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Nikon and The Brevard Nature Alliance present the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus 1311 North U.S. Highway 1, Titusville January 21 - 26, 2009 -- Titusville, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
I. Archaeology and Anthropology
Beneath the Surface: Exploring Florida’s Pond Cemeteries
Jan. 24, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 123; $5
Dr. Rachel K. Wentz (Florida Public Archaeology Network)
www.flpublicarchaeology.org
Dr. Rachel's seminar explores the Florida phenomenon that took place thousands of years ago - the use of small bodies of water for interment of the dead. Taking advantage of the numerous sources of water across the Florida landscape, Native Americans utilized these natural resources for the disposal of the dead, sometimes including beautifully crafted artifacts and hand-woven textiles. From the west coast of Florida to east coast sites such as Windover, come learn more about the fascinating burial practices of Florida’s Archaic people.
II. International Travel and Adventure
Atlantic Forest
Jan. 24, 10:15am-11:15am; 121; $5
Xavier Munoz (Neblina Forest Birding Tours)
www.neblinaforest.com
The Atlantic Forest of tropical South America boasts 20,000 plant species, 40 percent of which are endemic. Yet, less than 10 percent of the forest remains. More than two dozen critically endangered vertebrate species cling to survival in the region, including three species of lion tamarins and six bird species that are restricted to the small patch of forest near the Murici Ecological Station in northeastern Brazil. With almost 950 kinds of birds occurring in this hotspot, there are many unique species including the Red- billed Curassow, the Brazilian Merganser, and numerous threatened parrot species.The Atlantic Forest stretches along Brazil’s Atlantic Coast, from the northern state of Rio Grande do Norte south to Rio Grande do Sul. It extends inland to eastern Paraguay and the province of Misiones in northeastern Argentina and narrowly along the coast into Uruguay. Also included in this hotspot is the offshore archipelago of Fernando de Noranha and several islands off the Brazilian coast. We at Neblina Forest had the chance to visit this unique habitat and realize that our activities of ecotourism can help local people and local communities to conserve these unique habitats with an alternative to support local economy. With over 400 birds and 90 endemic birds, this is with no question one of the last nature paradises in Brazil.
Belize - Little Known Jewel of Central America
Redlegged Honeycreeper. Photo by Joanne Williams
Jan. 23; 2:30pm-3:30pm; 121; $5
Jan. 24; 2:30pm-3:30pm; 123; $5
Sam Fried (Flights of Fancy Adventures, Inc.)
magesfried@aol.com
With some of the largest remaining tracts of undisturbed rain forest in Central America, it is no wonder that Belize hosts myriad species of tropical birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. In addition to its animal life, the history and archaeology of ancient Maya cities is no less astounding.We visit several locations, all with outstanding wildlife viewing: Lamanai Outpost Lodge, on the New River Lagoon and adjacent to the extensive Lamanai ruins, site of a Maya city occupied for 2000 years, where jacamars and kingfishers now build their nests in ancient temples; Chan Chich, a lodge and reservation built on a Maya plaza deep in the Belizean forest, home to a multitude of birds due to its wide variety of habitats and several species of wild cats; and Crooked Tree Wildlife Preserve with its vast congregations of wading birds, featuring the rare and elusive Jabiru stork, largest flying bird in the Western Hemisphere.
Birding Central Panama, One of the Birdiest Areas in the World!
Jan. 21, 2:30pm-3:30pm: 119; $5
Jan. 24, 4:00pm-5:00pm: 123; $5
Carlos Bethancourt (Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory)
www.canopytower.com
Central Panama covers an area of only 25,000 square kilometers and boasts an incredible diverse avifauna of more than 600 species. This is due to the variety of habitats present in such a small area, ranging from mudflats to cloud forest and, in between, marshes, lakes, savannahs, brushes, transitional and lowland forests, all within one hour driving time! Birding is easy and very productive indeed as is the viewing of mammals. During the fall and spring raptor migration, there are days of up to 75,000 Swainson's Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks in the air at once. In 1997, visionary Raul Arias de Para seized an opportunity when he took over an abandoned U.S. Air Force radar tower, located in the middle of Soberania National Park, and converted it into The Canopy Tower, a small ecolodge specialized in birding and wildlife observation. It offers its guests an extraordinary opportunity to live in the canopy of the rainforest and to appreciate the rich and diverse fauna and flora of Central Panama.
The unique culture and history of the former Panama Canal Zone is also readily accessible. Raul recently opened a second ecolodge in a cloud forest habitat. The Canopy Lodge is set in a verdant canyon above El Valle de Anton, outside of Panama City, 2,500 feet above sea level. This is the habitat of foothill species not seen in the lowland forests, Beautiful slides and informative maps will illustrate this presentation by one of Panama's top birding guides.
Brazilian Pantanal & Cerrado Wildlife
Jan. 23, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 121; $5
Jan. 24, 9:00am-10:00pm; 119; $5
Luis Segura (Trogon Tours)
www.trogontours.com
Located on Brazil's Bolivian border, the Pantanal is the largest wetland on Earth. Its habitats range from semi-deciduous and evergreen forests to palm woodlands and true “Pantanal” (seasonally flooded grasslands with scattered clumps of cerrado scrub on elevated patches of land). Enormous numbers of lakes and rivers cross the region, constantly renewing the wetlands. The Pantanal is considered the easiest place to see and photograph an incredible collection of neotropical fauna. Dry-season shrinking of vast flooded areas concentrates fish for waders, caimans and carnivorous mammals. Giant otters, crab-eating raccoons, foxes and a myriad of herons and storks seek this food resource. The Pantanal is also home to the most spectacular neotropical cat of all - the jaguar; chances to see one here are high! The Cerrado’s very characteristic vegetation corresponds to "arboreal savannas" of other tropical continents. Dominating west-central Brazil and extending into Paraguay, it is formed by sparsely scattered low trees and bushes with twisted branches, thick grooved bark and leathery leaves. Termite nests are prominent, providing a great attraction to nesting birds that tunnel into their depths and for termite-feeding mammals such as the giant anteater. A naturalist’s journey to Brazil could not possibly be complete without visiting the Pantanal and Cerrado, a place where the most remarkable animals of the neotropics live. We invite you to discover these unique ecosystems in their entire splendor.
Kazakhstan: A New Birding Frontier
Jan. 21, 2:30pm-3:30pm; 153; $5
Jan. 22, 2:15pm-3:15pm; 153; $5
Simon Thompson (Ventures Birding & Nature Tours)
www.birdventures.com
Southeastern Kazakhstan offers endless steppes, lakes, rivers, and pine-covered mountains. Because of the centralized geographic location, birds indicative of both the Oriental and Western Palearctic regions can be found. From the stony deserts near the former capital, Almaty (Alma-Ata), to the Tien Shan Mountains close to the Chinese border, the variety of landscapes will amaze and the birding is nothing short of spectacular. Even their names evoke the rugged landscape and remote mystery associated with this part of the world. Many of the birds we will be seeing are little known and indeed very rare vagrants to Western Europe. Birding tours are new in Kazakhstan, and we are among the first U.S.- based tours to spread our wings to explore this part of the world.
Marañón Valley: Endemic Birds in Peru
Jan. 23, 11:30am-12:30pm; 121; $5
Jan. 24, 2:30pm-3:30pm; 153; $5
Xavier Munoz (Neblina Forest Birding Tours)
www.neblinaforest.com
Many species of limited distributions occur in Peru, tending to be concentrated in habitats that form isolated islands of similar habitats where these unique species evolved. Areas with such concentrations of restricted-range species are known as Endemic Bird Areas or EBAs (first defined and designated by BirdLife International in 1997).The Marañón valley is one of the principal biogeographic divides in the Andes and is an EBA that supports 22 restricted-range species. This EBA, which is dominated by arid habitats, lies in the rain shadows of the mountains to its east. The habitat is highly variable, ranging from Cactus-Prosopis desert, dense herbaceous scrub with cacti and Acacia, seasonally dry Ceiba dominated forest and gallery forest dominated by Salix. Most of the endemics are restricted to these arid habitats. The main sites are found near the towns of Jaen, Bagua, Chachapoyas, Balsas, Celendin and Cajamarca.
Of Peru's 100 endemics, 30 are found exclusively in the north. Ten more widespread Peruvian endemics as well as numerous Tumbesian and Montane specialties are possible as they are only found in northern Peru and southern Ecuador. We at Neblina Forest believe birding is a great tool to encourage the local people to be involved in conservation.
Penguins of the World
Jan. 22, 4:00pm-5:00pm: CDR; $5
Debra Shearwater (Shearwater Journeys)
www.shearwaterjourneys.com
Everyone sees penguins in a different way. Ocean adventurers, exceptional divers and amazing survivors, penguins have managed to adapt to the harshest climate on earth, spending their lives in the frigid sea and on ice and snow-covered slopes. Join Debra Shearwater for an in-depth look at these appealing creatures. Using slides, she will discuss every species of penguin in the world - emperors, kings, gentoos, rockhoppers, chinstraps, adelies, Galapagos, macaronis, royal and little - 18 in all. She will discuss their special adaptations to a life at sea, their sense of vision and smell, their behavioral adaptations, breeding courtship and distribution. You'll find out why the color yellow is so important to penguins in establishing relationships and how they waterproof themselves. From Australia to the Falkland Islands, these gentle animals were easy prey for explorers, whalers and other fishermen. Even today, waste and oil spills threaten their lives and homes. Debra has traveled to many of the world's penguin centers and captured thousands of images of these very special and delightful birds!
Ultimate Nature Journey to Patagonia & Antarctica
Jan. 21, 4:00pm-5:00pm; 153; $5
Jan. 23, 10:15am-11:15am; 121; $5
Luis Segura (Trogon Tours)
www.trogontours.com
If you considerate yourself a modern day explorer, who wish to discover some the last wildernesses on Earth, this is the perfect journey for you. Be delighted by breathtaking views of Southern Right Whales at the Valdés Peninsula, and spend time with 200,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins nesting at Punta Tombo. Search for such spectacular birds as the Magellanic Woodpecker, and Austral Pygmy-Owl in Tierra del Fuego, and navigate the waters of the Beagle Channel on the way to the Cape Horn and on to the Drake Passage, as a myriad of seabirds glide around our vessel. Cross the Antarctic Convergence in the company of whales, to finally reach the iceberg-spangled waters of Antarctica, and the first Antarctic land at the South Shetlands. Join us to the southernmost part of the world in this unique discovery journey to Patagonia and Antarctica.
III. Domestic Travel & Adventure
Best of Birding North America with Carl Zeiss
Jan. 21, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 119; Free
Stephen Ingraham (Carl Zeiss Sports Optics)
www.zeiss.com/sports
A virtual tour of the best birding, birding spots, and birding festivals on the Carl Zeiss yearly schedule. The next best thing to being there yourself... and perhaps enough motivation to get you there next year.
Denali National Park & Highway, Prince William Sound, Copper River Delta
Jan 21, 3:00pm-5:00pm; 121; $5
Sam Fried (Flights of Fancy Adventures, Inc.)
magesfried@aol.com
Part I: One of the largest and perhaps most spectacular of America's National Parks, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) "knocks your socks off" with its scenery! Using Camp Denali, a wilderness lodge at the western edge of the park as our base, we travel among the majestic peaks of the Alaska Range, all dwarfed by "The Great One,” Mount Denali itself. East of the Park is the 134- mile Denali Highway, a fantastic public road wandering through boreal forest and open tundra, providing easy access for exploration on your own. Everywhere, spring wildflowers carpet the tundra and line the roadside.
Roseate Spoonbill dorsal view flight, Alafia Banks, Tampa Bay, FL.
Photo by Arthur MorrisNot to be outdone by the scenery, the bird and mammal life in both areas is both abundant and exquisite. Grizzly bears with cubs scouring the tundra for food, moose and caribou trying to avoid grizzlies, Dall sheep on the cliffs and arctic ground squirrels everywhere can almost steal the show. But nesting Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, Long-tailed Jaegers, Willow and Rock Ptarmigans, Northern Shrike, Surfbirds and many others keep bringing your attention back to the skies.
Part II: One of the most beautiful and bountiful bodies of water on earth, Prince William Sound is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and tidewater glaciers. Each spring, following the spawn of the Pacific herring, massive numbers of seabirds, shorebirds and marine mammals follow the herring into the sound for a feeding frenzy. Traveling aboard the yacht "Discovery,” explore the sound's intricate and exquisite shoreline.
The Copper River Delta, near Cordova, Alaska, hosts the largest gathering of shorebirds in the world. Up to 20 million shorebirds pass through annually, as they fatten up for the last leg of the journey to their arctic breeding grounds. Inland birding can also be quite spectacular, in this northernmost temperate rain forest with large concentrations of Bald Eagles, the entire world population of Dusky Canada Geese and large numbers of breeding Trumpeter Swans.
Great Fla. Birding Trail: The Next Generation
Jan. 21, 12:45pm-2:15pm; 153; $5
Jan. 23, 4:00pm-5:15pm; 153; $5
Mark Kiser, Selena Kiser (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission)
www.floridabirdingtrail.com
Part I: With 502 recorded species, Florida has the highest bird diversity in the eastern U.S. But how does one find all those great birds the Sunshine State has to offer? Enter the Birding Trail. Come hear about the GFBT’s new interactive trip- planning tool and how you can search among nearly 500 sites for Florida’s most desirable and iconic species.
Part II: Looking for some new birding sites to visit, perhaps a bit closer to home to save money on gas? Outstanding birding opportunities await you on Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas. We’ll discuss some of the birdiest WMAs around the state and why they should be on your must-see list. The Birding Trail is a project of FWC, supported by FDOT and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
Seabirds & Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay
Jan. 24, 4:00pm-5:00pm; 153; $5
Debra Shearwater (Shearwater Journeys)
www.shearwaterjourneys.com
From Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants to sea otters and migrating gray whales, this rich area sustains an abundance of marine life. Offshore habitats are equally varied and supportive of life. Black-footed Albatrosses fly in search of squid to feed their young. It is here on the open sea that millions of Sooty Shearwaters feed on schools of anchovies and wheeling flocks of Buller's Shearwaters spend the winter in search of food. Ashy Storm-Petrels raft in flocks after feeding at night. Common Murre fathers bring their newly fledged chicks to these rich waters and Rhinoceros and Cassin's Auklets are found in large numbers on the canyon edges. Migrating Arctic Terns, Sabine's Gulls, Pomarine and Long-tailed Jaegers and Xantus' and Craveri's Murrelets also pass by. Humpback whales feed here year-round and blue whales stay the summer.
Monterey Bay is a major destination for both beginning and seasoned birders. Its protected, half-moon shape allows for year-round trips. Join Debra Shearwater as she presents an informative and exciting lecture on this truly magnificent and timeless place. She will illustrate her lecture with slides and stories from her 33 years of running birding trips on Monterey Bay.
IV. Birds, Wildlife & Plants
Archie Carr: The Man who Saved Sea Turtles
Jan. 22, 3:30pm-5:00pm; 153; $5
Frederick R. Davis, Ph.D. (Florida State Univ.)
www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/HistoryOther/HistoryofScience/?view=usa&ci=978019531077
Archie Carr was the world’s authority on the ecology and conservation of sea turtles for most of his distinguished career. Carr’s study of turtles spanned five decades (1937-1987) and his work provides a unique window into the development of biology in the 20th century. In addition, he was a gifted nature writer, and his stories brought to life the natural history of sea turtles and the culture of places such as Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa. More than any other individual, Carr was responsible for the international conservation of sea turtles through his efforts with the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. This illustrated talk provides a thorough introduction to Archie Carr and the turtles he strove to save from extinction. Davis recently published The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles with Oxford University Press.
Barn Owls: Nature’s Mousetrap
Jan. 23; 2:30pm-3:30pm; AUD; $5
Jan. 24; 10:30am-11:30pm; CDR; $5
Richard Raid (Barn Owl Project Coordinator, Univ. of Florida)
http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/barnowl/owlindex.ht
www.pentaximaging.co
Since 1994, the Univ. of Florida has been involved in a program promoting Barn Owls as a sustainable means of rodent control. Hundreds of nesting boxes now dot the Everglades Agricultural Area of south Florida. The UF Barn Owl Project has met with great success in increasing Barn Owl population in the Glades, with boxes exhibiting nearly 100% occupancy. Agriculture and wildlife are not the sole beneficiaries. In this seminar, presenter Dr. Richard Raid will describe the biology of these marvelous raptors and detail the project’s progress. Attendees will also be treated to amusing stories and video involving the use of Barn Owls and regurgitated owl pellets for youth education, not to mention, free pellets for their own enjoyment.
Employed by the University of Florida as a professor of plant pathology, Dr. Raid initiated a program promoting the use of barn owls for sustainable rodent control in 1994. The UF Barn Owl Program quickly gained the acceptance of the agricultural industry with which Dr. Raid worked, providing the Everglades Agricultural Area with some of the highest Barn Owl densities in North America. Not one to miss an opportunity for engaging kids in nature, Raid has used the project as an educational outreach program. Thousands of local students, from elementary school to college, have learned the benefits of this spectacular raptor to mankind through his frequent lectures, workshops, and displays. Now, more widely recognized for Barn Owls than plant pathology, Dr. Raid and the UF Barn Owl Project have been featured on CNN, the National Geographic Society’s website, and PBS’s Nature series.
BirdChick Blog: The New Nature Journal
Jan. 23, 2:00pm-3:00pm; 123; $5
Jan. 24, 9:15am-10:15am; AUD; $5
Sharon Stiteler (BirdChick Blog)
www.birdchick.com
You all have photos and you all have stories that you can't get published in any of the birding magazines. What do you do? Start your own site and share your natural observations. Sharon’s presentation includes how to start a blog, techniques you can use to enhance your blog, and a guide to some birding and nature blogs that are out there. This is a PowerPoint presentation and plenty of time is allowed for questions.
Bird Habitats & Bird Distribution in North America
Jan. 23; 2:30pm-3:30pm; CDR; $5
Paul Lehman (WINGS)
www.wingsbirds.com
Join Paul Lehman on a tour of North America's major avian habitats - from the arctic to the subtropics, the ocean to alpine tundra - sampling what these areas look like, where they are found, and enjoying many of the characteristics and special birds found in each. We will also visit a number of habitat "outposts" where localized species may be seen.
Birding in a Post-Darwinian World - CANCELLED
Jan. 22 & 24; 1:00pm-2:30pm; 121; $5
Jonathan Rosen
http://wordpress.com/tag/jonathan-rosen/
Bird like the Experts
Jan. 24, 4:00pm 5:00pm; 121; $5
Jessie Barry (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Chris Wood (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
www.birds.cornell.edu
Do you feel like you’ve learned the basics of bird identification but are stuck in a rut? Are you trying to get the next level? Have you been in the field with
experts able to identify just about every bird before you could focus your binoculars? And you thought you’d never be able to do that. In a presentation sure to be as entertaining as it is educational, Jessie Barry and Chris Wood will demystify how experts identify birds. Chris Wood and Jessie Barry are widely heralded as leaders of the next birding generation. They join us from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where Jessie is the Assistant Curator in the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds and Chris serves as the Project Leader for eBird and the Avian Knowledge Network. Jessie and Chris’s engaging personalities, brilliance in the field and genuine warmth make them the favorites at birding events. Chris is also a Senior Leader with the bird tour company, WINGS. Jessie is a member of the Nikon Birding ProStaff.
Bluebird Trails Across America
Jan. 23 & 24, 4:00pm-5:00pm; 119; $5
Connie Toops (Connie Toops Photographic Services)
www.lostcovefarm.com
www.agpix.com/toops
While researching her award-winning book, Bluebirds Forever, nature writer and photographer Connie Toops visited bluebird trails in Maryland, Ohio, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon. These “trails” are networks of bluebird nest boxes monitored by dedicated individuals and groups who promote increasing populations of eastern, mountain, and western bluebirds and other cavity-nesting species. Using her own spectacular photos and amusing personal anecdotes, Connie shares tips and techniques that have been successful for bluebirds and their hosts throughout the country. The talk includes information on the natural history of these captivating birds, on the selection, placement, and maintenance of nest boxes, and on landscaping to attract bluebirds to backyards or local parks.
City Bird, Country Bird Housing & Feeding
Jan. 23, 12:45pm-1:45pm; 123; $5
Jan. 24, 10:30am-11:30pm; AUD; $5
www.birdchick.com
How to attract birds no matter where you live - from the middle of the country to an apartment in an urban area, using nesting boxes and platforms and includes information on anti- predator tactics. Birds are tailored to the state or region the presentation is given. Based on the book I wrote for Adventure Publications, City Birds, Country Birds.
Going Batty!
Jan. 23, 10:15am-11:15am: 119; $5
Jan 24, 11:30am-12:30pm: 119; $5
Cyndi & George Marks (Florida Bat Conservancy)
http://www.floridabats.org/
Take a break from birding and meet some of Florida’s flying mammals. Cyndi and George Marks of the Florida Bat Conservancy will introduce you to the fascinating world of bats. With a beautiful slide presentation and live bats, you will learn about the amazing diversity of bat species, their incredible echolocation skills, and their importance to ecosystems worldwide. Cyndi and George are the founders of the Florida Bat Conservancy and co-authors of Bats of Florida.
Kingfishers & Their Allies
Jan. 21; 1:30pm-3:00pm; 123; $5
Jan. 22; 2:00pm-3:30pm; 123; $5
Jeffrey A. Gordon (Leica Sport Optics)
www.leica-camera.us/nature_observation
Nearly all of North America is blessed to have the Belted Kingfisher as a resident, at least part of each year. Even non-birders recognize and appreciate the distinctive behaviors, spectacular plumage, and unusual life history of this unique species. But as wonderful as the Belted Kingfisher is, it's just one of dozens of spectacular kingfishers to be found around the world. Kingfishers include some of the world's most most extravagantly colorful and bizarre-looking birds. And if you broaden the scope to include some of their allies in the Order Coraciformes, things get really wild: bee-eaters, rollers, mot-mots, hornbills, hoopoes - these stout-billed birds must surely rank high on any list of the world's most incredible animals, feathered or not. Join us for a fun, informative survey of the kingifshers and their brethren, from their role in mythology to their amazing natural history, to an appreciation of their sumptuous coloration.
Life of Birds
Jan. 23, 10:30am-12:00pm; AUD; Free
Renier Munguia (Wildstock Photos)
www.wildstockphotos.com
This presentation covers all aspects of a bird’s lifefrom the adaptations that allow them to survivein their environment to their amazing flightsand displays. Some of the topics to be coveredinclude physical adaptations as well as behavioraladaptations, communication, foraging, courtship,nesting, brooding and many bird facts and real-life stories. You’ll get lots of detailed informationabout many species around the world withspecial emphasis on Florida birds.
Migrant & Vagrant Traps of North America
Jan. 22, 4:00pm-5:00pm; 119; $5
Paul Lehman (WINGS)
www.wingsbirds.com
Native Florida Reptiles
Jan. 24, 1:15pm-2:45pm; Limited to 40 registrants; Free
Paul Schlueb (Friends of the Enchanted Forest, Inc.)
Directions: Drive south on US1 through Titusville. About a mile south of town, drive west on SR405. The entrance is on the right, about 1/2 mile west of the US1 interchange.
Note: Requires pre-registration.
Note: Meet at Enchanted Forest Sanctuary.
www.enchantedforestfriends.org
Explore the fascinating and often misunderstood world of reptiles. The presentation will cover reptile classification and physiology, stressing their ecological importance. Learn about various endangered species and what you can do to help reptile conservation. Learn about exotic and invasive species. Some of our interesting local species will be showcased for observation. Information will be presented on venomous species, trying to dispel the many myths that surround these strange creatures.
Parrots: Secret History in the United States
Jan. 23, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 153; $5
Jan. 24, 9:00am-10:00am; 121; $5
Susan Epps
www.greenbirds.us
www.parrotsinthecity.com
www.californiaparrotproject.org
Did you know that Rose-ringed Parakeets were breeding at the Port of Los Angeles in 1956? Or that there were flocks of "green" parakeets near the river in Miami, Florida in 1948? There is no single forum for tracking the parrots and parakeets seen in the US, but a search of list serves of lost and stolen birds and reports in various state ornithological publications and North American Birds has shown that nearly all states have reported occasional single escaped birds or breeding pairs. Not only are Peach-faced Lovebirds breeding in Arizona, but a pair with young were recently found in Orlando, Florida. In the 1970s there was a colony of Rose-ringed parakeets in Hampton, Virginia that was established for eight years and may still be there. These beautiful, intelligent, and adaptable birds are adding color and joy to the landscape of our nation, without competing with native species or becoming agricultural pests.Susan will tell more stories of parrots in many areas of the country and show slides to help identify them. There will be handouts of locations to find the birds in several states. She is the author of Parrots of South Florida and is working on Parrots of the United States, a book that will include the well-known birds of Florida and Texas, plus the parakeets of Seattle, Honolulu, Chicago, San Francisco, and more.
Purple Martins
Jan. 22, 12:45pm-1:45pm; 123; $5
Jan. 23, 9:00am-10:00am; 121; $5
Susan Halpin (Purple Martins-R-Us)
www.purplemartins-r-us.com
Susan Halpin’s interest in birds began when she moved to rural palm beach county. In her desire to create habitats for birds on her property, she learned of the difficulties faced by native cavity nesting birds. Having always been fascinated by swallows flying through on their annual migration, Susan was overjoyed when she learned that Purple Martins could be enticed to nest in backyard birdhouses. Three years ago she began having success attracting them to her property and in 2008 she saw 65 Purple Martins fledge from her backyard housing. She is a stay at home mother of two young boys with whom she encourages stewardship through active participation. She has a website, www.purplemartins-r-us.com where she provides information on Purple Martins and gifts and apparel that feature some of her art work of Purple Martins.
Roger & Us: Inside the Making of the "Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America"
Jan. 23, 3:45pm-5:00pm; AUD; Free
Jeff Gordon, Paul Lehman, Bill Thompson III, Lisa White
Note: A book signing will be held in the MIWA booth following presentation.
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/petersonhome.cfm
Wading Birds - Barometer of Ecosystem Functioning in the Indian River Lagoon System
Jan. 22, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 153; $5
Dr. Eric Stolen (Dynamac Corporation)
http://www.dynamac.com/clientsprojects/ksc.asp
Weather & Bird Migration
Jan. 22, 1:00pm-2:00pm; 119; $5
Paul Lehman (WINGS)
www.wingsbirds.com
A birder needs to know not only where the best places to look for migrants are and at what periods during the season particular species are most apt to occur, but they also need to have a basic understanding of the workings of the weather and how it impacts bird migration. Understanding and closely following the weather is a crucial component of successful birding. Heading out into the field without first checking a weather forecast, particularly during the spring and fall migration seasons, may hinder your success as much as or more than forgetting your field guide or spotting scope. Throughout North America, weather plays a crucial role in the timing and volume of migration, and in the occurrence of vagrant species. One of the best ways to improve your bird-finding skills is to better understand weather patterns and how they affect bird migration and distribution. Paul will begin with a basic weather primer and then cover the influences various weather conditions have on bird migration.
Yard Lizard? Florida's Anole Revealed
Anole. Photo by DeeAnn Kiesel
Jan. 23, 1:15pm-2:15pm; AUD; Free
Jan. 24, 1:15pm-2:15pm; 153; Free
Steve Isham (Commahawk Publishing LLC)
Note: Booksigning for "Anoles: Those Florida Yard Lizards" follows each presentation at the Friends of the Enchanted Forest booth.
www.anolebook.com
Mistakenly called chameleons, geckos or skinks, anoles are probably the most populous and conspicuous wildlife in the entire state of Florida on any warm day. They are in practically everyone's yard. Learn where they come from, where they live, how they establish and defend territories, what they eat, what eats them, why they change color, how they climb smooth surfaces, and much more. Find out how to help save our native green anoles while encouraging beneficial plant growth.
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