
I enjoy watching the bird watchers. the park's 6,000 year history and DVD presentations on
When we moved to Florida eleven years ago, my wife, Florida's Springs, the St. Johns River, and the Everglades.
Donnadine who was a bird watcher, suggested we join the local Meet at the Market Square parking lot at 8 A.M., US 1 &
Audubon group which is SEVAS. We did, and Donnadine, 442, Edgewater, between Dunkin Donuts & Chik-Fil-A. Bring a
being the participatory sort, made certain we got to the meet- lunch to enjoy in the shade of giant oaks or take advantage of
ings and went on the field trips. the restaurant available within the park. There is a $5 per
Apart from the fact that I don't like arising before 9 vehicle fee so plan on car-pooling.
a.m.and I don't much care for picnics, I got to like the field Call Gail @ 428-0447 if you have any questions.
trips. Once I was up and about—egad! do people really get up
while it's still dark?—I found the appeal of early rising. The —Gail Domroski
world is crisp and new at the dawn. Invigorating. People are See Of Interest below for a link.
alert and ready to go and go we did. The field trips each month
took us to a wide range of birding sites. The folks in the know
had field guides, binoculars, spotting scopes and enthusiasm. I
had my cameras. Of Interest
The folks in the know would stop, set up scopes, consult
field guides and have animate discussions right there on the Links to Florida State Parks
spot. I would meander, looking up sometimes at the bird of
topic but more often looking down at bugs or bees or butter- http://www.floridastateparks.org/stsebastian/
flies. I would also look at the people. I loved the intensity of http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/
their focus, their dedication to their hobby. My wife was
slightly different in the field, had sort of a glow about her. That
made me happy.
People-watching has long been a hobby of mine. That and
its partner eavesdropping. What fun. And being outdoors in this
Officers & Chairs
lovely state of Florida with bird watchers is the perfect place for
my hobby.
President: Don Picard 386-957-1886 president@sevolusiaaudubon.org
Our last field trip—the first of this season—to Smyrna
Dunes Park was minimally attended but delightful. Perfect
weather, no biting bugs and lots of birds. Sorry you missed the Secretary: Jean McNeil 386-423-2508
fun. Treasurer: Bill Cox billnmarsha@pshift.com
Come along on this next one.
Newsletter: Gil Miller 386-423-4124 the.skimmer@yahoo.com
I'll try to catch you in my viewfinder while you're trying to
catch a bird in your binoculars. Programs: Ken Gunn 386-423-2334 gunnsatbeach@cfl.rr.com
—Gil Miller
Field Trips: Gail Domroski 386-428-0447

Conservation: Kathy Booth 386-409--3091 mprademacher@msn.com

Please forward this Skimmer to friends.

Membership: Richard Domroski 386-428-0447
Publicity: Bill Cox billnmarsha@pshift.com