Marion Audubon Society The Scrub Jay November 2018 Photos by Holly Yocum November Issue: The Scrub Jay by Marty Schwartz, Editor The Scrub Jay will be published monthly including upcoming events, news of bird sightings, and most importantly articles from you, our members. You will be able to quickly see articles from our event organizers from Meetup, Facebook and our website. Our president and board members will submit articles that need to be communicated to our membership. Most importantly, we want to hear from you, our members, with timely notes and articles with any photographs of interest that you ve taken while birding. Please indicate the bird by name, location and date the photo was taken and, of course, your name. Send these to mas.scrub.jay@gmail.com by mid month to be included in the next month s Scrub Jay. October Event, by Josie Muncy, Director Field Trips We had a total of 71 species identified based on 20 checklists submitted by birders in Marion county on Global ebird Big Day Oct 6th. Marion Audubon Society hosted Global Big Day at Silver Springs State Park. We had a total of 43 participants, 33 were from College of Central Florida mixed with 10 members and public folks. We are really lucky to have Ranger Craig and 3 of his fellow rangers assisting us. Huge thanks to Ranger Craig for giving a talk on the park and wildlife as we were birding.
Photos by Josie Muncy Upcoming Events for November, by Josie Muncy, Director Field Trips Friday Nov 2 nd 8:30 AM 10 AM Nature Walk at Fort King National Historic Landmark Park Wednesday Nov 7 th 8:30 AM 10 AM Nature Walk at Tuscawilla Park Saturday Nov 10 th 10:30 AM Reddick Public Library 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick FL 32686 Basic Bird Watching Program: Identification, Short walk after the program. Friday Nov 16th 8:30 AM 10 AM Nature Walk at Silver Springs State Park Meet at main entrance just inside the ticket booth area Saturday Nov 17 th 8:30 AM 1 PM Friends of Silver Springs State Park Critter Trail 5K Run/Walk, Registration Required Friday Nov 24th 8:30 AM 10 AM Nature Walk at Coehadjoe Park Please visit our web site for details on the above events. All walks require proper walking attire, be sure to bring binoculars, water, a hat, sun screen, and bug spray. President s Message by John Schaefer As you know Marion Audubon Society received great publicity for sponsoring Global Big Day in Marion County. Thanks to Josie Muncy for leading and to Ranger Craig Littauer, Silver Springs State Park for doing the talk as he walked along with some of the other rangers who joined us to help with such a huge group. It all worked out, thanks to Jim Sheppard for tracking the bird count, Cheryl Verona for helping with sign-in and Larry Sutton, as well. We were
mixed throughout the group in case anyone in the group had any questions. Don t forget contact me to order your Birding shirt with your name embroidered. Email me, John Schaefer, at schaeferjo@cox.net to order your shirt. We need volunteers on all of our committees. Email me with your interest. You can print a volunteer form from our website to give us an idea of how you would like to be involved. Come out and join us, don t miss out on the fun! Marion Audubon Society We are a 501(c)3) organization and welcome all donations and will bequests. www.marioncountyaudubon.com Like us on Facebook, find us on Meetup. Backyard Birding October 2018 by Larry Sutton, Treasurer Mid October is here and it s starting to cool off. Soon our migratory birds should be here in full force. We ve already seen some warblers on our bird walks. I have a small feeder for dried meal worms. You can buy them at Rural King on Hwy 27. The ones used for chicken feed are the same as the worm sold as bird food, only cheaper. Meal worms attract wrens, catbirds, thrashers and other insect eaters. Last spring I had 6 catbirds at my feeder. It s great fun to see these usually spooky birds competing for food. I was surprised to see a cardinal eating at the meal worm feeder a few days ago. While visiting a friend recently, we observed a few ground doves in his yard. They are so cute. Have a good October. Conservation Chair Report by Barbara Schwartz Indian Lake State Forest- Bear-N-Oak Trailhead, Sep 29, 2018 Six students from the Environmental Science program at the College of Central Florida joined MAS for this bird walk. This is an activity of our Audubon in Action grant for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Marion Audubon Society sponsored bird walk led by Jim Sheppard counted 25 species.
Audubon In Action Grant from National Audubon Update Marion Audubon Society (MAS) has actively been pursuing the stated goals of our grant: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The stated purpose of the grant was to work with the Environmental Science students from the College of Central Florida here in Ocala (CF). The students have been joining MAS on guided bird walks, learning about area parks and forests, and birding apps for their cell phones. The next step in the project is twofold. On November 1 st, MAS educator Carolyn Retey, will present a basic beginning bird watching lecture to the Environmental Science Honors students with a focus on near-shore freshwater birds. On November 8 th, this group of students will participate in a birding-by-kayak field trip at Silver Springs State Park. The students are preparing by watching You-Tube videos on kayaking techniques and safety. These will be further enforced as we launch with Mike Sage of Silver Springs Kayaking. We will also be accompanied by members of Silver Springs State Park River Patrol. As we paddle to the head springs, members of MAS will point out nearby birds, manatees and alligators. No binoculars are needed; everything is nearby. Dr. Robert Knight of the Florida Springs Institute will join us at the head springs and provide a short explanation of the structure and ecology of the springs. We ll continue downriver, honing our paddling and bird watching skills for the next hour or so before returning to our launch site. We are creating and inspiring the next generation of birders, kayakers, and springs enthusiasts! We humans protect what we love and that is the grant activity s goal. Love Nature; Protect Nature; Teach others to do the same. The Friends of Silver Springs State Park Fifth Annual Critter Trail 5K Marion Audubon Society is a sponsor of the Friends of Silver Springs State Park Critter Trail 5k Run/ Walk, Saturday November 17, 2018, 9:30 AM. Please join us at Silver Springs State Park. Runners, walkers, kids, and dogs on leashes! All are welcome.