The Pileated Woodpecker Distributed to

All members.
Non-members, 50 ¢
The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
PO Box 957, Sanibel, Florida 33957-0957 Summer, 2007 ,Volume 32, Number 3

Our Mission: Promoting interests in Wildlife on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and fostering the Cause of Conserva-
tion with emphasis on Birds and their Habitat.

Board MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Members

Paul Andrews, Summer greetings to all from Chris & Paul celebrating nature in our downeast Maine
Pres.
escape habitat. Having left Florida in early May, we visited Alabama and Pelee Is-
Jim Griffith, Vice land along the way, following the migration of our feathered friends and family too.
Pres.
Pelee Island was alive with birds including yellow warblers, Baltimore orioles, ruby
Susan Harpham, crowned kinglets, etc. It was a real island experience absent the causeway. Arriv-
Sec.
ing at our summer place, we quickly put up feeders and the hummingbirds, chicka-
Tom Rothman, dees, purple finches, red-breasted nuthatches, hairy woodpeckers, pileated wood-
Treas.
peckers, slate colored juncos and goldfinches arrived immediately busily feasting on
Chris Andrews my Stokes seeds and suet when an unexpected visitor, a large black bear with an
Kevin Bowden
injured rear leg proved that climbing trees was easy. After raising the wire hangers
and a few loud toots from an air horn (sorry neighbors) he hasn’t returned but the
Malcolm Harpham
hairy woodpecker quickly hit the suet feeder looking like a finalist in a pie eating con-
Elaine Jacobson test on the 4th of July.
Dale McGinley
Thanks to visits from Sanibel Audubon friends, we’ve kept up on local SW Florida
issues while birding at Petit Manaan (titm’man) Refuge. I’ve enjoyed catching up on
Brian Mishell
reading, especially Louise Dickinson Rich all about the Schoodic and Gouldsboro
Dolores Mishell area. We birded with Downeast Audubon at the Great Pond Mountain wilderness
Jean Reuther
(Black throated blue warblers, scarlet tanagers) and rediscovered the Humboldt In-
stitute Saturday evening Cosmos Colloquia just down the road from us. Reading
Hugh Verry
the most recent Audubon for July/August ―The
State of the Birds 2007: Common Birds in De-
cline‖ was not easy reading but I was given some hope by
the article on ―Acadia Bioblitz and the Joy of Flies.‖ There
is a great picture of our neighbor Richard Hildreth on page
49 – quite a character whose passion gives us a mental lift
when things appear hopeless. We plan to enjoy his com-
pany for this year’s bioblitz as we volunteer to identify and
inventory spiders at Acadia. Arachnophobes beware!
We’ll keep you posted on the outcome – best wishes for the
summer and remember this quote from Lynn Havsall, an en-
vironmental educator at the College of the Atlantic at Bar
Harbor, ―Time is fun when you’re having flies.‖ (or spiders!)

May you live your life as if the maxim of your actions
were to become universal law.
- Immanuel Kant
Paul Paul with baby purple finch that bonked
her head on their window despite a
huge blue painter’s tape X with plastic
bags flapping from it. She probably just
wanted to cuddle with Paul.
The Pileated Woodpecker, summer 2007 page 2
A WEBSITE YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS
Take down this URL:
www.sanybel.com/florida_wildlife.htm
It is the brainchild of our good friend and frequent lecturer
Charles LeBuff, and is a fascinating,
well organized and very well written col-
lection of material that is of interest to all
of us. The author of three books and
many scientific papers, Charles shares
his vast knowledge, focusing on, as he
says, human and natural history of
southwest Florida. The site includes a
four-part history of Sanibel-Captiva Audubon.
Whether your interest lies in archeology, the Calusa Indi-
ans, manatees, red time, alligators, snakes, birds, sea
turtles, frogs, mosquitoes, water quality, or many other
topics, Charles is sure to cover it in future editions.
Your comments or contributions, (written, photos,
experiences, etc.) are most welcome. Charles said ―I
don’t want to make this a one-man show‖. He also noted
that at this point in his life, he doesn’t have a mandate to
stay away from controversy, so we can expect some
saltiness now and then!
A new book, The Sanibel Island Lighthouse is
coming out soon in CD ROM, 150 pages with pictures
and the colorful
history of the
Lighthouse.
Please be sure to
visit
www.sanybel.com/florida_wildlife.htm. You can also
reach the site by going to www.sanybel.com and click-
ing on Florida Wildlife Newsletter at the bottom of the
home page.
AUDUBON OF FLORIDA NEWS
courtesy of Chris Andrews
Corkscrew Swamp A rare ghost orchid was identified
by two visitors looking for owls, the first new ghost orchid
identified in over a decade.
Common Birds in Decline A study released by Na-
tional Audubon reveals that many common birds are experienc-
ing precipitous declines. Florida’s vulnerable common birds
include (percentage of decline since 1967 in parentheses):
American Kestral (81%), Black Skimmer (63%), Clapper Rail
(81%), Northern Bobwhite (63%), and American Bittern
(53%). Habitat loss is the primary threat. What to do you
ask?
 Support Florida Forever, Florida’s successful land ac-
quisition program
 Join Audubon’s Conservation Network, alerts and in-
formation at www.audubonaction.org/Florida
 Join your local Audubon Chapter
www.audubonofflorida.org/who_chapters
 Support Audubon of Florida
www.audubonofflorida.org/help_donate
Audubon of Florida actively engages in policy decisions by
championing land acquisition and good habitat management;
taking an active role in growth management and transportation
planning; advocating for healthy wetlands and sound water
management policy; meeting the challenge of climate change
with leadership on energy issues; and helping to find solutions
to the challenges wildlife face.
Audubon’s Bird of Prey Center wins Award On
Tuesday, May 1st, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service presented
Audubon of Florida with their Director's Conservation Award
for our work at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Mait-
land. The award recognizes the Center's leadership among na-
tional rehabilitation centers for its expertise in Bald Eagle care,
and singles out the 250 volunteers involved with the Center's
Eagle Watch Program for their efforts to monitor more than 20
percent of Florida's bald eagle population across 37 Florida
counties.
Plant It and They Will Come Make a commitment to
plant native and reduce the impact of habitat loss on wildlife as
well as conserve and protect water resources. On Sanibel, stop
by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservations Foundation’s Native
Plant Nursery to stock up and get great advice. Several of our
Audubon Board members can also provide information on
planting for birds and other wildlife. Now is the time.
Audubon Assembly and Audubon Acad-
emy If you are interested in learning more about Audubon
or increasing your participation in conservation, join us at the
Assembly and the Academy. Audubon Assembly is an annual
event where we set conservation priorities for the state for the
Continued on page 3
The Pileated Woodpecker, summer 2007 page 3
AOF NEWS, Continued from page 2
year. It is held this year from November 1-3 at the Hilton
Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort. Audubon Academy is
held in the spring and is geared to build conservation skills
and help chapter development. See
www.audubonofflorida.org/conservation_assembly for
more information.
Books and Paper
MacIntosh Books and Papers is honored
To support
The Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society.
Best Sellers Local Interest books:
Birding, Gardening, Shelling
Fishing, Boating
Fine Custom Stationery, Boxed Notecards
Greeting Cards, Gifts
2365 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957
239-472-1447
SCA Board makes grants
San-Cap Audubon received a thank you letter from SCCF
in response to our donation of $500 to the Snowy Plover
Project.
We received a membership card from Friends of Cork-
screw at the Falcon Category for our $500 gift. They also
sent a decal with an alligator and the letters CSS. Now
who’s car should that go on?
Other donations recently made were:
$500 to Jerry Lorenz of Audubon of Florida for spoonbill
research.
$200 to International Crane Foundation to support whoop-
ing cranes.
More than $5000 has been donated to conservation causes
in this year alone.
This is your money, collected from program night admis-
sions, bird walks, merchandise sales, etc. and is a manifes-
tation of our Mission Statement. Read it on the front page.
It is who we are.
Reducing our carbon footprint—a series: Number 1. In
the Car
by Candice Ethridge
Until recently, I did not even know I had a Carbon
Footprint. Evidently, whenever I consume fuel or electricity, I
unwittingly shoot skyward, carbon, a by-product that traps
heat in the atmosphere around the planet.
Thus, I may contribute to the current global
warming trend.
To decrease my supposed culpability
means going Carbon Neutral—in other words
reducing my personal convenience and comfort
for the communal good of the planet down the road. Current
evidence indicates that the greatest efforts I can make in-
volve reducing fuel and electricity consumption as well as
altering shopping choices.
Driving and carbon reduction make the strongest con-
nection for me since I know cars send something smelly out
their tail-ends. Hard-core carbon-reducers, always bike en-
thusiasts, frown on regular long-distances car commutes or
solo car trips. Public transportation is best when you do not
want to invest in a hybrid car. Meanwhile, driving a smaller
car helps—and on perfectly inflated tires.
Less aggressive driving also consumes less gas—
even boaters are thinking of slowing down. Likewise, how to
fuel your transportation is controversial for earnest carbon-
reducers. Planting enough corn to run our cars on ethanol
may reduce our dependence on the Middle East fossil fuels,
but, evidently, not substantially reduce carbon emissions.
Growing, processing, and transporting hybridized corn from
field to tank likely releases about the
same carbon levels as oil. Running
vehicles on food waste or native vege-
tation—or electricity or hydrogen--may
be the most viable carbon-reducers,
but the technology is some years
away. Until then, go hybrid when you
cannot bike or bus. New Yorkers must
be low-carbon releasers since they
often do not own a car, frequently use public transportation,
and now their taxis are going hybrid.
Incidentally, plane travel is being targeted for reduc-
tion since carbon release is substantial when airborne; in fact,
airlines are considering letting you pay extra if you feel guilty
enough to fund tree planting, a supposed absolution for ex-
cess carbon releases. I guess a new moral conflict rages
between reducing your carbon releases despite the inconven-
ience—or doing as you please but buying absolution with car-
bon redemption offers. Or if global warming confounds you,
tackle more immediate issues, like water pollution in Pine
Island Sound.
(Look for more in Candice’s series on this subject in future issues)
I realize that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.
Charles Lindbergh
Interview shortly before his death, 1974
(1902 - 1974)
The Pileated Woodpecker, summer 2007 page 4

Take action for the future of A tempting preview

Florida’s fish and wildlife
Created by popular vote in 1998, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Con-
servation Commission (FWC) is the successor to Florida's old
"Game Commission," tasked with conserving and managing all of
Florida's wildlife, imperiled, common and game species alike. It is
governed by seven commissioners appointed by the Governor, who
set the rules, direction and vision for this crucial natural resources
agency.
Three commissioners' terms will expire this August, with one de-
claring he will not seek reappointment. Further, Governor Crist's
history of appointments to other boards indicates that reappoint-
ment may not just be automatic for those appointees who seek it. A
fourth commissioner's term will expire in January.
With as many as four commissioners potentially leaving the
FWC, Governor Crist has an unprecedented opportunity to
ensure the Commission has balanced and science-based leader-
ship. However, only a handful of the current list of nominees
have any biological background or leadership experience on
wildlife habitat protection issues.
Elaine Jacobson works incredibly energetically to
obtain the very best speakers for our Thursday eve-
ning programs, which begin in January 2008. This
year, some of the line-up is as follows:
Coral reefs—Pamela Hallock Muller
Denali—Frank and Sue Moore (always packs them
in)
Jerry Jackson—perhaps birding Texas, not yet set
A new holistic approach to birding—Kevin Karlson
Africa—Tom and Rosalie Kreulen, SCA members
from whom we are looking forward to hearing. Their
photography is gorgeous.
These are only some of the line-up. The complete
schedule will appear as a tear-out sheet in the Fall
edition of the newsletter.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Tell Governor Crist that the following qualifications are important to

you, in any appointment he would make to the Florida Fish and Wild-
life Conservation Commission.

FWC's decisions should be science-based. Commissioners with a

background in the biological sciences have the tools they need to
evaluate the decisions they are being asked to make.
Florida's ecological diversity is some of the highest in the country, and
varies radically by region. Accordingly, FWC commissioners
Open 7 days a Week
should be geographically distributed so no part of the state is
unrepresented. 7AM to 9PM
FWC's constituents today include a greater diversity of recreational Corner of Tarpon Bay Road
users than they did even twenty years ago. Diversity on the Com- and
mission to represent these different viewpoints is important.
Regardless of the constituency any commissioner represents, their first
Periwinkle Way
priority should be the conservation of Florida's wildlife re-
sources.
Complete supermarket Gifts
True Value Hardware Propane
Know someone who would make a good commissioner? Delivery Services Beach Items
Time is of the essence: Encourage them to apply ASAP to
Deli & Bakery Online Orders
http://audubonaction.org.
Party Trays Housewares
Fine Meats Fishing Tackle
West. Union Gift Fruit Shipping
Gift Baskets Organic/Natural Foods
Did you know Old World orioles Homemade Fudge
? are orioles unlike North Ameri-
? ? can orioles which are black-
birds, unlike Old World black-
birds which are thrushes like One drip of water per second from a leaking tap
wastes 4 liters a day or 1200 liters in a year. If the
the American robin— which is
drips form a stream the amount can be as high as
not a robin?? 90 liters a day! Fix those leaky taps and save pre-
- Brian Mishell cious water and your water bill.
The Pileated Woodpecker, summer 2007 page 5
Birding with hugh
Last season 2006-07, with eighteen bird walks held,
Hugh Veery reports a total of 120 species seen. At-
tendance was as high as 51 with weather being a key
variable in the Saturday numbers. An average of 36
species has been seen on each trip.
The Fall edition of the newsletter will pre-
sent the 2007-08 Birding Schedule in full with di-
rections to each location.
A jewel in our backyard
The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium is a
private, not-for-profit environmental education
center which offers fun for people of all ages! Voted
Best Nature Center in Florida for 2004 by the readers
of Florida Monthly magazine. The Museum, Aviaries
and Trails are open Monday through Saturday from
9am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Join
Volunteer Docent Norm DeWolfe every Tuesday and
Friday for a 9:30am guided Boardwalk. He is one of
the best interpreters of the swamp.
The Center consists of the Living Natural
History Museum with live native animals, Butterfly
Aviary and Native Plant Nursery, an Audubon Aviary
which houses permanently injured birds of prey
(hawks, vultures, a bald eagle, owls and more!), na-
ture trails, a picnic area, a gift shop and a Planetar-
ium which features astronomy programs.
The Center is located at 3450 Ortiz Avenue
at the intersection of Colonial Blvd. and Six Mile Cy-
press in Fort Myers, one minute from I-75 at Exit 136.
Additional information is available at
www.CalusaNature.com or by calling 275-3435. Ad-
mission is $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-
12). This one-price admission includes the Museum,
Butterfly Aviary, Trails, and all Planetarium shows
scheduled that day. Group rates are available for 15
or more people. Family memberships are available.
Programs are sponsored in part by the State
of Florida , Department of State, Division of Cultural
Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National En-
dowment for the Arts.
“birders should be alarmed”
Says Brad Smith, of SCCA, who tells us that while
the snowy plover project is on-going and the restora-
tion project to remove exotic vegetation is still in
progress, there is a new and important issue that
needs immediate attention. Monitor lizards.
There have been recent sightings, other than
the known adult inhabiting the west end of the island.
Three adults have been confirmed at other parts of
the island. SCCF and Brad will meet with Sanibel
City staff and Ding Darling staff, looking at rapid
response strategies. SCCF wants to explore how they can help
Cape Coral and Lee County deal with this problem. The liz-
ards are confirmed also on Pine Island, Cayo Costa, and Punta
Rassa, and are spreading
north and east of Cape
Coral.
Monitor lizards
are carnivores that will eat
what they can fit into their
mouths. They are excep-
tional swimmers and un-
fortunately adept climbers
that favor eggs – bird and
turtle. There are 1000 lizards in the Cape and they are breed-
ing. There is nothing to stop them from continuing to spread,
as they exhibit preference for habitat such as that found all
around us (the Sanibel River was cited).
This is an animal, while magnificent in its native
range of Africa, is wholly incompatible with Sanibel wildlife.
The years of time and effort spent nurturing this area would be
for nothing should this animal become established.
Message from david anderson
The white ibis are just starting to nest this year at a small col-
ony in Rookery Bay that had been decimated by Hurricane
Wilma in 2005. This spectacular photo was taken by Rookery
Bay staff ornithologist Ted Below, who studied the effects of
Wilma on bird populations. This ibis is in full breeding plum-
age.
Ted is an Audubon vet-
eran who has over 30
years of experience moni-
toring coastal water bird
populations along 60
miles of southwest Florida
coastline. He collects,
compiles and analyzes
census data that are in-
corporated into the man-
agement efforts at the
Rookery Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve. His information on population
trends of various bird species helps identify habitat restoration
needs and areas that require special protection.
Ted accepted a position with the National Audubon Society as
warden/biologist for the Rookery Bay Sanctuary in 1982, and
held that position for 12 years. He continued his coastal water
bird research on staff with the National Audubon Society until
2002, after which he joined the Estuarine Reserve in 2003.
Ted is a long-time member of the Collier County Audubon So-
ciety where he chairs the Conservation Committee. Thanks,
Ted, for the tremendous work that you do and for sharing with
us a view into one of the birds of Florida. We’re very lucky to
have you as part of the Audubon family.
All the best,
David
 The Newsletter of the Sanibel-Captiva
Audubon Society
P.O. Box 957 Sanibel, Florida 33957

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In This Issue…….
….Charles LeBuff’s New Website
….Audubon of Florida News

….SCA Board Grants

….Her Carbon Footprint

….FWC Commissioners to be named

….Calusa Nature Center—A Jewel
….Monitor Lizards, threat to birds
….Message from David Anderson