OCT 2006

VOLUME XXXV, NUMBER 7

The Newsletter of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Fall Migration Count Results, Okaloosa -2006 Are there Ivory Billed Woodpeckers
The Truth about Bats 2 Donald M. Ware, Bird Count Coordinator in Walton County???
The World of Bats 2 This report includes only Okaloosa County In case you’ve managed to miss all the news, there is
results. Walton County results will be re- mounting evidence that we may have Ivory Bills as
Coastal Clean-up Thank You 2 ported next month. Twenty-three people in 11 neighbors! Check out the information one (or all) of the
parties participated in our 12th Fall North following websites:
Environment - a Personal Issue 3 American Migration Count on September National Public Radio (search for Ivory Bill)
16th. I assigned leaders to 7 of the 8 areas; NPR: Elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Spotted Again
Glenwood Park Clean-up 3 Trish Reynolds for Crestview, myself for North
FWB, Lenny Fenimore for the Base area, Bob University of Windsor, Ontario Canada
Pdddling 3 Penhollow for Niceville (after the beach http://www.uwindsor.ca/
cleanup), Virginia Spisak for Central FWB, Avian Conservation and Ecology
Sandra Lefsted for South FWB, and Jim
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Kowalski for Destin. Though Bob McKenney
http://www.ace-eco.org/
was not feeling well enough for fieldwork, he Auburn University (follow link)
CAS monthly meetings are held organized four other birding parties to cover http://www.auburn.edu/
the first Thursday of each month selected parts of the Niceville area. They
(August to May) at 6:30 PM at Check out the news and decide for yourself! I know I’m
added 32 species to that area count. To-
OWC Niceville Learning keeping my eyes and ears open when I’m passing through
gether we counted 9227 birds of 140 species
Resources Center (LRC), Room Walton County from now on!
in the county, and 50 species were migrants
131. Non members are welcome.
not breeding here.
October Program:
With my wonderful recorder, Carol, When I heard there was going to be a shark
we found 102 species, a record for our fall tournament I was very sad but at the same
Oct 5—“World of Bats”. Cindi count in North FWB. Driving up Timberlake
and George marks of the Florida Road at 0530 we flushed a Woodcock, and at time furious. I could not believe that peo-
Bat Conservancy. The program
will include a slide presentation
the first stop just past the power line we ple were going to go out and kill poor, inno-
on bats illustrating their unusual heard a Whip-poor-will, Great Horned Owl, cent sharks for the fun of it. I thought it
diversity, unique behaviors and and a Common Nighthawk overhead, and an
benefits to humans. They will Eastern Screech Owl responded to the will take a long time for Destin's waves to
also have live bats! screech owl tape. At Turtle Creek the Barred wash away that bloodbath. I want to stop
Fieldtrips & More: Owl pair were talking to each other, and a the killing of these amazing animals. I think
Eglin Debris Survey— Oct 21st. flock of 15 Baltimore Orioles were feeding on
the wild grapes. As we departed, a Red- that next year, the same people who had
Volunteer with Erica Schnarr at
850-883-1177 for the National cockaded Woodpecker pair was very active at the shark tournament should have a shark
Debris Monitoring Program their colony NW of RR 150. festival. I think that the Destin Museum
October 4—”EcoTrek” OWC Our 11 groups found 21 species of needs to sponsor a shark festival to teach
Primetime. Register with Nonie shorebirds, 17 of which were migrants. A
Maines 862-9588 Wilson’s Phalarope in the Okaloosa STF hold- people why they should love sharks. Be-
October 6-8—Panhandle Birding ing pond was rare. The 14 species of war- casue like Steve Irwin taught us, humans
& Wildflower Festival, Port St. blers found were; 1 Tennessee, 19 Yellow, 1 want to save what they love. We could
Joe. Call 850-229-1797 or visit Magnolia, 2 Yellow-rumped, 3 Yellow-
www.birdfestival.info throated, 67 Pine, 1 Prairie, 1 Palm, 9 Ameri- have the Gulfarium come out and let peo-
October 7—Bird Walk to Pt. can Redstarts, 2 Prothonotary, 3 Northern ple touch small, live sharks so people don't
Washington State Forest guided Waterthrush, 2 Louisiana Waterthrush, 31
by Thomas D. Beitzel. Meet at
think they're evil. We could have arts and
Common Yellowthroats, and 1 Hooded War-
the Publix on CR395 at 7:30 AM. bler. crafts to celebrate sharks and the fish they
October 13-15—Alabama
The most numerous species counted this live with. We could have a shark catch and
Ornithological Society Fall
meeting, Dauphin Island, AL. year were 1001 Mourning Doves, 811 Com- release contest. If you have any ideas
Carpools can be arranged by mon Grackles, and 806 European Starlings. please contact my mom at tinkinnever-
Bob 729-2602 However, at dusk Carol and I watched icterid
October 20-22—Walton County flocks come to their roost SW of Denton and l a n d @ y a h o o . c o m
Back to Nature Festival. Call Bob Sikes Roads, and added another 1500 Together we can make the world a better
(850)314-3749 or visit
www.southwaltoncc.org mixed grackles, blackbirds, starlings, and place.
cowbirds when it was too dark to separate
November 4—Bird Walk to
Glenwood and Ferry Parks. them. I thank all that participated and hope
Meet at FWB Kmart Parking Lot. that you will mark your calendar now for the Taegan Dennis age 9
Call Thelma Phillips 218-9620 Christmas Bird Count on December 18th.
CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Florida’s natural beauty.
Page 2 VOLUME XXXV, NUMBER 7

The Truth About Bats The World of Bats

Due to folklore and because they are only active at night, bats are often feared and
Bats are probably the most misunderstood of all
misunderstood. And even though some are quite scary-looking, most bats are harmless. They the mammals. They became entangled in the
are not blind or dirty; they do not get caught in people’s hair or infest homes with bedbugs. Dracula legend centuries ago and have played
They will usually only bite in self defense. And much like other mammals, less than one half of frightening roles in myths and tales of horror
ever since. Yet bats are shy, gentle animals and
one percent of all bats contracts rabies.
fill a vital role in maintaining balanced ecosys-
North American bats are invaluable natural resources. As primary predators of night- tems throughout the world. In Florida, bats are
flying insects, such as mosquitoes, bats play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. A the most important natural controller of night
flying insects. In other parts of the world, bats
single Little Brown bat can catch up to a thousand insects in an hour. Bats that frequent bat
disperse seeds, pollinate plants, provide guano
houses eat insects that can damage crops, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink bugs, for fertilizer and even vampire bats have made
leafhoppers and corn worm moths. They pollinate fruit flowers, disperse seeds in tropical rain- important contributions to science and medi-
cine. Come and join us for an interesting and
forests (aiding in reforestation) and are an important source of fertilizer (bat guano is actually
informative presentation on “The World of Bats”
mined from caves where bats live). Bats are also valuable in medical research, contributing to by Cyndi and George Marks of the Florida Bat
the development of navigational aids for the blind. Almost 40 percent of American bat species Conservancy. The program will include a slide
presentation on bats around the world, illustrat-
are threatened or endangered. The loss of bats contributes to an imbalance in nature that can
ing their unusual diversity, unique behaviors
cause increased use of toxic pesticides that threaten our health and environment. and benefits to humans. They will also be bring-
North American bats use a fascinating technique called echolocation to find food at ing live bats so you will be able to see some of
night. The bat emits a high frequency sound (too high for us to hear) – usually through its our native Florida species up close.
mouth, and sound travels until it hits an object. The sound waves then bounce back to the bat’s
ears providing a mental picture of its surroundings. Bats are so adept at using this process that Brief biography of presenters
Cynthia and George Marks have been working
they can detect a single strand of hair in total darkness.
with bats since 1989. In 1994, they founded
Little Brown bats, Big Brown bats, Eastern Pipistrelle bats and Northern Long-eared the Florida Bat Center (now the Florida Bat Con-
bats are all found in Florida and are the most likely to live in bat houses. Bats use houses in servancy), a nonprofit organization dedicated to
most areas as nursery colonies. In some areas, they use houses for roosting. Bats find bat
bat conservation in Florida. They, along with
volunteers of the organization, have presented
houses just like birds find birdhouses. If a house is in the proper location, meets the bats’ re- hundreds of educational programs on bats,
quirements and is needed, bats will move in on their own. worked with state and local agencies on bat
Bats like a source of water (streams, marshes and lakes) and an area plentiful with
conservation projects, rescued and cared for
injured and orphaned bats, helped home and
insects. They will travel up to a mile or more to water sources. A good bat house has the fol- business owners with bats in their buildings,
lowing: a slanted roof and long narrow design at least 2 feet long and no less that 1-foot wide. and studied bat distributions and behaviors
The house should have ventilation in the bottom third, but cracks and spaces should be caulked throughout Florida. The Marks’ have co-
authored the first book totally dedicated to bats
in the upper two-thirds of the box. Mesh should cover the interior to help bats cling to the walls. in Florida. It is titled, Bats of Florida and was
The chambers inside should be no more that 1-inch wide. just released in 2006. They will be selling auto-
Bat houses can be hung anytime. Fall, winter or early spring is preferred. It may take graphed copies at a 20% discount off the retail
price.
a year to a year-and-a-half to attract bats, although some people report occupancy in only a few
hours. Locate houses near a permanent water source and hang them at least 15’ above the
The Florida Bat Conservancy
ground where they are sheltered from the wind. The higher you can hang the house, the better.
The Florida Bat Conservancy is a private non-
Research shows that bat houses are more successful if they have at least eight hours of sun, profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to pro-
and morning sun is most important. Bat houses should face south or southeast. Here in the tecting and preserving Florida’s native bats.
South, you can paint the box white if there is too much direct sun. Bats inhabit houses mounted You can visit their website at
www.floridabats.org, or contact them by email
20 feet away from trees twice as quickly as those in wooded areas. Houses in trees tend to at [email protected], or phone them at (727)
take longer to become occupied than those on poles or buildings. 710-BATS (2287).
It is safe to observe bats roosting in a bat house. The longer they reside in your bat
Thank you Okaloosa County Environmental Coun-
house, the more tolerant they are. If you think you have a nursery colony, you can shine a cil and OWC’s Ameri-Corps volunteers for making
flashlight inside soon after the mothers leave at dusk in June or early July. Do this only at short this year’s International Coastal Clean-Up so much
intervals and not more than once a week. Young are left behind in the roost for the first three to fun! Not only did participants pick up trash, they
played games too! With the help of CAS’s Educa-
four weeks. If you disturb the roost too much, they may abandon the house. tion team we taught over 100 kids and their fami-
Even to the casual observer, watching and learning about bats can be both fascinat- lies more about our environment with activities
ing and educational. By providing a bat house, you may be able to bring these beneficial mam- about storm water run-off, litter life spans and
mals to your yard. cycles. Those families were given tote bags made
from recycled soda bottles! Nonie even rescued
By Linda Daugherty an injured laughing gull! If you missed us, no
worries, we’ll do it again in the spring! See you
then!
S h or e l i n e s Page 3

Wake up: The environment is a personal issue

Alan Farago | Special to the Orlando Sentinel September 19, 2006

You don't know whether to laugh or cry, reading in newspapers that the public ranks the environment as
a low order of concern.

Let me tell you when the environment is the No. 1 concern: When you discover your cancer could have
been caused by contaminants in drinking water or that your child's learning disability was due to overex-
posure to mercury.

Most public opinion polls don't ask the question this way: If you had a serious illness and knew your
breast or prostate cancer was due to decisions by legislators on the environment, would you be more or
less inclined to cast your vote for the environment?

In that case, every single voter in America is an environmentalist.

These days, in Florida, if you are a real-estate agent near coastal estuaries, or a homeowner where
sinkholes are popping up around you, if you work near a beach where algae blooms made your eyes
water or make you feel like puking, you should vote the environment. Right?

What if your child had asthma? The worst hours of my life were spent walking the hallway with my infant
son hacking and wheezing on my shoulder -- wondering if he would breathe through the night -- this
feeling of helplessness, of powerlessness, all traced to the harm we do the environment and to our-
selves.

Ah, you ask: Where's the proof?

On a "1 percent chance" that a threat will be realized, the United States is charging in a trillion-dollar
investment to hunt for terrorists like needles in a haystack. So much for proof. A few brave souls showed up
for a clean-up at Glenwood Park
Why do naysayers on the environment demand more evidence than polar ice caps melting in
Greenland, or the effect of endocrine disrupters on life in its developmental stages, or poorly regulated on September 9th. Bob Penhol-
chemicals in new construction materials that can trigger severe respiratory illness? low, Kevin & Theresa Dennis
Better to run, now, like a bat out of hell to vote out politicians and Legislatures that support special- and Nonie carried out approxi-
interests fudging data, controlling mately 400 pounds of litter from
government agencies or writing legislation to their own benefit.
the park. THANK YOU!!!
You can always wait to vote for the environment until you or someone you love gets a terminal illness.

You can always wait until you are curious enough to do a little research and discover there are too
many causes to attribute cancer to a single reason, and then dig deeper and discover how little funding
there is from government to search for causes traceable to the environment. And then you can further
find that the government charged with protecting your health, safety and welfare has erected barriers
that allow no one in or out except those with the special pass to rotate between government agencies
and jobs with special interests.

I try to breathe calmly when I read news reports that say, "Environmentalists seek relevance in cam-
paign."

Is the link between poorly regulated pesticides and Parkinson's relevant to you? Or is it relevant to you
that Florida doesn't have enough agency staff to keep up with development in coastal wetlands -- even
when there is evidence that sea-level rise will make the equity in those investments vanish like sand
poured on a beach by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?

If that is too abstract, imagine yourself cradling a child whose skull has gone soft from leukemia or an
Audubon Members Sharon &
infant deformed by toxics ingested by mom or dad, and imagine that the people you elect to federal JVO Weaver joined Nonie
office are in the process, right now, of tearing down our most important laws protecting your health, the
diversity of species, the clean air and clean water you need to survive. and friends for an im-
They go from place to place with public meetings and catch-phrases like "cooperative conservation" to
promptu paddle on Rocky
drum up public support for policies that are putting your health and environment at accelerating risk. Creek. If you are a paddler
In the Florida Legislature, they claim to support sustainable energy while moving forward to allow new, please keep in touch with
polluting coal-fired power plants with old technology.
Nonie so she can include
Asked that way, not only am I going to vote for the political candidate who fully funds research to find you in her adventures! Just
problems before they explode in our faces, I'm going to vote out of office every politician who allowed
my drinking-water supply to be contaminated or my springs, rivers and aquifers to be ruined. ask the Weavers how much
Imagine, for a moment, that what you see on the impaired surface of our waters is a perfect reflection of
fun they had! ;-) We saw
our government. baby gators, hawks, snakes,
And vote accordingly. Above all else, do vote. turtles, herons and various
Alan Farago of Coral Gables, who writes about the environment, can be reached at alan-
species of birds. All in a 3
[email protected]. hour tour!
 P.O. Box 1014 Nonprofit Organization
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
U.S. Postage PAID
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Permit No. 110

Chapter Representatives

President: Nonie Maines

[email protected]……....862.9588
Vice President: Thelma Phillips
[email protected]…………651.0508
Treasurer: Karen Newhouse
[email protected]…..897.3745 Printed on Recycled Paper
Recording Secretary: © 2006 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
Carole Goodyear……………….897.2666
[email protected] SAVE THE DATE!
Corresponding Secretary: Pat Baker
Audubon Assembly 2006 October 19-21
[email protected]……….…..…678.2953
Bird Count Coordinator: Due to the cancellation last fall, we are gearing up for a great event this October! Plan on joining
Donald M. Ware………….…....862.6582 us for a weekend of networking, education, advocacy and birding!
[email protected] Location: Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort - Special rate: $89.99/night.—Reserve rooms now at
Conservation: 800-206-2724. Special Audubon rate good through September 27 only. Don't miss it! Plan to attend
(position open) Florida’s largest gathering of conservation-minded citizens. Details including Assembly registration informa-
tion, programs, exhibits and field trips will appear in the summer Naturalist, and available online at
Education: Nonie Maines
www.audubonofflorida.org in July.
[email protected]……….862.9588
Field trips Coordinator:
Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership
Bob Penhollow………….….…..729.2602
Name:_____________________________________ Address:_________________________________________
Hospitality:
City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:____________________
(position open)
Phone: ___________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________
Membership: Theresa Dennis
……………[email protected] □Introductory New Member- $20.00 □Individual Member Renewal- $35.00
Publicity: Linda Daugherty □Introductory Student/Senior- $15.00 □Renewal Student/Senior-$15.00
[email protected]…..269.0665 When you join you will be part of national, state, and local Audubon groups and will receive...
Programs: Thelma Phillips • Audubon magazine
[email protected]…..….…651.0508
• Florida Naturalist Magazine
Shorelines Editor: Jean Williams
[email protected]…..….……....897.2055
• Our local Shorelines newsletter
• Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network
• Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers
• Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures
To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to;
Contact Theresa Dennis If you NAS Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.
would like to receive Shorelines
CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY.
in color with links via e-mail.
To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.
□New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 □Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00
Chapter Code: E-11 7XCH—FL Dept of Agriculture Reg #CH4619
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE
We’re on the Web! DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGIS-
CHOCTAWHATCHEEAUDUBON.ORG
TRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Thanks to Buffalo Stampede for providing the refreshments for last month’s meeting!
Donations are welcome, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free to specify a par-
ticular fund/event that you’d wish to sponsor.