The club had an outing at the end of November to Starkey Park in Pasco County. We had five children on the walk out to the bird blind, which was a big hit. The wetland was drying up, so there were wading birds and a few shorebirds.
The group had close looks at Eastern Bluebirds and even a quick look at a river otter that came through. We then followed the trail to the bike path and walked back to the parking area. We did have a fleeting look at a Brown-headed Nuthatch and close looks at gopher tortoises.
I have been finalizing preparations for the FYBC trip up to Tall Timbers. We have 11 young birders attending from a number of different places around Central and North Florida. I will have a lot of photos and video from the trip to share at our next meeting and in the newsletter.
The monthly “Jay Chat” programs continued through the fall with a program in December with Dr. Beth Forys on Black Skimmer research. There is a “Jay Chat” zoom program on Florida Scrub Jays scheduled for Saturday, January 20th.
The next field trip is February 17 in Lakeland focusing on local hotspots.
The club is continuing to grow, with another new chapter getting started in the Treasure Coast region. Again, I really appreciate the support by Tampa Audubon, especially being allowed to use the chapter Zoom account for our monthly advisory panel meetings and “Jay Chat” programs!
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