Speaker: Caroline Poli, University of Florida
The moment-to-moment steps that an animal makes accumulate over time to form large scale movement patterns that can profoundly influence the overall health of an animal, whether it breeds successfully, and its lifespan. Rapid and recent advances in miniaturization of tracking technology have enabled scientists to learn about the movements of species ranging from elephants to dragonflies and discover the pathways of global migrations, expansive flights, and unexpected behaviors. Tracking information undoubtedly enriches human understanding of the natural world. But how can we use it for conservation?
In this talk we’ll follow Atlantic Puffins in Maine, Brown Pelicans along the Atlantic coast, Masked and Red-footed Boobies in Mexico, and critically endangered Snail Kites in Florida, to find out how tracking animals can fill critical information gaps and guide conservation action.
Meet at the Millhopper Library Branch, 3145 NW 43rd St. Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
Note: to be followed by a Gull-Fly-In Training Session at Frank Rendon Park, 2705 S Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores FL (carpooling will be offered to depart from Target on Archer Road in Gainesville around noon on Saturday, February 11, 2017)
Speaker, Michael Brothers, Marine Science Center (Volusia County, Ponce Inlet FL)
Your best opportunity ever to fine tune those Gull and Jaeger identification skills! A very special adventure!
Meet at the Millhopper Library Branch, 3145 NW 43rd St. Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
Join trip leader Dotty Robbins in the Target parking lot on Archer Rd. at 12:30 p.m. and then drive to Frank Rendon Park in Daytona Beach Shores. We’ll meet Michael Brothers of the Marine Science Center at 3:30 to stroll the beach and enjoy the spectacle of the many thousands of gulls that amass there. Michael will share his gull expertise at our program on February 7th, and this will be an opportunity to practice those identification tips.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain one to two miles)
This activity at the new and beautiful Depot Park in downtown Gainesville is for young people 6 to 18 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. We will walk the park looking for birds using binoculars. You must be registered to attend. Register at audubonyouthbirding@gmail.com.
Saturday, February 18, 2017 from 9 to 11 a.m.
Who are these people walking around with binoculars having so much fun?
And how do you get into the world of “Birding” anyway?
Scott Flamand, Alachua Audubon Vice-President, will share his delight and his expertise on this fascinating hobby.
Come. You won’t “egret” it!
Family Birding opportunity! Meet guide Adam Kent at the Thomas Center in downtown Gainesville (302 NE 6 th Avenue) on Saturday, April 8 at 9:00 a.m. We will walk the Thomas Center grounds, city streets, and the Duckpond area looking for city birds and animals. Binoculars will be available for use. Please register for this event at audubonyouthbirding@gmail.com . Be sure to bring water and a hat.
Come join us on Wednesday, April 12th at 6:30 pm for Alachua Audubon’s annual pot luck dinner celebration and help us welcome our newest AAS Board Members.
The Alachua Audubon Society is a volunteer organization. The Board of Directors is comprised of four officers and 15 members. Officers of Alachua Audubon are: President: Anne Casella, Vice President: Scott Flamand, Secretary: Felicia Lee, and Treasurer: Trina Anderson. Returning board members are Mike Manetz, Emily Schwartz, , Debbie Segal, Barbara Shea, Sharon Kuchinski, Bob Simons, Will Sexton, Katie Sieving, Charlene Leonard, Adam Zions, Kim Chaney, and Karen Brown. We would like to welcome our newest board members Alan Shapiro and Michael Brock. We would also like to thank the outgoing Board members Dotty Robbins, Steven Goodman, Ted Goodman, and John Sivinski for their time and effort in make this a successful organization, especially Dotty for her 10 years of service keeping us financially sound.
This event will be held at Bubba and Ingrid Scales’ house at 3002 SW 1st Way, Gainesville, located in the Colclough Hills neighborhood between south Main Street and Williston Road. (Look for the AAS signs!)
Bring some food to share and a drink of choice, and enjoy visiting with Alachua Audubon members and the Board of Directors. This will be a fun gathering and an opportunity to share our more recent spring migration observations!
Meet trip leader Mike Manetz in the parking lot at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens for a stroll through a beautiful 62-acre park marked by gorgeous gardens (including butterfly and hummingbird gardens), sinkholes, a man-made watercourse, and hardwood hammocks that host a wide variety of bird life. What can be more beautiful than springtime in the Gardens? Participants will be admitted to the park for half price ($4), but MUST be on time to get the group rate.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain one to two miles).
Join local Audubon travelers Lloyd Davis and Pat Bartlett as they share their adventures of recent travel to Cuba. They will share their experiences of seeing the country, meeting people and viewing bird life. But not just bird life. We have been promised to hear about dragonflies, snakes, lizards, butterflies, and tiger beetles too.
This sounds really wild!
Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
This field trip is geared for kids from 6 to 18. Northeast Park is a small, urban park in the heart of Gainesville that is home to a variety of songbirds, including at least 4 species of woodpeckers. The park provides the perfect setting to get acquainted with these colorful, animated birds.
Ted Goodman will be your guide for this trip. We’ll meet at the parking lot by the tennis courts at 9:00 a.m. for a brief introduction, followed by birding in the park. Loaner binoculars will be available on a first-come-first served basis. Drinks and snacks will be provided. For insurance reasons, all children must be accompanied by an adult. It is not necessary to preregister.
Come hear about the amazing wildlife and landscapes of Southern Africa, including Lesotho! Listen to stories of a recent trip to this biodiverse and endemic-rich zone by Audubon travelers Adam and Gina Kent. The talk will focus on birds, but will also touch on other interesting aspects of the region such as mammals and fascinating landscapes. Learn about a diversity of natural communities including emblematic tropical woodland, the desert-like karoo, and fynbos, a shrubby heathland that looks more like something out of a Mediterranean garden than one’s typical vision of Africa.
Social time 6:30-7pm.
“So near, and yet so far away. . .” For half a century, Cuba was the mystery island for American birders and nature lovers. The island held an alluring charm enhanced by its inaccessibility. With the easing of travel restrictions in the past few years, travel to Cuba has become possible. Join two travelers as they guide you through the former terra vetita, where mule-drawn carts are common and tour buses are about the only vehicles on the roadways. We will visit the larger nature preserves for birds, visiting coastal mangrove, scrub land, savanna and swampland habitats. You’ll learn a little about the landscape, meet native wildlife and the endemics like the Cuban pygmy owl, the trogon, and the bee hummingbird. Your presenters will be Pat Bartlett and Rob Norton who combined forces to bring you this presentation.
Social time 6:30 – 7:00
Peregrine Falcons migrate down the Atlantic Coast in fall, usually peaking in early October.
Meet trip leader John Hintermister at the Tag Agency and carpool to the hawk-watching platform at the north end of the park in hopes of seeing Peregrines. During the second half of the morning we’ll walk a woodland trail in search of fall warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, and thrushes. Entry fee $3 per vehicle. Bring water and bug repellent. Lunch is at Cap’s on the Inland Waterway.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain one to two miles).
Web sites for GTM NERR: http://www.gtmnerr.org and http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/gtm/
Meet trip leader Trina Anderson in the parking lot at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens for a stroll through a beautiful 62-acre park marked by gorgeous gardens (including butterfly and hummingbird gardens), sinkholes, a man-made watercourse, and hardwood hammocks that host a wide variety of bird life. Participants will be admitted to the park for half price ($4), but MUST be on time to get the group rate.
Difficulty: 2 (may involve uneven terrain one to two miles).
Meet trip leader Deena Mickelson in the Target parking lot on Archer Road for a visit to this University of Florida property near Bronson. The UF observatory sits on 80 acres of turkey oak sandhill and rosemary scrub surrounded by pastures. We won’t be looking through the observatory’s telescope – it’s daytime, after all – but we’ll bird the slopes of the hill for late fall migrants, and we might run into a Sherman’s Fox Squirrel or two. Bathroom facilities and running water are available on the property. There is room to park, but the last stretch of road is sandy, so carpooling may be preferred. Access to the observatory is restricted, so this is a one-time-only event.
Difficulty: 3
Meet Rex Rowan in the Target parking lot and carpool to Cedar Key, a quintessential Florida birding destination where birders can often view shorebirds over one shoulder and songbirds over the other. Participants may want to stay in Cedar Key for lunch.
Difficulty: 1 (trip within easy access to vehicle and/or level terrain one mile or less).
Audubon EagleWatch is seeking volunteers to monitor Bald Eagle nests for the 2017-2018 breeding season. EagleWatch provides valuable information on nesting activity and the current trends of the Bald Eagle population in Florida. As a volunteer, you’ll be assigned to monitor one or more eagle nests in your vicinity. The data you collect helps eagle biologists determine the right conservation measures to ensure the success of the species in our state.
Go to this web site to register.
Meet trip leader Howard Adams at the trailhead of La Chua Trail on Camp Ranch Rd. La Chua is one of the area’s best birding hotspots and it supports a tremendous bird population including wading birds, waterfowl, raptors, warblers, and others. Resident species should be in the midst of nesting activities, and we may see a few migrants passing through. Entry fee for the State Park is $4 per vehicle.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or walking distances greater than two miles).
Dragonflies and Damselflies are fascinating and conspicuous
components of our insect fauna. There are 169 species recorded
from Florida and 116 species have been found in Alachua County.
This program will cover basic biological facts about the group,
including anatomy, life cycle, reproduction, behavior, habitats, and
feeding. The non-technical discussion will be illustrated with
photographs of many local species. Presented by Dr. Franklin
Snelson, Jr.
Thursday, December 7, 2017 Millhopper Library, 3145 NW 43rd St., Gainesville.
6:30 social time, 7:00 program begins