SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER |
|
|
President's Message
We’re grateful for the relatively quiet summer weather in the Venice area despite the heat, humidity, and record rainfall. The past couple of months have grown our gardens and provided time to prepare for the coming year with Venice Area Audubon Society. Are you ready?
Please keep an eye on our website Calendar. It’s filling up with events, activities and programs of all sorts. The monthly book club, Volunteer Saturdays, 3rd Tuesday Monthly Programs, birding field trips, and Little Naturalist Programs are posted with more to come.
This is a great time of year to consider a Student Membership to Venice Area Audubon Society. This is an annual membership for students from grade school through college for only $10.00. Need a gift idea for someone special? Give the gift that offers connections to nature and encourages getting outdoors.
Lastly, a heartfelt THANK YOU and a hearty PLEASE. Thank you to everyone who has supported Venice Area Audubon over the years. Our Board of Directors and program leaders are grateful for the support of so many wonderful members and supporters with your gifts of time, talents and resources. Venice Area Audubon exists because of you.
Please consider volunteering during this upcoming year. There are many opportunities from one-time activities to ongoing projects and programs that can continue only with your help. Dive into our website, look at our education and conservation programs, check out the Calendar. Send an email anytime to info@veniceaudubon.org and let’s find a volunteer opportunity that suits you.
Jean Pichler, Chapter President |
|
|
|
|
Membership News
Memberships help fund our operations, including our education and conservation programs. We send reminder emails for upcoming membership renewals, so please check your email for any missed notifications or log into your account on our website to see when your membership is up for renewal. If you have a membership question, please email info@veniceaudubon.org and we’ll pass it on to our very helpful Membership Secretary, Linda Moore. |
|
|
FDEP'S 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative Update
|
|
|
Due to the outpouring of responses from Florida citizens, State Parks supporters, conservation organizations, and public officials, it was announced on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 that the Great Outdoors Initiative proposal would be paused and new public input meetings would be held in 2025. We are grateful to all who spoke up to protect Florida’s natural resources from the proposed development and changes that would clearly have a negative impact on the very natural resources, species, and history the parks were created to protect. Stay abreast of further developments and opportunities to offer your input to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by subscribing to The Advocate, Florida Audubon’s legislative briefings and alerts. |
|
|
Eagle Watch seeks volunteers
|
|
|
Photo by Wayne Foote
Audubon Florida collects breeding season data on over 1100 bald eagle nests throughout the state every year. Hundreds of volunteer eagle watchers provide observations from October 1 through May 15, providing critical information about breeding pairs, breeding behaviors, rearing young, and overall nesting successes and failures. Read more about Audubon Florida's EagleWatch to learn about this long-standing citizen science project. Are you interested in becoming a trained EagleWatch volunteer? Online training is provided in September. If you're interested in receiving more information or becoming a volunteer for the 2024 EagleWatch season, please click here.
|
|
|
Purple Martin Season Recap
|
|
|
The Purple Martin season at the Venice Area Audubon Society’s campus was officially called to a close on Saturday, August 17, when a few stalwart volunteers met to take down, clean, disinfect, dry and store all 66 Purple Martin apartments that comprise our colony. We had a good season, with 363 eggs, of which 294 hatched and of those hatchlings, 265 fledged for a 77% fledge/egg percentage. However, the season was not without drama... |
|
|
|
|
Costa Rica Trip - March 7-17
SPRING INTERNATIONAL BIRDING ADVENTURE
|
|
|
Resplendent Quetzal
Only two spots remain open for this exciting adventure to Costa Rica, Birder’s Paradise: Savegre, Sarapiquí, Arenal, and Carara, hosted by Holbrook Travel. For more information and the link to register, contact Eileen Gerle at info@veniceaudubon.org. This will be our only international trip for the 2024-2025 season and is capped at 12 travelers.
|
|
|
Little Naturalists Program to resume this fall
|
|
|
Now in its third season, our monthly Little Naturalists Program begins on Saturday, November 2nd and will take place this season at Shamrock Park and Nature Center in Venice. The program is designed for children ages 3-5, accompanied by an adult, and includes a story time, nature hike and craft. The program is free, however registration is required. For details and to register, visit our website. |
|
|
|
|
Crested Caracara
BIRD OF THE MONTH BY MARGARET F. VIENS
|
|
|
Adult Crested Caracara with immature (right) by Margaret F. Viens Crested Caracaras are large birds of prey in the falcon family. They range from 20-25 inches long and can weigh over 2 lbs. An adult bird has long orange-yellow legs and feet, a black lower belly and back with white upper neck and cheeks, a barred lower neck, and a flat head with a black cap that can be raised into a crest, giving the bird its name. Quite striking is their distinct red-orange facial skin and gray hooked bill. In flight they have a unique “four-cornered” white pattern created by their white neck, white wing tips and white tail with a black terminal band. The Crested Caracara is non-migratory and its range is Baja California, eastern Texas, southern Arizona, and much of Mexico and Panama into most of South America. There is a population here in central Florida where it prefers open prairies, grasslands, and agriculture areas and can often be seen perched on a fence post or tree where it can view its surroundings. They can also be seen walking on the ground or foraging with vultures on carrion on the side of the road. In addition, their diet consists of small prey such as snakes, frogs, turtles, insects, and small mammals. Crested Caracaras usually build a nest of vines and sticks in a cabbage palm and females lay one to four eggs, which are incubated for 32 days by both parents. Juveniles |
Photo and Information by Margaret F. Viens. Photo taken at Palmer Blvd, Sarasota, FL – December 7, 2019. References:
|
|
|
|
|
This message was sent to you by the Venice Area Audubon Society.
veniceaudubon.org / PO Box 1381 Venice, FL 34284 / 941-496-8984
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time |
|
|
|
.png){kind=icon}
