Bird Chats will start off this season with Monica McKenzie giving us an update on the endangered Everglade Snail Kite. She'll discuss its history in Florida, the monitoring program and providing an update on the current breeding population. Monica accepted the position of Snail Kite and Bald Eagle Biologist with FWC in March of 2024, and currently works out of the Kissimmee office, near Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho). Monica McKenzie was born and raised in Naples, Fl and grew up loving nature and animals. She attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where she received her Bachelors in Environmental Studies with a focus in ecology and environmental assessment. Monica's love for birds really blossomed in her first environmental science class, where she learned to identify wading birds, and found her favorite bird being the Green Heron. Monica spent the summer of 2022 working for Audubon Florida as a shorebird steward anchor, in Collier County, educating beach goers on the importance of protecting beach nesting birds, such as Black Skimmers, Least Terns and Wilson's Plovers. Summer of 2023, Monica continued working with shorebirds and seabirds with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was a seasonal shorebird technician in Lee and Collier County. To join us and automatically receive receive the Zoom link each week, register at: https://mailchi.mp/18d77cc16d26/bird-chat-registration
8:00 am: Mead Botanical Gardens Fall Bird Walks, Winter Park
8:00 am October 5, 2024
Join OAS on a FREE bird walk at one of our migratory hotspots in the month of October where we will be looking for migratory warblers, flycatchers, painted buntings and the resident Barred Owls, among others. This urban oasis is a great place to spot birds on their return to their Wintering grounds. We will be walking over areas that have roots and uneven surfaces. Leaders: Alan Shapiro and Alex Debear. Free but registration required. Register via web or contact Linda at (407) 704-1189. Loaner binoculars available, please email Linda at lgaunt246@gmail.com
8:00 am: Young Birders Brownie Wise Park Half-Day Migration Birding, Osceola County
8:00 am October 5, 2024
Brownie Wise Park is an excellent location in which one can bird many different habitats within a relatively small area. The park has a wooded section that follows the entrance road before transitioning to open marsh. The presence of many neighborhoods in the surrounding areas funnels migrating birds into the available park habitat.We hope to see a wide variety of species, including multiple warblers, wading birds, egrets, herons, and possibly other migratory birds like flycatchers, tanagers, and orioles. This free trip is open to students ages 8-17 and their families. Loaner binoculars will be available. Leaders: Lorri Lilja, Melissa Steinberg, Alex DeBear. Registration is required through the Activities tab. For questions contact Kathy Rigling at riglingkathy@gmail.com
OAS performs quarterly bird surveys for the preserve to determine the effectiveness of its sandhill restoration and native plant gardens, a joint project of the preserve and the Tarflower chapter of the Native Plant Association. We'll meet in the parking lot and walk several trails through wooded areas and sandhill restoration areas. We'll be looking seasonally for overwintering Grasshopper, Savannah, Field, and possibly White-Crowned Sparrows; migrating warblers, Pileated, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds and many more. Registration is required, via website or contact Kathy at riglingkathy@gmail.com.
7:00 pm: BIRD CHAT - The Birdy and mysterious Dry Tortugas National Park by Mitchell J. Walters
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm October 10, 2024
Mitchell J. Walters will be using his photography to take us on a tour of the Seabirds, Warblers, Civil War forts, tropical fish and choppy waters of the Dry Tortugas National Park while offering his thoughts and ideas on how to set up your visit to the Dry Tortugas. Mitchell J. Walters is a PhD candidate from the University of Florida who studies birds, specifically the impacts of human disturbance on avian acoustics. Bird Chats are held the first, second and fourth Thursdays from 7:00–8:00 PM with summer break. To join and automatically receive receive the Zoom link each week, register at:https://mailchi.mp/18d77cc16d26/bird-chat-registration
8:00 am: Mead Botanical Gardens Fall Bird Walks, Winter Park
8:00 am October 12, 2024
Join OAS on a FREE bird walk at one of our migratory hotspots in the month of October where we will be looking for migratory warblers, flycatchers, painted buntings and the resident Barred Owls, among others. This urban oasis is a great place to spot birds on their return to their Wintering grounds. We will be walking over areas that have roots and uneven surfaces. Leaders: Alan Shapiro and Alex Debear. Free but registration required. Register via web or contact Linda at (407) 704-1189. Loaner binoculars available, please email Linda at lgaunt246@gmail.com
7:30 am: Limited Edition Field Trip to Ferndale & Green Mountain, Clermont, FL
7:30 am October 13, 2024
We'll check out two Lake County birding areas: Ferndale Preserve in Minneola and Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead. We'll be looking for migrants and resident species while keeping our eyes on the skies for raptors overhead. Leaders Alex DeBear, Susan Thome-Barrett and Jimena Aguirre. Limited to 15 participants. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Register via Activities Tab. For questions, contact Kathy at riglingkathy@gmail.com
OAS Board Meetings are held the third Thursday of the month in the Camilia Room at Leu Gardens from September to May (except for December) at 5:45 prior to the General Monthly meeting. In December, the Board meeting is held via Zoom. Meetings can be moved to zoom for safety at the discretion of OAS. Check the most recent OASis for details.
Shari Blisset Clark will share an exciting presentation on our favorite non-avian flying creatures - those mysterious bats! This meeting will be held on zoom.
8:00 am: Beginner's Bird Watching - Class 1 of 3, Orlando Wetlands
8:00 am – 11:30 am October 19, 2024
Beginner's Bird Watching is a 3-part class that combines classroom and field work to maximize your bird-watching skills. We'll be going over binocular use and skills, bird ID and resources available to birders. Our first session is at Orlando Wetlands Parks where we will look for wetland birds and raptors after the classroom session. This class is part 1 of a 3-class workshop. Leaders: Kathy Rigling and Susan Thome-Barrett. Cost for 3-class workshop is $60 members, $75 non-members. $10 youth (12 and under with registered adult). Register on the web or contact Teresa Williams at (407) 718-1977. Loaner binoculars or questions, contact Teresa.
8:00 am: Mead Botanical Gardens Fall Bird Walks, Winter Park
8:00 am October 19, 2024
Join OAS on a FREE bird walk at one of our migratory hotspots in the month of October where we will be looking for migratory warblers, flycatchers, painted buntings and the resident Barred Owls, among others. This urban oasis is a great place to spot birds on their return to their Wintering grounds. We will be walking over areas that have roots and uneven surfaces. Leaders: Alan Shapiro and Alex Debear. Free but registration required. Register via web or contact Linda at (407) 704-1189. Loaner binoculars available, please email Linda at lgaunt246@gmail.com
Monthly Bird Survey at Wekiwa Springs Park. We will split into 2 groups led by Park Naturalist Paul Lammardo and OAS's Kathy Rigling. We will survey two areas of the park counting all birds we see and hear. We will travel through the sandhill and scrub, near small lakes and other transitional areas. Possible birds: Red-headed Woodpeckers, Bachman's Sparrow, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhite, the occasional Short-tailed Hawk. Registration is required with entry directions provided upon registration. Note: survey begins before park opens so DO NOT enter through main entrance. For registration & to check for any date changes contact Kathy at riglingkathy@gmail.com.
This quarterly bird survey by OAS and the State Park Service helps Park Naturalist Paul Lammardo check the effectiveness of conservation activities at the Park. We will be meeting at the Rock Springs Run Equestrian Camp and carpool from there with the goal of starting at 8:00am. Rock Springs Run is a large park with several families of scrub jays although not all routes are through scrub jay habitat. Raptors, Towhees, Red-headed Woodpeckers, even deer and bear can be seen. Originally scheduled dates can change to due weather, check Facebook or the OASis for the latest. Leaders: Kathy Rigling and Paul Lammardo. To register contact Kathy at riglingkathy@gmail.com. Directions upon registration. Note: for Google/Apple Maps, use the Rock Springs Run Equestrian Camp for directions.
7:00 pm: BIRD CHAT - International Shorebird Survey with Lisa Schibley
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm October 24, 2024
Lisa Schibley will introduce us to the International Shorebird Survey on this episode of Bird Chat. Since 1974 Manomet's International Shorebird Survey (ISS) has been gathering data on shorebird populations through a network of shorebird enthusiasts (primarily volunteers) across the hemisphere. The information gathered through the ISS has proven pivotal to shorebird conservation planning and action. Compiled data used by scientists and conservation partners have been fundamental for population size and trend analyses and formed the primary data source documenting wide-scale shorebird population declines in publications such as 3 Billion Birds from 2019 and Paul Smith et al’s “Accelerating declines of North America’s shorebirds signal the need for urgent conservation action” published this year in Ornithological Applications. The ISS team is currently working to recruit shorebird enthusiasts in Florida, an extremely important region for shorebirds. We will present about the importance of Florida for shorebirds and what the International Shorebird Survey can tell us about their population trends. We will also present how ISS data fits into Manomet's overall shorebird work, some of the interesting history of ISS, and how shorebird enthusiasts can contribute data. Join us for announcements, Mystery Bird and this special program at 7pm on Zoom. To join us and automatically receive receive the Zoom link each week, register at: https://mailchi.mp/18d77cc16d26/bird-chat-registration
Bird Chats are OAS’ online conversations, featuring expert guest presentations following presentation of a mystery bird quiz and latest bird sightings. Bird Chats are held the first, second and fourth Thursdays from 7:00–8:00 PM with summer break. To automatically receive receive the Zoom link each week, register at: https://mailchi.mp/18d77cc16d26/bird-chat-registration
Monthly surveys will be held on the property of OAS' new Apopka Birding Park located just north of the entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. These surveys will help us monitor the birdlife as we begin restoration of this 67 acre property. We'll meet in the bike parking lot located on the right just before the gates to the Drive. To register contact leader Alex Debear at alexdebear@icloud.com.
8:00 am: Mead Botanical Gardens Fall Bird Walks, Winter Park
8:00 am October 26, 2024
Join OAS on a FREE bird walk at one of our migratory hotspots in the month of October where we will be looking for migratory warblers, flycatchers, painted buntings and the resident Barred Owls, among others. This urban oasis is a great place to spot birds on their return to their Wintering grounds. We will be walking over areas that have roots and uneven surfaces. Leaders: Alan Shapiro and Alex Debear. Free but registration required. Register via web or contact Linda at (407) 704-1189. Loaner binoculars available, please email Linda at lgaunt246@gmail.com
8:00 am: Beginner's Bird Watching - Class 2 of 3, Mead Botanical Gardens
8:00 am – 11:30 am October 27, 2024
Our second session continues with bird and habitat education and field work. This time at Mead Botanical Gardens, a warbler hotspot during migration and home to some great local birds. We will continue our practice with binoculars and spotting. This class is only for those who have pre-registered for the 3-class workshop or those who need to make up a class from last season. Leaders: Kathy Rigling or Susan Thome-Barrett. For questions contact Teresa Williams at (407) 718-1977.
7:30 am: Beginner's Bird Watching - Class 3 of 3, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
7:30 am – 11:30 am November 2, 2024
Part 3 of 3. Our final BBWC takes us the Central Florida's Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (LAWD), 11 miles of wetlands and a few surprise wooded areas. We'll meet at the Bike Parking Area to the immediate right of the entrance. LAWD has the highest bird counts on eBird in the Central Florida area. We'll fine those bird-watching techniques as we search for wetlands and shorebirds, raptors, and other birds drawn to the woods and brush in this area. Part 3 is only for those who registered or who need to make up a prior class. Leaders: Kathy Rigling and Susan Thome-Barrett. For questions contact Teresa Williams at (407) 718-1977.
9:00 am: Bilingual Family Bird Walk at Lake Apopka WIldlife Drive
9:00 am – 10:00 am November 3, 2024
OAS will hold a bilingual bird walk at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The WIldlife Drive hosts a variety of herons, egrets, and other birds and wildlife. Register through the Activities Tab.