Marion Audubon Society The Scrub Jay January 2019

Photos by Holly Yocum January Issue: The Scrub Jay by Marty Schwartz, Editor

The Scrub Jay will be published monthly including upcoming events, news of bird sightings, and most importantly articles from our members. You will be able to quickly see articles from our event organizers from Meetup, Facebook and our website.

Let’s hear from you. Please indicate photos with your name, the bird by name, location and date. Send these to mas.scrub.jay@gmail.com by mid-month to be included in the next month’s Scrub Jay. I hope you enjoy the photos included in this issue of our newsletter.

Upcoming Events for January, by Josie Muncy, Director Field Trips Saturday Jan 5, 2019 10:30-11:30 AM Program at Forest Library with short walk afterwards Saturday Jan 12, 2019 08:30 AM Nature Walk at Coehadjoe Park Friday Jan 18, 2019 08:30 AM Nature Walk at Silver Springs State Park

Saturday Jan 19, 2019 10:30-11:30 AM Program at Main Library (Silver Springs Blvd) Guest speaker from Ocala National Forest On December 3rd, we did a field trip to Sweetwater Wetlands in Gainesville. Although the weather was not that great, I actually canceled but still had to make trip since we had some folks meeting us there. There were 6 of us and we saw 35 species.

Black Crowned Night Herron Greater Yellowlegs On December 14th, we did another field trip to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Again the weather wasn’t all that great (rainy), we still went. There were 9 of us in two cars. Thanks to Larry Sutton and Marty Schwartz for being our drivers that day. We saw a total of 48 species and we only managed to observe the first 3 miles of the 11 mile drive due to heavy rain. A great time by all!

Black-crowned Night Heron Light Morph Red Shoulder Hawk Belted Kingfishe Photos by Josie Muncy from Lake Apopka trip. We had 2 Nature Walks this month, one at Fort King with 9 folks and 20 species; 2nd walk at Silver Springs State Park, with 11 folks and 33 species. Please visit our web site for details on the above events. All walks require proper walking attire, be sure to bring binoculars, water, a hat, sun screen, and bug spray.

President’s Message by John Schaefer Hopefully you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and are anxious to get outside birding. Now is the time to take advantage of our weekly Bird Walks scheduled by Josie Muncy, Director of Bird Walks, and Programs. Our annual Christmas Bird Count managed by Judy Greenberg was an outstanding success. Larry Sutton, treasurer, compiled the bird count results and sent them to Audubon. Check our results on our website. I would like to recognize our members that participated in the two areas that I led, which was 13 miles on the Withlacoochee River from State Road 200 to Dunnellon. Liza Caudillo was the recorder, Michele Reyes was the tabulator and Bill Vibbert provided the boat and was the driver and Paul Marraffino, shuttled the towing vehicle and empty boat trailer back to Dunnellon for the exit. The other 11 area leaders and Birders did a phenomenal job. Mike Paczolt offered to be the team leader next year for area 13 which is EL Diablo golf course in Dunnellon. Thank you Mike! Michelle and Liza are also considering team leader if there are any vacancies next year. See our team picture below!

Sandra Marraffino, Christmas Bird Count Area leader for the Rainbow River, provided the following pictures:

Great news, we are holding an after Christmas sale for Marion Audubon society Birding shirts. For just $48 including tax, you can have an embroidered long sleeve Marion Audubon society Birding shirt with your first name embroidered. Email me as soon as possible since we need a minimum order of six. Sizes are small, medium, large, extra large and XXL. Our members with birding shirts look real sharp in our community. If you haven’t had a chance already, please mail your Marion Audubon Society dues and survey form for 2019. We have a member who expressed interest on their member survey form for volunteer coordinator. We still need a volunteer for Facebook administrator. Please email me if you are interested. We are fortunate to have seven Bird Walk leaders including director Josie Muncy and James Sheppard, Carolyn Derricks, Helen Ogren, Michele Reyes, Mike Paczolt and Liza Caudillo. Email me if you would like to take on a leadership position. Contact me, John Schaefer, at schaeferjo@cox.net Happy New Year 2019 See you Birding, John Schaefer, President Marion Audubon Society We are a 501(c)3) organization and welcome all donations and will bequests. www.marioncountyaudubon.com Like us on Facebook, find us on Meetup. Michele Reyes Article in RV Miles Magazine Below is an article written by our new member this year and volunteer bird walk leader, Michele Reyes. I encourage you to click on the link below and read the article. http://rvmiles.com/the-art-of-birding/

Backyard Birding December 2018 by Larry Sutton, Treasurer

Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings to all you backyard birders. Many of our seasonal birds are back in full force. Flocks of American Robins have been feeding in my Camphor trees. Catbirds love to splash around in my bird baths. Chipping sparrows are back. I’ve had a pair of Blue Grosbeaks at my feeders for the last few days (first time). With all the rain we’ve had be sure to remove the soggy seeds from your feeders and replace them with dry seeds. This is especially true for meal worm feeders as wet meal worms give off a horrible smell.

Florida Birding Festivals in the month of January by Carolyn Retey

January 17-21, 2019 Everglades Birding

January 17-21, 2019, Mount Dora North Shore Birding Festival Jan. 19 & 20, 2018, Lehigh Acres (eastern Lee County) sixth Annual Wings Over Water Festival

January 23 - 28, 2019, Titusville space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival

January 27 & 28, 2018, Orange City 33rd Annual Orange City/Blue Spring Manatee Festival

You can get more information at http://nbbd.com/ecotourism/festivals.html

They have a calendar of festivals in Florida for the whole year, month by month. The Space Coast Birding Festival is one of the oldest and best organized nature festivals in North America. I have been several times and highly recommend it. Titusville is not that far away.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Carolyn

Conservation Chair Report by Barbara Schwartz

Marion Audubon Conservation Report

No Wonder Big Plastic Has a Bad Wrap

Every minute, the equivalent of an entire garbage truck filled to the brim with plastic gets dumped into our oceans. Retail stores in the U.S. distribute 100 billion single-use plastic bags each year, many of which end up in our waterways. Local ordinances have been passed to cut down on plastic waste and fight plastic pollution, but the Plastic Industry Association is working to overturn them, and several major

companies are supporting these efforts. (Courtesy of Sierra Club)

This is an issue of great concern. As your Conservation Chair, each month I will include ideas we can all use to somewhat ameliorate this global situation. Here in the City of Ocala, Waste-Pro, our single stream recycling provider is unable to take plastic bags of any sort. These bags “gum up the processing equipment”. I’m not sure what happens at the County Landfill or with other recycling companies in Marion County. The bottom line is actually their bottom line. If they can’t make a profit, they can’t stay in business.

Since plastic bags are nearly unavoidable, think in terms of re-use and re-purpose. Do we really ever need to purchase garbage bags or food storage bags? Actually not! Clean your bags when

the product is gone, dry and store them for future use. Be creative! I must admit to being somewhat of a “bag lady”, but I truly do reuse and repurpose them.

The one sort of plastic bag that is avoidable is the plastic bag given out at grocery stores and every other retail store. If these stay in the landfills it takes approximately 1000 years for them to decompose. Refuse! Bring your own reusable bags to every store. Thank you!

Another way that I avoid single use plastic items is to use bars of soap instead of plastic pump bottles and shampoo bars instead of plastic bottles of shampoo. Also consider buying laundry detergent in a powdered form vs. a plastic bottle. You can then recycle to cardboard box it comes in and use the plastic bag inside for a garbage bag! Voila!

Stay tuned for more eco-hints and please feel free to send you own eco-hints to Vallabha@cox.net.

Barbara Schwartz, Conservation Chair, MAS

Josie Muncy and Valerie Wilmot

The annual count is an early-winter bird census conducted by more than 60,000 volunteers in the United States, Canada and other countries in the Western Hemisphere. The local count took place Monday.

The 119th Christmas Bird Count began Friday and will continue until Jan. 5, around the world. The local count took place Monday in 13 areas of Marion County.

Among the sightings was a Merlin, “which is a rare bird. Whenever a rare bird is spotted, a special form has to be completed for Audubon for verification,” said John Schaefer, president of the Marion Audubon Society.

According to the Audubon Field Guide, “a rather small falcon, compact and fast-flying, the Merlin is a common breeder across the northern forests of North America and Eurasia. It feeds mostly on small birds, capturing them in mid-air in rapid pursuit.”

The annual count is an early-winter bird census conducted by more than 60,000 volunteers in the United States, Canada and other countries in the Western Hemisphere. The count is the largest and oldest citizen science effort in the world, according to the local society.

Local volunteers go out for a 24-hour period to count birds on a date specified for their

designated area. Each area encompasses a 15-mile diameter circle. The data is transmitted to National Audubon for inclusion with all other counts.

The areas covered locally on Monday included the following places west of Interstate 75, south of State Road 40, north of County Road 484 and east of U.S. 41: Dunnellon, Rainbow State Park and campgrounds, Rainbow Springs and Rainbow Lakes Estates, Westwood Acres, Marion County Airport, Rolling Hills and Rolling Ranches, On Top of the World, Oak Run, Spruce Creek Preserve to Marion Oaks, Johnson’s Pond, Oxbow Trail, El Diablo Golf Course and surrounding area, and The Halapta Tastaknaki Preserve.

Volunteers came from the Marion Audubon Society, The Villages Birders, Citrus Audubon, Ocklawaha Valley Audubon and On Top of the World Birders. The local chairwoman was Judy Greenberg.

A sample of the collected data included:

* Area two and three was on the Withlacoochee River for 13 miles from State Road 200 to the city of Dunnellon. The leader was John Schaefer, with Liza Caudillo, Michele Reyes, Bill Vippert and Paul Marraffino. Thirty-eight different species were observed, with a total count of 569 birds.

+ Area one, the Rainbow River leader was Sandra Marraffino, with Carol Yarnell, Carol Pickles, Mike Paczolt and Paul Marraffino. Forty-one different species were observed, with a total count of 626 birds.

* Area 10, which is Oak Run on the east side of State Road 200, was led by Barbara and Marty Schwartz, with Josie Muncy, Jim Sheppard, Jerry Cheney and Valerie Wilmot. They observed 41 species and counted 536 birds.

* The Rainbow State park leader was Fred Hileman. His group counted 43 species for a total of 369 birds at the south end near the campground and tuber exit. A second group near the headsprings counted 45 species and a total number of 579 birds.

Complete results will be released in early January.

To learn more, visit www.audubon.org/join-christmas-bird-count and www.marioncountyaudubon.com.

Merlin Jerry Cheney and Jim Sheppard Blue Bird Great White Egret

Murder of Crows Crow harassing red tailed hawk