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Eileen Gerle rescuing a cold-stunned turtle.
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President's Message
Now that the cold snap is over, our purple martins have begun returning to the housing colony. They’re quite entertaining to watch and soothing to hear as they zoom around the Rookery Park area. Please read the article by Barbara Zittel below for details about the upcoming season. The Mondays @ 10 programs and Friday Sunset Rookery Walks are offered every week throughout the month. Both of these opportunities are open to the public at no cost, as are all our programs.
Rookery Day will take place on Saturday, February 22 from 9 to noon. The morning offers guided walks, hands-on learning activities, and information about the birds and bats at the rookery. Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources will provide information about our County parks and the many native species found in them. Florida Native Plants Nursery and Landscaping is again offering native plants for both pre-sale (with free delivery to Rookery Day) and Rookery Day sales on site. This is an excellent opportunity to pick up some plants for your home garden. Please go to the Event Calendar for pre-sale information.
Lastly, I invite anyone interested in serving on our Board of Directors to contact me this month. We have several upcoming openings on the Board, including Vice President and a Director’s position, that have been vacant and we’d like to fill them during our April elections. I’m happy to discuss opportunities and additional details if you’d like more information. Please email me at info@veniceaudubon.org.
Come and join us for a bird walk, a program, or a visit to the rookery this month!
- Jean Pichler, President
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We can’t hold Rookery Day without outstanding volunteers to help! Volunteer requirements are simple: you enjoy meeting and chatting with folks. If you’re a new member to Venice Area Audubon, we’d love to have you join in (and we’ll partner you with an experienced volunteer as needed). There are two shifts, from 8:45-10:45 and from 10:30-12:00, plus set up and clean up. |
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Florida's Sea Turtles
MONTHLY PROGRAM NIGHT |
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Among the oldest species in the world and unchanged for millions of years, sea turtles nest on our local beaches amidst dangers both natural and human caused. Successfully growing from hatchling to maturity is a massive challenge for the five sea turtle species that nest along Florida's coastline.
Eileen Gerle, a Coastal Wildlife Club sea turtle nest monitor, takes us on the journey through Florida's sea turtles' natural history. Current data on local nest counts and changing trends will be presented, along with actions we as birders and environmentally concerned citizens can take to increase sea turtles' odds of living a healthy, safe lifespan.
February 18, 2025
6:00 pm refreshments
6:30 pm program begins
Venice United Church of Christ, Naar Hall
620 Shamrock Blvd, Venice
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Purple Martins return to the Rookery!
BY BARBARA ZITTEL
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Fourteen volunteers helped setup 48 gourds on Saturday, January 25th.
The first Purple Martin of the season returned to the Audubon Rookery from Brazil, just before the New Year! That’s the earliest arrival since we first started providing apartments for this species. So, on January 9th, Duke Snyder, Neil Milligan and Bob Zittel erected the T-14, a wooden house containing 14 apartments, with four gourds attached beneath the structure. It will provide apartments for 18 mating pairs of birds.
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2024 Christmas Bird Count Now History
BY BOB CLARK
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This year’s Venice/Englewood Christmas Bird Count is now behind us, but here’s a quick recap of this year’s effort: - We had 140 total species recorded for 2024, second only to 2020, the record year for our counting circle at 143 species.
- We recorded a total of 19,047 birds, which pretty much hits the average for the last ten years, discounting this year’s lack of Tree Swallows. We typically have anywhere from 3,000-5,000 Tree Swallows recorded. In 2019 we had 10,000! This year? Only four.
- Top five species in this year’s count included Laughing Gull, Turkey Vulture, White Ibis, Sandwich Tern and Common Grackle. Rarities included the White-faced Ibis and the Groove-billed Ani. Single sightings (just one bird for the whole circle) included: Mute Swan, Northern Harrier, King Rail, Sora, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Eastern Screech Owl, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, American Redstart, Savannah Sparrow, Summer Tanager and Painted Bunting.
- 120 volunteers participated in the count, tied with 2017 for the most volunteers ever in our circle. Including counting time, as well as the time of leaders, this year’s effort represents about 750 volunteer hours.
Special thanks to our area leaders: Charlie Woodruff, Jayne Dean, Robert Kraft, Deb Johnson, Eileen Gerle, Dave Lancaster, Margaret Views, Rick Cordner, Ken Blackshaw, Mike Weisensee, Nancy Edmundson, Tom Litteral, Pattie Haynes and Chris Oliver, with our coordinating team of Bob Clark, Tom Litteral and Rick Cordner.
This coming year’s count is already scheduled: Sunday, December 14, 2025. Put it on your calendar! And if you have an interest in stepping up to being an area leader (you don’t have to be a birding expert, just have some organizing skills), please let Bob Clark know at rlwclark@gmail.com.
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Palm Warbler
BIRD OF THE MONTH BY MARGARET F. VIENS
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Eastern Palm Warbler in basic plumage. Dec. 18, 2022, Ollie’s Pond
Park, Port Charlotte, FL. Photo by Margaret Viens |
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Western Palm Warbler in alternate
(breeding) plumage. April 16, 2013, Belgrade,
ME. Photo by Margaret Viens
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One of the most common migratory warblers that can be seen almost anywhere in this area of Florida in the fall and winter, is the busy little Palm Warbler. It is easy to recognize as it is always bobbing its tail, showing off its bright yellow undertail coverts, as it hops low on the ground looking for tiny insects. This medium-sized warbler has olive-brown upperparts, streaked yellow undersides and a light eyebrow. The western form, which can also be seen in Central Florida, is grayer and has a white belly.
In early spring Palm warblers migrate north where they breed from west-central Canada east to Labrador, Newfoundland and Northern New England. Both males and females, in breeding plumage, sport a chestnut cap. They are one of the first species of warblers to return North each spring, but are more elusive there, as they breed in remote bogs, marsh edges and weedy fields. The female lays 4-5 brown-marked cream or white eggs in a grass nest on the ground, made with shreds of bark and lined with feathers, often at the base of a tree. Both parents incubate the eggs for 12 days.
A group of Palm Warblers is known as a “reading” of warblers. Ironically, they are named for their winter home, rather than where they breed.
References:
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Our March 18th Program Night is a special evening to celebrate our many volunteers who bring Venice Area Audubon’s programs to life throughout the year. It’s also Team JeoBIRDY Night and an opportunity to enjoy the company of members and friends before many “migrate” north until next season. Please join us! For more details, see the Event Calendar.
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