FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY — SPRING 2004 MEETING

Hosted by Hernando, West Pasco, Clearwater and St. Petersburg Audubon Chapters

Tarpon Springs, FL — April 23-25, 2004

Motel and Meeting Location: Holiday Inn & Suites, 38724 U.S. 19 N. (Klosterman Road), Tarpon Springs, 727-934-5781, FAX 727-934-1755. $70/double, reserve before April 10 for this rate. Identify yourself as an FOS member when making reservations.

Friday, April 23

1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Registration, Holiday Inn & Suites
2:00 p.m. Board of Directors' Meeting, Holiday Inn
2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Field Trips (See other side for details)

Dinner on your own.

7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Initial Flocking, Holiday Inn & Suites. Cash bar and hors d'oeuvres.
Bring five to ten of your bird or other natural history slides to share with fellow FOSers! Digital projector will be available.

Saturday, April 24

6:30 a.m. Holiday Inn opens for breakfast.
Morning Field trips, see information other side

Lunch on your own

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Scientific Session and Skin Quiz, Holiday Inn

* Rich Paul, Moderator
* "Status & Distribution of American Oystercatchers in Florida," Nancy Douglass, Biologist, FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
* "Beach-Nesting Birds of N.E. Florida —Nassau Sound, Huegenot Park," Terry Doonan, Biologist, FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
* "Nesting Success of Rooftop vs. Beach Nesting Colonies of Least Terns," Dr. Beth Forys, Asst. Professor, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg
* "Protecting Beach-Nesting Birds on Three Rooker Island — Citizen Science,"
Marianne Korosy, Conservation Project Leader, Clearwater Audubon Society
* "Discovery of Coastal Migrant Funnel and Data Collected at Green Key," Ken Tracey, Conservation Chair, West Pasco Audubon Society

6:30 p.m. Social Hour, Holiday Inn
7:00 p.m. Banquet, Holiday Inn
8:00 p.m. Speaker: Jim Kraus, Manager, Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
"The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership"


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Please register in advance. Return this form with your check payable to FOS by April 14 (after this date, please add $10 to the registration). Register on-site after April 20. Mail to Judith Buhrman, 6123 113th St., #504, Seminole, FL 33772. Questions? Call 727-398-3799, or email jbuhrman@aol.com, or Joyce King, 727-531-3440, or sjking@mindspring.com.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________Email: __________________________________________

EARLY REGISTRATION by April 14- $15/person or $5/student $ _________
AFTER APRIL 14 POSTMARK - ADD $10/person $__________
REGISTRATION FOR SCIENTIFIC SESSION ONLY - $5/person $__________
BANQUET: Buffet w/Chicken Cordon Bleu, Mahi Mahi, Vegetable
Lasagna, Salads, Vegetables, Breads, Beverages, Dessert - $25/person $__________
Total $$ Enclosed: ____________


FIELD TRIPS: Please circle preferred field trips.
Friday: Ft. DeSoto Park, Honeymoon Island State Park
Saturday: Honeymoon Island, Green Key/Werner-Boyce, Three Rooker Island, Fred Howard Park
Sunday: Werner-Boyce, Ft. DeSoto, Starkey Wilderness Park


FIELD TRIPS

Friday Afternoon:
1. Honeymoon Island State Park. Meet at the Honeymoon State Park Picnic Area at 2:00 pm. Entry fee: $3/car with 1 adult; $5/car with 2+ adults. This park is a great spot for migrating passerines, shorebirds, larids; also 20+ osprey nests, Great Horned Owl nest. Lillian Kinney, Monique Abrams, Leaders.

2. Ft. DeSoto County Park. This well-known hotspot for migrating warblers and other migrants always offers great birding. Meet at the flagpole in the park at 2:00 pm. Lyn Atherton and Murray Gardler, Leaders.

Saturday Morning:
1. Honeymoon Island State Park. Ed Kwater will lead this trip to beautiful Honeymoon Island, which offers a variety of habitats and birdlife, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, shorebirds, migrating passerines. Leave from Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:00 a.m.

2. Three Rooker Island. LIMIT 20. A 15-minute boat ride from the Caladesi Island ferry landing in Honeymoon Island State Park (see Entry Fee info above) takes you to this exciting small island, where Royal, Caspian, Sandwich, Least Terns; Black Skimmer; Snowy Plover; Laughing Gull; White Ibis; and Reddish Egret nest. You will wade ashore from knee-deep water. No facilities on Three Rooker; restrooms at ferry landing. Leave Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:30 a.m. Leaders are Doug Clark; Sally Braem, Park Biologist; and Scott Robinson, Honeymoon Island Park Manager.

3. Fred Howard County Park. This uniquely-designed park features shorebirds, larids, and a variety of upland habitats for migrating passerines. Leave from Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:30 a.m. Murray Gardler, Leader.

4. Green Key Funnel and Werner-Boyce State Park. Green Key Funnel is a stationary count of migrating warblers passing through. NOTE: Long-sleeved shirt, long pants, hat, bug repellent an absolute necessity or you'll be watching from your car! Then to nearby Green Key Park (Bobolinks possible); from there we go to Werner-Boyce State Park to find additional migrants. Leave from Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:00 a.m. Ken Tracey, Leader.

Sunday Morning:
1. Starkey Wilderness Park. Spring migrants along the boardwalk at the education center, then nesting Yellow-Throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, Bachman's Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch along a 2-3 mile hike. Great butterfly location, too. Leave from Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:30 a.m. Bev and Al Hansen, Jim McKay, Leaders.

2. Werner-Boyce State Park. Search for Black Rail; then hike along upland trail to find migrating passerines, leading to needle rush marsh, then a large salt barren complex. Wilson's Plovers on nesting territories, singing Scott's Seaside Sparrows, and Marian's Marsh Wrens. A 4-mile hike. Leave from Holiday Inn Lobby at 7:00 a.m. Ken Tracey, Leader

3. Ft. DeSoto County Park. See description above. Meet Lyn Atherton at the flagpole in the park at 8:00 a.m.