200 Species Challenge

By Jason Frederick

I have been the Field Trip Coordinator since January 2003 and have led most of the field trips since then. Due to the large number of field trips scheduled every year, some people said that I was going to burn out. Well, in a way, I can see that happening. So, how do you fix the problem? This year I am going to mix it up a bit. We are going to have some field trip leaders from the past returning and possibly some new ones trying their hand at it. Oh, I am still going to go on the field trips that I am not leading, sorry Kathy.

Another way to revamp the field trip department is the 200 Species Challenge. My goal is to find 200 species on field trips between September 2007 and May of 2008. I have always been competitive in sports and most things in life, so now I have a new goal that will hopefully interest more of you to attend our field trips. Now, 200 species is not a very high number when you look at what David Simpson and Andy Bankert have seen in a year, but it is a good starting point. Baby steps at first, then increase the number each year.

So far we have seen 66 species of birds, 11 species of butterflies, manatee, alligator, dolphin, 4 species of turtles/tortoise, and a gray squirrel.

Here is what we have added to the list and where we found them so far this fall:

September

8 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge: Northern Cardinal, Red Shouldered Hawk, White Eyed Vireo, Red Eyed Vireo, Mourning Dove, Pileated Woodpecker, Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, Boat-tailed Grackle, Fish Crow, Ruddy Turnstone, Brown Pelican, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Great Egret, Eurasian Collared Dove, Rock Pigeon, Northern Mockingbird, Scrub Jay. Also seen was a Gray Squirrel

15 Viera Wetlands: Yellow Throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Loggerhead Shrike, Black Bellied Whistling Duck, Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallow, Killdeer, Anhinga, Common Moorhen, Glossy Ibis, American Bald Eagle, Sora, Little Blue Heron, Red-winged Blackbird, Green Heron, Cattle Egret, Northern Bobwhite, Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe, Cooper's Hawk, Crested Caracara, Roseate Spoonbill, Blue-winged Teal, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant. Also seen were: Gulf Fritillary, White Peacock, Variegated Fritillary, Dainty Sulphur, Zebra Longwing, Queen, Ceraunus Blue, Cloudless Sulphur, and American Alligator.

23 Turkey Creek Sanctuary: Indigo Bunting, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-winged Dove. Also seen were: Spice Bush Swallowtail and Long-tailed Skipper.

October

7 Pine Island Conservation Area: Common Yellowthroat. Also seen was: White Checkered Skipper

13 Lori Wilson Park: Palm Warbler, American Redstart, European Starling, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull. Also seen, at Canaveral Locks: Common Ground Dove. Also seen were: Sea Turtle, Manatee, Dolphin

14 Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary: Northern Harrier, Eastern Towhee, House Sparrow

More field trips and more nature to see!