Three Outings in the Winter Springs Area of Florida Show Why Audubon is Fun

The best part of our National Audubon Society membership happens when we arrive at a Audubon managed property such as Corkscrew Swamp, east of in Florida. When we enter, we don't have to pay to get our map, the helpful instructions from the staff, or to enter onto the grounds. We joined ages ago because we like the way the National Audubon Society promotes habitats for birds, supports bird watching and manages properties which provide ecosystems needed by endangered species. The Corkscrew Swamp property provides the nesting grounds for the endangered Wood Stork because these woods offer trees of the right size, plenty of fresh water and food for growing youngsters.

Our membership also provides us access to local chapter events, such as Seminole County's three latest outings that we enjoyed very much. We are in the Orange County chapter, but like other members, travel freely between the groups are welcomed. Most hikes travel slowly enough for anyone to bird and many allow for the hike to be cut short. Once we aided boy scouts learning how to bird and to earn their birding badge. Here's some of the fun activities we recently participated in:

Lecture on the Restoration of the Red Cockaded Woodpecker

It turns out that Disney owns land with trees old enough to support the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker. The Red Cockaded Woodpecker is endangered due to loss of habitat-they are picky and like one type of tree and it must be 80 years old and infected with a fungus to make the wood soft. Several Audubon chapters have worked with Nature Conservancy and Disney to bring onto Disney's Red Cockaded Woodpecker Reserve, about 40 individual Red Cockaded Woodpeckers. They've invented an artificial nest that the Red Cockaded Woodpeckers like and have managed to breed several pairs and had one chick survive. The program is young and looks like it will be an eventual success.

Hike through the Newly Opened Palm Bluff Conservation Area

Palm Bluff Conservation Area offers three different interconnected trails ranging from 2 -6 miles long and covering different territory in the conservation area. The area sits along the Deep Creek Shoreline (4.5 miles long) and has varying habitat including flatwoods, depression marshes and cypress domes. We followed the white trail that went through some mosquito clogged areas and spotted robins, pine warbler, chickadee, turkey vulture, red tailed hawk (I missed it) and found the area quite beautiful with lush green pine trees.

Hike at the Board Walk at Lake Ashby

The board walk is a short hike < 2 miles that crosses Lake Ashby and allows birders a look for wildlife, lizards, spiders, birds, deer as well as cedar wetlands.

This week Sunday, December 11, 2011 the lecture will be on dragonflies, 2:00 at the Library in Sanford, Florida.