Southwest Florida Birding Festival aims to help locals connect with nature
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\n Bonita Daily News\u00a0–\u00a0Jan 20 12:33 AM
\nBy Jim Alred (Contact)
\nFriday, January 20, 2006
\nRandy McCormick leans close to his scope, trying to remain silent as he zeroes in on his prey. The intense concentration etches lines on his face. Then a grin replaces it.
\n\u201cThe bird in the tree over there,\u201d he points quickly, trying not to make too much noise. \u201cIt\u2019s an immature bald eagle.\u201d
\nAlmost on cue, the good-sized bird sitting in a cypress tree in the middle of one of three ponds at Eagle Lake\u2019s Community Park in East Naples takes flight, circling before soaring away.
\nMcCormick, the education coordinator at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, is preparing for the second annual Southwest Florida Birding Festival. The event kicks off today and runs through Sunday, and activities include numerous birding field trips, presentations and family activities.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got a dozen different family activities on tap, especially for the kids \u2014 but the parents enjoy it, too,\u201d McCormick said. \u201cWe just have a variety of activities throughout the day that people can go to to enjoy birds and to enjoy the festival. It\u2019s a place to be able to connect with birds, with outdoors and with wildlife.\u201d
\nThe activities include a gigantic eagle nest for kids to climb in to experience what it\u2019s like to be an eagle, crafts, programs that discuss the different types of beaks and feet of certain birds, and a few other educational offerings.
\nMcCormick learned to love birding from a friend in college, but his love for the outdoors helps fuel his passion for birding.
\n\u201cI just like being out where the birds are,\u201d he says. \u201cBeing outdoors is great, and watching and spotting birds is a lot of fun. But if you don\u2019t see any new birds while you\u2019re out it\u2019s not a total loss, because it\u2019s better than begin cooped up inside.\u201d
\nOn this day, McCormick manages to spot a number of species within a quarter-mile stretch bordering two of the park\u2019s ponds. Several wood storks stand tall, oblivious to onlookers, while another attempts to devour a fish it has just caught.
\nAnhinga circle the pond, swim in it and even stand on the shore, drying their wings.
\nA few great egrets don\u2019t like the extra attention and follow the eagle\u2019s example of taking flight, while a glossy ibis remains too interested in rooting for lunch than take notice of the man with the birding scope.
\nThese are just a sampling of the birds McCormick expects people to see during the festival. But he hopes they do more than fall in love with birding.
\n\u201cPeople have to realize these birds need a place to live,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re lucky to have so many areas in Southwest Florida to see these birds, but we have to make sure we keep it this way.\u201d
\nAs for first-time birders, McCormick suggests bringing two key items.
\n\u201cThe two most important pieces of equipment are a good pair of binoculars and a field guide,\u201d he says holding up his own binoculars, hanging from his neck. \u201cThe binoculars will actually give you a chance to get close enough to see some features, and the field guide has pictures to help you identify the birds you see.\u201d
\nMcCormick also recommends dressing appropriately for the environment you\u2019ll be exploring and making sure to bring plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen and bug repellent.
\nIf You Go
\nSouthwest Florida Birding Festival
\nWhat: Activities include bird watching field trips, presentations, live raptor display, build your own nest, Wall o\u2019 Wings, Optic Treasure Hunt, looking at feathers under a microscope, migration station, crafts and face painting.
\nWhen: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
\nWhere: Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples
\nCost: Three-day admission, $15 per person; one-day admission: $10 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12, and children under 6 are admitted free. Most field trips carry an additional charge.
\nInformation: www.rookerybay.org or 417-6310, ext. 501
\nPresentations
\nAll presentations will take place in the auditorium at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Pre-registration for presentations is not required. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
\nToday
\n10 a.m., Birding Basics: Using Binoculars and Field Guides, Randy McCormick, Education Coordinator for Rookery Bay Research Reserve
\n11 a.m., Gardening for Birds, Doug Suitor, Collier County Natural Resources Department
\n1 p.m., Nesting, Migration and Conservation of Swallow-tailed Kites, Ken Meyer, Ph.D., Executive Director, Avian Research and Conservation Institute
\n2 p.m., Wood Stork Recovery in Southwest Florida, Jason Lauritsen, Big Cypress Ecosystem Coordinator, Audubon of Florida
\n3 p.m., Birding the Dry Tortugas, Larry Manfredi, Professional Guide, South Florida Birding
\n7 p.m., Keynote, The Singing Life of Birds, Donald Kroodsma, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts. Kroodsma, the reigning authority on avian vocal behavior, will sign copies of his book, \u201cThe Singing Life of Birds,\u201d after the presentation.
\nSaturday
\nNoon, Saving Panthers and Wood Storks: Regional Recipes for Recovery, Brad Cornell, Big Cypress Policy Associate for Collier County Audubon Society and Audubon of Florida
\n1 p.m., Sonny Bass, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Everglades National Park
\n2 p.m., The Life History of Brown Pelicans, Ted Below, Avian Ecologist, Rookery Bay Research Reserve
\n3 p.m., Birds and Art, Jerry Jackson, Ph.D., Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University
\n4 p.m., Eagles in Florida, Lynda White (and her bald eagle, Paige), Project Eagle Watch Coordinator, Audubon of Florida
\nSunday
\nNoon, Your Computer Can Make You a Better Birder, Peter Thayer, President of Thayer Birding Software
\n1 p.m., Florida\u2019s Forgotten Flock: Flamingoes, Bob Showler, Ranger\/Naturalist, Biscayne National Park
\n2 p.m., The Birds of Sand Dollar Spit, Ted Below, Avian Ecologist, Rookery Bay Research Reserve
\n3 p.m., The World of Woodpeckers (with an Ivory-billed Update!), Jerry Jackson, Ph.D., Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University
\nField trips
\nNote: Registration is required for all field trips. On the Rookery Bay Web site, all trips will reflect a standard \u201cclosed\u201d status in the reviewing stage. Upon entering the registration process, however, trip status indicators will accurately reflect each trip\u2019s status. If you have difficulties navigating the system, call (239)417-6310 ext. 401.
\nToday
\n12:50 p.m.-5 p.m., Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
\nSaturday
\n6:45 a.m.-noon, Birding in Big Cypress National Preserve
\n7:20 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Collier-Seminole State Park
\n7:45-10:30 a.m., Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Backcountry Birding Truck Trip
\n7:45-10 a.m., Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Family Field Trip Birds of the Boardwalk
\n8-11:30 a.m., J. N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling National Wildlife Refuge
\n6:45-8:30 a.m., Everglades National ParkTen Thousand Islands Boat Trip
\n6:45-11:30 a.m., Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
\n9:45 a.m.-noon, The Collier County Landfill
\n7-9:30 a.m., The Collier County Landfill
\n8:15-10 a.m., Marco Island Burrowing Owl Field Trip
\n7:45-10 a.m., Sand Dollar Sandbar Lagoon Coastal Waterbird Field Trip
\n6:50-11:30 a.m., Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
\nSunday
\n7:20-10:30 a.m., Collier-Seminole State Park
\n7:45-10:30 a.m., Corkscrew Swamp SanctuaryBackcountry Birding Truck Trip
\n7-9:30 a.m., Eagle Lakes Community Park
\n9:45 a.m.-noon, Eagle Lakes Community Park
\n6:45-8:30 a.m., Everglades National ParkTen Thousand Islands Boat Trip
\n8:15-10 a.m., Marco Island Burrowing Owl Field Trip8-11:30 a.m., Picayune Strand State Forest
\n5:45-8 a.m., Picayune Strand State Forest Red-cockaded Woodpecker Roosting Site
\n7:45-10:30 a.m., Sand Dollar Sandbar Lagoon Coastal Waterbird Field Trip
\n6:50-11:30 a.m., Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Southwest Florida Birding Festival aims to help locals connect with nature Bonita Daily News\u00a0–\u00a0Jan 20 12:33 AM By Jim Alred (Contact) Friday, January 20, 2006 Randy McCormick leans close to his scope, trying to remain silent as he zeroes in on his prey. The intense concentration etches lines on his face. Then a grin replaces […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[413],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n