The Pileated Woodpecker PO Box 957

Sanibel, Florida
33957-0957
The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society Distributed to all members
Non-members, 50 ¢
Winter 2008, Volume 33, Number 2
Board Our Mission: Promoting Interests in Wildlife on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and fostering the Cause
Members of Conservation with Emphasis on Birds and their Habitat.
Paul Andrews,
Pres.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Jim Griffith, Vice
Pres. Good evening and welcome to—- - - oops the Winter Sanibel Captiva Audubon series on
Susan Harpham,
Thursday evenings is over for 2008 but we are already prepping for next year. We covered a
Sec. lot of the planet from Alaska to Africa and our own backyard while also providing field trips
each Saturday morning and 2 fine birding classes. Your Audubon Board has represented you
Tom Rothman,
Treas.
at Audubon of Florida Assembly, the Everglades Coalition meeting, numerous city council
meetings, various planning meetings throughout Lee County, and at the Audubon Academy.
Chris Andrews Please join me in offering a special thank you to all who have volunteered time and expertise
Kevin Bowden
as a representative of Sanibel-Captiva Audubon. See the side bar on this page for the list of
board members and add Jake Jacobson and Harold Johnstone for the Christmas Bird Count
Malcolm Harpham and Birding classes.
Elaine Jacobson
Regrettably not all of us can be winners in the Audubon book raffle; but let it be known that
Dale McGinley new Audubon member Marty Culverson walked away with the prize following the drawing at
Brian Mishell the last meeting of the season. It was just a coincidence that Marty cruised around with me
on a golf cart during the Christmas Bird Count… As I enter my 8th year as president
Dolores Mishell (hmmm…) the challenges to SW Florida continue as you will note in the Conservation Report
Jean Reuther by Chris Andrews. Also, if you have your March/April 2008 Audubon Magazine please read
the article on pg. 60 (Incite by Ted Williams) which explains why our endangered wood
Hugh Verry
storks are on Sanibel and not at Corkscrew reproducing the species. Audubon of Florida and
the regional councils are challenging these developments and violations but it requires time,
effort and funding during difficult times. Please keep up your generous support of Audu-
bon’s efforts to keep Corkscrew Swamp viable as habitat for these magnificent creatures…. Both storks and
panthers. Encourage friends and family to join an Audubon chapter here or away. What can you do? Add
your voice and funding to www.SaveOurSwamp.org.

May you all enjoy spring and summer here or away and we hope to see you safe, healthy and politically edu-
cated come next November.
Sincerely,
Paul
AUDUBON SOUNDS ALARM OVER BIRD POPULATIONS IN DECLINE From the Tampa Tribune
by Susan Green February 2, 2008

On a National Audubon Society watch list released late last year, Florida ranks fourth in the United States - after Hawaii, Califor-
nia and Texas - for the number of species that have professional bird-watchers worried. "We think of extinction as something go-
ing on in the Brazilian rain forest or in Africa," said Ann Paul, Audubon of Florida's regional coordinator for Tampa Bay. "But, we
see extinction going on, in that species are getting rare ... right here in Florida." A total of 68 species of Florida birds are listed as
at risk of extinction or in serious decline on the national list, which stems from bird count surveys by Audubon and the American
Bird Conservancy. At least seven species that live in Florida, breed here or use the state as a rest stop during migration have
landed on Audubon's priority list of 20 imperiled birds that breed in the continental United States. They include the Florida scrub
jay, red-cockaded woodpecker and reddish egret, frequently seen in Ding Darling. Audubon of Florida's priority watch list, a state-
tailored version of key birds in trouble, includes the least tern, prothonotary warbler, swallow-tailed kite and red knot. Some orni-
thologists predict the red knot, a shorebird that winters in Florida, could be history as soon as 2010 if steps aren't taken to protect
The Pileated Woodpecker, spring 2008, page 2 SURVEY IS THE WORD FOR SPRING
BIRD POPULATION, continued from page 1 JN “Ding” Darling NWR
it. Experts say shrinking habitat is the No. 1 reason Jim Griffith is coordinating volunteers for the Neotropical
most of the listed birds are in trouble. In Florida, the Migrant Surveys being done on the refuge, working closely
scrub jay, least tern and sandhill crane are all losing with Joyce Mazourek, Refuge Biologist at Ding Darling.
ground to development. In some cases, like the red Birds that breed in North America but migrate to the new-
knot, the problem is a break in the food chain. Delaware world {neo} tropics are known as Neotropical migrants. Jim
Bay provides a foraging area for red knots flying a 9,000 is coordinating the surveys at Legion Curve on Thursdays
-mile migration path from the Arctic to Argentina. Sci- and Bailey Tract on Fridays from April through June or July.
entists say over-harvesting of horseshoe crab eggs that It takes 2 to 2.5 hours
provide fuel for the birds is threatening the species' sur- to complete each
vival. In Florida, the shorebirds stop to rest at places session.. Refuge staff
such as Bunche Beach and on Sanibel beaches. For and Audubon volun-
more information, visit: teers (total 3-4 peo-
http://www.audubonofflorida.org. ple) are walking along
the trails in these ar-
ROSEATE SPOONBILL NESTING NUMBERS IN eas looking and lis-
FLORIDA BAY LOWEST SINCE 1960’S tening for birds. Along
the way one member For centuries of ecclesiastical history the
This year, Dr. Jerry Lorenz and his staff observed of the refuge staff prothonotary, who is legal advisor to the
the worst nesting season in Florida Bay for roseate acts as recorder, pope, has worn yellow vestments, just as the
spoonbills, an important indicator species of Ever- completing a Migra- cardinals have worn red. The story goes that
glades restoration success, since the 1960's. Only tion Monitoring Pro- early Catholic settlers in the southeast named
this bird. Photo by Steven Bullock©
292 nests have been identified, indicating a 37 per- gram Data Sheet,
cent drop in just one year. This comes at a time recording each spe-
when the bay is also suffering from algae blooms cies seen or heard as well as the number of each species
which have persisted since 2006. These two facts while all participants look everywhere: in bushes and trees,
are serious signals that the ecosystem is suffering on dead snags, in grasses, overhead, on the ground, in the
signs of ecological collapse. Following the public distance, in ponds... as they listen carefully for chips, calls,
release of Audubon of Florida fact sheet on Florida songs, and pecking.
Bay, the momentum surrounding this issue contin-
ues to grow. And, sadly, so does the persistent al-
gae bloom that is plaguing the bay. See the most
recent imaging from Audubon Scientist Pete
Frezza, based in our Audubon Tavernier Science
Center. Audubon is very concerned about the state
of the Bay and continues to work hard on our sci-
entific research, as well as in the pursuit of policy
goals and state and federal funding to implement
incremental restoration plans that would bring im-
mediate ecological benefits to the bay and its wild-
life, such as the Roseate Spoonbill. For more in-
formation and a copy of a detailed fact sheet visit:
http://www.audubonofflorida.org/pdfs/
florida_bay_report_main.pdf.

© Lillian Stokes

Lillian sent us this stunning photo of a mangrove cuckoo,

reminding us of the Stokes’ talent, dedication and artistry.
FLORIDA BAY
Continued on page 3
 The Pileated Woodpecker, spring 2008, page 3

Joyce will be organizing surveys looking for mangrove

forest birds (mangrove cuckoos, black- whiskered vireo, and gray
kingbirds) Several Audubon members are working together with
Refuge staff to carry out these surveys.
Refuge staff are also monitoring the colonial nesting wad-
ing bird rookeries in Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound in co-
operation with the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve.
SCCF PLOVER PROJECT Books and Paper
Cara Faillance, Biologist at SCCF reports
that so far this season they have seen a total MacIntosh Books and Papers is honored
of 13 snowy plovers, with several of them To support
paired off. There is potential for more birds The Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society.
to arrive as the season progresses, espe-
cially with the excellent fledge rates from
2006 and 2007. Although all snowies this
season have been seen on the east end of Best Sellers Local Interest books:
the island, they are still covering the west Birding, Gardening, Shelling
end as well. She feels that it is entirely pos- Fishing, Boating
sible that this year or next they will see a
return to nesting on the west end, as the Photo by
invertebrate community recovers from the Dave Furseth© Fine Custom Stationery, Boxed Notecards
beach renourishment that took place a few years ago. A total of Greeting Cards, Gifts
6 Wilson's plovers were also seen so far on the west end this
year. 2365 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957
Additionally, the project has received funding to start a
239-472-1447
comparative study between Sanibel and Cayo Costa. Cara will
be collecting field data on both islands as part of a Master's pro-
gram at Rutgers University. She says that she is especially ex- www.macintoshbooks.com
cited about the project this year, and hopes volunteers will share
her enthusiasm, as well as to remain active volunteers on the
project.
ESTERO BAY AQUATIC PRESERVE PROJECT Volunteer Opportunities:
Cheryl Parrott, an Environmental Specialist with the Department
of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Man-  Estero Bay needs volunteers to assist with moni-
aged Areas (CAMA), is conducting the rookery monitoring and toring in June.
protection program within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and  Charlotte Harbor needs advanced birders to as-
is encouraging volunteers to get involved. The project is a coop- sist with monitoring in Pine Island Sound and
erative effort between the Estero Bay and Charlotte Harbor Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserves.
Aquatic Preserves, Florida Audubon and Lee County. Cheryl will  Estero Bay and Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Pre-
be monitoring rookeries once a month from March through June, serves need volunteers to assist posting signs.
using the direct count method. A Boston whaler will be used and  Estero Bay and Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Pre-
will be on the water for the entire day. Surveys require a mini- serves need volunteers to help with monofila-
mum of three people; one person driving the boat and at least ment cleanup.
two people conducting the counts. Rookery location is recorded If you know of an active rookery island in any of the
and mapped each year, aquatic preserves please contact AP staff with
to track movement, and the location coordinates or the channel and
the number of nesting marker number. Contacts:
pairs on each island is Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve
recorded by species. Cheryl Parrott
The program also in- cheryl.parrott@dep.state.fl.us.
cludes monofilament phone-239 463 3240
removal and rookery fax-239 463 3634
protection. Prior to nest-
ing season volunteers Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves
and aquatic preserve staff removed trash and monofilament from Jason Vassar
nesting islands. This year, islands identified as rookeries will be jason.vassar@dep.state.fl.us
posted with signs informing people about rookeries and the state phone-941-575-5861
and federal laws that protect them. fax-941-575-5863
The Pileated Woodpecker, spring 2008. page 4
GREENWASHING by Candice Ethridge
“Organic Shampoo” “Earth-friendly Leather
Goods” “Recycled Paper” How reliable are those labels?
What standards and whose standards were used to certify
them as such? Some are surely valid, but others are gim-
micks. Now suspicious shoppers are starting to slap the
term “greenwashing” on companies whose advertising
misleads buyers into believing their products are environ-
mentally prudent purchases. Likewise, we consumers,
wanting to appropriate environmental virtue, foolishly
spend money to be labeled green, letting ourselves be
greenwashed.
Consumer products labeled “Eco-friendly” or “All
-Natural” “Compostable” or “Biodegradable” may be sci-
ence-based facts--or may be marketing ploys. After all, a
fur coat is natural and biodegradable, but not often eco-
friendly. Promises of planting trees in Brazil in exchange
for our money seems to be one of the most unreliable
claims made to eco-worshippers. Conference fees, maga-
zine subscriptions, even travel purchases brag some of
their take will go to plant trees somewhere. Who knows
if the trees were ever planted? And how many and what
kind of trees on whose land? Melaleuca in a traffic me-
dian?
Perhaps we should reduce our own paper waste
before we donate reforestry funds in order to reduce guilt
about our paper excesses. Canceling unwanted catalogs
at that web site devoted to such or refusing unnecessary
packaging, even if it is labeled as recycled—these efforts
might not affect global climate change but do reflect an
attempt to avoid greenwashing. Of course, my best efforts
to remember to carry those reusable grocery bags are not
so successful; at the check counter, I realize I want mine,
while the bag is still back on my kitchen counter.
Now with the big box stores having newly-found
environmental consciousness, green consumers should
investigate if their eco-purchases are really helping the
planet. Are these operations going green to earn more
green—or do they offer some environmentally sound
products that work. Cleaning supplies and paint can now
be eco-friendly, while treated lumber is “100% Natural”—
and a truck is advertised as a vegetarian. To expose green-
washing, for any so-called eco-product, consider if its
source is renewable—and at what carbon-releasing cost. If
labeled „recycled‟, find out the source and process. Won-
der how toxic is its processing as well as its decomposi-
tion in landfills. Is its use environmentally prudent? The
purchase, usually at higher prices, may be servicing the
green movement—or hoodwinking consum-
ers, looking for the green mantle.
Solid science, not greenwashing,
should support your conscience-relieving pur-
chases. Actually, just shopping less is always
green. Are you eco-virtuous when you buy
another T-shirt made of organic cotton and all
-natural dyes, even though you already own
enough T-shirts to clothe a homeless shelter?
Catalog Choice, a free online service gives you the
power to decline catalogs you don‟t want to receive.
Developed by National Wildlife Foundation, Natural
Resources Defense Council and the Ecology Center, CC
estimates that 53 million trees are harvested annually to
produce 19 billion catalogs currently mailed to Ameri-
cans. The process of making and shipping them con-
tributes 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions
into the atmosphere. To learn more visit:
www.catalogchoice.org
When choosing a cleaner, look for “non-hazardous”,
“mild or nonirritant” and “neutral pH”. Look for deter-
gents that contain no phosphates. Waste treatment
plants cannot remove phosphates, so they end up in
natural water areas. For more information visit:
www.simplysafeproducts.com
by Sue Har-
National Geographic Birding Essentials by
Jonathan Alderfer & Jon L. Dunn
For people who are pretty serious about birds and
want to improve their birding skills this book pro-
vides lots of tools, techniques, and tips. Included
in the 224 pages are great pictures with clear cap-
tions along with nine chapters of detailed informa-
tion about the equipment needed, techniques for
reading a field guide, the physical features of
birds, and how to identify birds through looking
and listening as one considers what is likely in
that location at that season of the year. Later chap-
ters focus on variations in birds, identification
challenges, and how to search for birds, along
with birding hotspots and suggested books and
journals for building a birding library. Sketching
birds in the field is highly recommended to im-
prove observation skills. National Geographic
Birding Essentials is a book that one must keep
referring to and practicing the skills contained in
to understand.
The Pileated Woodpecker, spring 2008. page 5
SIGNS OF SPRING Sue Harpham

Recently at the refuge there has been an unusually large num-

ber of wading and shore birds observable close to Wildlife
Drive. The reason: twice a year, in October and March the ref-
uge manipulates the water levels in the impoundments to
maximize opportunities for migrating shorebirds to feed. Her-
ons, egrets, pelicans, wood storks, and roseate spoonbills
have also been finding lots of food available as they congre-
gate in the East Impoundment. 50 spoonbills were observable
at the second opening on Tuesday morning.
Signs of Spring are everywhere: extra long plumes are
appearing on herons and egrets along with vividly colored bills
and legs,
white peli-
cans have
bumps on
their bills,
Open 7 days a Week, 7AM to 9 PM brown peli-
Corner of Tarpon Bay Road and cans are
Periwinkle Way sporting cin-
namon
Complete supermarket Gifts brown feath-
True Value Hardware Propane ers on the
Delivery Services Beach Items back of their
Deli & Bakery Housewares necks, os-
Party Trays Online Orders prey babies
Fine Meats Fishing Tackle are hatch- White morph of the reddish egret showing
Gift Baskets Gift Fruit Shipping ing, the prai- egret feeding behavior and the bicolor pink
Western Union Organic/Natural Foods rie warbler is and black bill of breeding plumage (in Ding
Homemade Fudge singing, Darling NWR on the pond by the observation
laughing tower).
472-1516/472-8073 gulls have Photo and comment by Bill Heyd ©
black heads
www.baileys-sanibel.com and reddish black bills and legs, royal terns have black heads
and vivid orange bills, snowy plovers are pairing up on the
East End Sanibel beaches.

LGISLATIVE AGENDA: AUDUBON OF FLORIDA

1. Audubon of Florida’s legislative agenda is based on Audubon’s 2008 statewide priorities approved at the Audubon
Assembly. Audubon Deputy Director for Policy Eric Draper and his team are working in the current session on this
year’s agenda including:
 Land Conservation – advocating for a doubling of Florida Forever funding and increasing recognition of the eco-
logical value of land bought for conservation.
 Environmental Funding for Everglades, Florida Keys wastewater treatment, and environmental trust funds.
 Water Policy – support for the Northern Everglades Plan, Wastewater Ocean Outfalls and Reuse, springs protec-
tion, managing freshwater flows into Florida Bay, water conservation, water policy, and of special interest to Sani-
bel residents, to stop potential legislative actions that would reverse legal decisions and or the SFWMD vote on
water supply backpumping from the EAA.
 Growth management and Ecosystem planning includes focus on planning in Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands, Ev-
erglades growth management plans, mining, fertilizer and wetlands preemption opposing State preemption of lo-
cal government ordinances, and support for Dept. of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham’s proposal to in-
crease citizen participation in land use decisions.
 Climate Change – initiatives focus on energy policy and green house gas emissions.
 Wildlife Policy – includes advocacy for protection of sea grasses, aquatic preserves, rooftop nesting seabirds, inlet
management among other issues.
Visit http://www.audubonofflorida.org Legislative Action for full agenda and updates.
The Pileated Woodpecker, spring2008. page 6
OSPREYS ON SANIBEL
This year there are 87 active osprey nests on the island.
Many pairs are raising young now. Tim Gardner, president
of the International Osprey Society and island resident, pre-
dicts that 110 young osprey will fledge this year. Jim Griffith,
vice-president of San Cap Audubon Society and active os-
prey volunteer, has built or rebuilt more than 70 osprey plat-
forms during the past two years. To learn more about osprey
behavior go to www.ospreywatch.org
The ospreys seem to be doing better this year than
last, although it is too early to tell how many chicks we will
have on the island. There seem to be more active nests. In
several the babies have recently hatched. As stated in the
International Osprey Foundation's March 2008 newsletter, in
2007 only 45 chicks survived to leave the nest, about half as
many as in 2006 and a third as many as in 2003. No one
knows the exact cause of the big drop in chicks fledged.
Hopefully this year will be better.
Off Island, also, ospreys are watched and enjoyed.
There is a pair of ospreys who for the second year are trying
to start a family atop a very tall light pole at the corner of
Gladiolus and Winkler. The fixture is in an X shape so that
most nesting material falls between the cross bars. This
seems to confound the birds and there is much commotion
but little productive activity by the couple who seem to have
more enthusiasm than savvy. The busy intersection is not
conducive to observation, but there are several parking lots
where they can be seen from several different angles..
EAGLES ON SANIBEL
The nest near the Dairy Queen on Periwinkle Way was re-
cently destroyed by the elements, but there are 2 fledged
birds hanging around with the parents. Another nest con-
tains young, and Jim Griffith just today (March 24) confirmed
that he saw at least 2 flexing their wings This is near the
intersection of San-Cap Road and Gulf Pines/Gulf Shores.
WHOOPING CRANES IN NORTH AMERICA
Wild Populations
Adult Young Total Adult Pairs
Aransas/Wood Buffalo 227 39 266A 69
Rocky Mountains 0 0 0 0
Florida non-migratory 40B 1 41B 17
Wisconsin/Florida
Migratory 51 24C 75 4 ons, ibis, great blue heron, cormorants, great egret, as
Total Wild Population 318 64 382 90
A
A record 84 chicks hatched from 65 nests in 2007. Forty chicks
fledged. Winter 07-08, 266 cranes were accounted for in Texas, includ-
ing 39 juveniles. The peak flock size of the A/WB population is esti-
mated at 266.
B
This number reflects the birds regularly monitored in Florida. A few
additional cranes could be present. One chick fledged in the wild in
2007.
C
28 chicks were raised in captivity and shipped to Necedah NWR in
Wisconsin for reintroduction. 17 were led by ultralight to Florida, and 10
released with other wild cranes in Wisconsin. Three of the 10 have died.
Totals:
382 Wild + 147 Captive = 529 whooping cranes in the world.
Not great, but better than 20 in 1941
by Sue Harpham
Finding Your
Wings, A Workbook for Beginning Bird Watch-
ers by Burton Guttman , 2008: Houghton Mifflin Company
Finding Your Wings is a step-by step activity guide to
becoming a better birdwatcher by really seeing the
critical features of a bird when one looks at it. Al-
though designed for beginning birders, this book could
be useful for intermediate birders as well. ID exercises
include learning major categories of birds; seeing birds
surface features, feathers, shapes, and beaks; learning
families of passerines by their key characteristics; iden-
tifying birds in flight as well as through their vocaliza-
tions; diagnosing differences in similar birds; differen-
tiating male and female species; identifying hawks;
sorting out shorebirds; getting acquainted with gulls;
and learning differences between sparrows.
Designed to be used as a supplement to a Pe-
terson Field Guide to Birds, this workbook is filled
with questions to be answered and exercises that help
the reader learn how to really see birds, discover how
to sort birds by category, and how to identify the easi-
est birds first. The reader is encouraged to write and
draw in the book and to check responses with the an-
swer key in the Appendix.
POND APPLE PARK TRAIL,
A New Sanibel Walking/Biking Trail
Do you have an hour to spend enjoying nature at the
East End of Sanibel Island? If so, park your car in the
Chamber of Commerce parking lot on Causeway
Boulevard and walk to the left hand back corner of the
lot to the beginning of the new city owned and main-
tained Pond Apple Walking/Biking Trail. Along the way
you will likely see many kinds of different song birds as
well as woodpeckers, eagles, and wading birds. On a
recent Sunday morning we saw or heard palm war-
blers, catbirds, cardinals, a great crested flycatcher,
common grackles, fish crows, a red bellied and pileated
woodpecker, an anhinga, mottled ducks, little blue her-
well as one adult and two young eagles. We enjoyed
really good looks at all of these birds.
The habitat is a mixture of forest edge, urban/
suburban, and wetlands. The trail crosses over Bailey
Road and then extends around three reclaimed water
storage ponds, looping back to the Chamber parking
lot. Along the way there are a few picnic tables, one
with a tiki hut to provide shelter from the sun or rain, as
well as a number of park benches. Some parts of the
trail run parallel to Causeway Boulevard while others
are close to Periwinkle Way, ending near Matzaluna’s
and across from Huxter’s Market. Walking and biking is
easy along this eight foot wide trail which seems to be
little used.
The Pileated Woodpecker, spring 2008, page 7
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
PROTECTING BALD EAGLES RESULTS ARE IN
Posted to the Daily Nightly by Sam Singal at MSNBC through Although we were not a shining star locally, here is
Audubon of Florida how Florida ranked with the GBBC for 2008.
Property developer Bobby Ginn and Audubon of Flor- ~ 7th submitting the most checklists
ida created a partnership to protect the habitat of a ~ 3rd submitting the most species
family of bald eagles. Now on the success of this un- ~ 2nd submitting the most birds
ion, environmentalists hope this kind of cooperation
will become the norm - a new balance between devel-
~ 6th in localities reporting the most species— that
opment and conservation. was Jacksonville.
When Bobby Ginn realized his 1,400-acre Tesoro Total checklists submitted nationwide, 85,357
deluxe development in Port Saint Lucie was already home Total species observed, 634
to two bald eagles, he halted construction and consulted Total individual birds counted, 9,782,344. That’s
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Audubon of Florida. quite a number.
Even though Ginn's vocation is property development, that Here is something you might like to try:
did not preclude him from being a friend of nature. eBird—a free, real-time online checklist program.
Preserving the eagles' habitat meant significantly modifying You can use eBird to store and retrieve your bird
the development plan. "He literally designed the develop- observations and to explore where people are finding
ment around the eagles. He changed the location of the birds across North America.
clubhouse, golf courses, and the location of a major ele- eBird shares the observations of birders like you with
ment of what was a global community of educators, land managers,
going to be his wa- ornithologists, and conservation biologists.
terfront develop- eBirding is simple. You enter when, where, and how
ment...to create you went birding, then fill out a checklist of all the
this preserve” said birds seen and heard during your outing.
Charles Lee, direc-
tor of advocacy for Contributions to eBird
Audubon of Flor- increase our understanding of birds and out appre-
ida. In total, ciation for the uniqueness of our planet’s biodiversity.
Ginn set aside 120 Go to the site;
acres of land to be
preserved, at a http://www.birdsource.org/
cost of about $40 gbbcApps
million dollars in There you can see results,
potential profits. He take a test flight of eBird, and much more. GBBC
said it was a tough Biologist Brian Mealey holds one young ea- and eBird are co-projects of the Cornell Lab of Orni-
decision, but that it gle after bringing it down from the nest to thology and the Audubon Society.
was the right thing conduct measurements and to attach
bands. Photo by NBC News' Stephanie
to do. "We spend Himango
millions of dollars on golf courses and tennis courts and
marinas ," he said. "I mean, why wouldn't you spend some
of that money to create habitat that we both can enjoy -
both man and wildlife." Since then, Audubon of Florida and
Bobby Ginn installed a solar-powered live web-camera in
the tree opposite the nest -- offering an all-day birds-eye
view of the eagle family. More
"Never doubt that a recently, viewers have flocked
small group of to the site to glimpse the fuzzy
thoughtful, caring heads of two eaglets hatched in
citizens can change January. EagleWatch coordina-
the world. Indeed, tor Lynda White said the site
it's the only thing has become a great educational
that ever has." tool. "We have kids in almost
-Margaret Mead every state watching these Your editor wishes to give credit and sincere
birds." In fact, it was children
who named the eaglets: Birdie thanks to Sue Harpham, Chris Andrews, and Can-
is the girl, and Bogey is the boy. Don’t miss the live web- dice Ethridge, without whose contributions, this
cam at: publication would be woefully meager.
http://www.audubonofflorida.org/friendsoftheeagle/cam.html
 The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva
Audubon Society
P.O. Box 957 Sanibel, Florida 33957

Non subscribers Spring 2008

50¢

In This Issue…….
….Audubon Sounds Alarm
….Roseate Spoonbills in Florida Bay
….Area Bird Surveys
….Greenwashing by Candice
….Book Reviews
….Ospreys, Eagles, and Whooping
Cranes
….GBBC Results

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