Events:
May 1 - 9: Florida WildQuest
May 6 - 9: Free access to Birds of the World
May 8: Global Big Day and World Migratory Bird Day
May 12, 7pm: St. Johns County Audubon - Shorebird Stewardship with Jean Olbert
Beach Stewardship Training:
May 10, 7pm: Pinellas County Beaches. Register here.
June 24, 7pm: July 4th Special Training (Pinellas and Sarasota counties). Register here.
Reminders
May 13 - 19: the May count window for the Breeding Bird Protocol. Whenever possible, weekly surveys are preferred for routes with active nesting; it helps capture information about peak counts.
May 28 - 31: Memorial Day Weekend! Shorebirds and seabirds nesting along the coast need more support during busy holiday weekends. Can you help? If so, contact a local Stewardship Coordinator.
Do you like talking about birds to beach goers, and helping our remarkable shorebirds and seabirds thrive in the process? If so, sign up to become a Bird Steward!
Bird Stewards are needed at shorebird nesting areas during the breeding season, especially during high beach traffic weekends, and holidays. Learn more about becoming a Bird Steward.
To sign up, contact your local Audubon Stewardship Coordinator below and they will get you trained to be a Bird Steward. Your stewardship is greatly needed and appreciated!
Northeast:
Chris Farrell - All locations in Nassau, Duval, and St. Johns County. chris.farrell@audubon.org
Florida Panhandle:
Caroline Stahala - Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach & Causeway (Santa Rosa Co.), and beaches in Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties: Caroline.Stahala@audubon.org
Rebekah Snyder - Rooftop monitoring and chick-checking at various sites across the Panhandle from Pensacola to Panama City area: Rebekah.Snyder@audubon.org
Southwest Florida:
Mark Rachal - Wading bird nesting colonies in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties: Mark.Rachal@audubon.org
Abigail Gibson - South Pinellas County (Ft. De Soto Park, St. Pete Beach): abigail.gibson@audubon.org
Caitlin Westerfield - Mid-Pinellas County (Indian Shores, Sand Key, Clearwater Point): holley.short@audubon.org
Allyson Kristan - Three Rooker Island, located north of Honeymoon Island with boat transportation provided for volunteers: holley.short@audubon.org
Kara Cook - Rooftop monitoring and chick-checking at various sites in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties: Kara.Cook@audubon.org
Kylie Wilson - Sarasota County (Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key): kylie.wilson@audubon.org
Stephanie Wagley - Carlos Pointe Beach, Lee County: leeshorebirdstewards@gmail.com
Robin Serne - Marco Island/Sand Dollar Beach, Collier County: colliershorebirdstewards@gmail.com
Global Big Day
Be a part of birding’s biggest team! Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. No matter where you are, join virtually on May 8th and help celebrate World Migratory Bird Day by sharing the birds you find with eBird.
Participating is easy—you can even participate from home. If you have 5 or 10 minutes, report your bird observations to eBird online or with the free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day. Your observations help better understand global bird populations through products like the animated abundance maps by eBird Science.
Last year, Global Big Day brought more birders together virtually than ever before. More than 50,000 people from 175 countries submitted a staggering 120,000 checklists with eBird, setting a new world record for a single day of birding!
Learn how to participate here.
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Florida WildQuest
From May 1 – 9, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host a series of scavenger hunts on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the state. With the free and easy-to-use GooseChase app, you can go on a wild adventure at your local WMA and discover some of Florida’s best spots to see wildlife and enjoy the outdoors.
Go on a WildQuest scavenger hunt with your family, friends or as a solo adventurer. Use the app to record photos and videos, responding to fun prompts and earning points as you go. While you play, you’ll be learning all about the plants, animals and history of Florida’s WMAs.
Watch other players’ submissions roll in in real-time and track your own progress on the leaderboard. Earn 2000 points to be eligible for random prize drawings.
Learn more here.
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New Resources
Wondering how to enter data into the FSD for other users? There is a quick guide for that! Check out the new FSD Quick Guide: Entering Data for Others to learn how. This guide along with other guidance documents can be found on the FSD website under the Resources tab. Thank you so much to all our partners who help by entering data for others!
Chick season is almost here! Be sure to review the updated Timing of Ground Nesting & Flightless Chicks timeline to get an idea for when you can expect to see chicks on your route surveys. You can find this timeline on the FSA website under Resources - Monitoring Guidance.
Rooftop Management Details
Rooftop surveyors! Have you reviewed the rooftop management details for the rooftops you survey yet? Now is a great time to review rooftop details and make sure all information is up to date. This is where you can tell us if the drains have been covered, if there is a chick-checking program in place for the building, or if you know of any changes in who manages the property.
To review and update rooftop management details, follow the steps below:
- Log in to your FSD account and scroll down to the My Rooftops box.
- Click on the View/Edit button next to the rooftop that you want to update.
- In the Site Summary box, click on the View/Edit Rooftop Management Details button.
- The Update Rooftop Management Details box will pop up. Review the information and make any needed edits here.
- Remember to scroll to the bottom and click Submit to save your changes!
2020 Audubon Florida Coastal Report
Audubon Florida recently published their annual coastal report. The 2020 report highlights organizational adaptation to Covid-19, volunteer efforts, new staff, invasive species removal, and plover sightings.
Read the report here.
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