Bird Sanctuaries Fill a Need

Posted by Lucy Tobias on Aug 4th, 2010 | Comments Off

Can you roll your R’s and say these words – Rescue – Repair – Rehabilitation – Release? Say them with me now.

Congratulations, you’ve just described the amazing world of bird rescue. And, you can go see this world in action at bird sanctuaries all over Florida.

Bird sanctuaries struggle daily with heartbreak, beaks to feed and more rescues on the way. Why? The answer is shocking – birds arrive due human cruelty (shooting, running them over, fishhooks) and violence to their environment (BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, clear cutting land). Selfless souls work 365 days a year to undo the damage and repair the web of life.

Daily the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores feeds their resident birds (over 600) some 500 to 600 pounds of fish. Every day 20-45 birds are rescued or admitted. Volunteers square their shoulders, smile and welcome two-legged visitors, admitted free, while wondering if any donations will show up today or if new volunteers will arrive (many have been trained and shipped to the Panhandle to work on birds covered with oil from the BP spill).

In the small sanctuary tucked in between high rise beach condos, brown and white pelicans groom themselves. They seem normal until you look closely and the lower part of a beak is missing or eyes are totally dimmed because of blindness or they stand on one leg, the other one is gone.

The day I visited a young boy imitating a shore bird ran back and forth in front of a cage while a shore bird, uttering the same cries, ran back and forth with him. Perhaps the bird thought they were related.

Songbirds are in cages with mesh so thick it is hard to see inside. Wild birds come to visit and perch on cage roofs. It is surprising to learn this small place, founded in 1971, by Ralph Heath, is the largest avian hospital and sanctuary in the United States, admitting up to 8,000 injured birds a year. In addition to money donations, they have a wish list on their web site. You might want to give it a look and take something with you when you go.

Be sure to walk through the sanctuary and out onto a lovely stretch of beach fronting the Gulf of Mexico. On my visit, terns were nesting right on the sand, a perfect reminder to be careful on the beach (dogs on leashes, children supervised) because many shore birds lay eggs in shallow cavities.

Suncoast is open seven days a week, 365 days a year from 9 a.m. to sunset.

In Ocala the emergency pager (352-402-3894) is always on at Owls-Ocala Inc., Ocala Wildlife Sanctuary. Keith Belisle, a Native American Indian, and Kenneth Lane are on call to rescue birds in Central Florida – eagles, osprey, owls, hawks, doves, waterfowl, the list keeps getting longer. They’ve been doing rescues for 15 years. Owls-Ocala does educational programs to all kind of audiences.

A recent addition doesn’t have feathers but fur. Belisle and Lane were called when a fawn was spotted running down Fort King Street in Ocala (I am not making this up). Chased by people it jumped or fell into a culvert and was injured. Belisle said the fawn loves blueberries and blackberries. If you have any to spare, call the regular number (352) 895-0451 or E-mail: owls-Ocalainc@hotmail.com

Their sanctuary is open by appointment only. Call for a guided tour. I’ve gone with my granddaughters, ages 5 and 8, and they loved it. The tour is free but donations are always appreciated. And, oh yes, they love volunteers.

By the way, Owls and Seacoast (and most bird rehab centers) are non-profit organizations and your donation can be used as a tax-write off.

More sanctuaries to visit:
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, open since 1979, specialized in eagle care and also owls, falcons, hawks and kits. Center hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10-4. Admission $5 adults, $4 children, under the age of three admitted free.

Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, Tavernier, open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, free admission, donations accepted. Call (305) 852-4486. They have raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, even turkey vultures.

Coming up:
A great way to learn more about native birds, and maybe get involved in bird rescue – attend a birding festival. Coming up – Florida Keys Birding & Wildlife Festival, September 22-26, 2010. Check their Web site and sign up for guided walks and tours.
For annual Florida Bird Events, visit this Web site

Watch a short video here:Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

©2010 Lucy Beebe Tobias, all rights reserved.

Dog Days of Summer Are Here

Posted by Lucy Tobias on Jun 29th, 2010 | Comments Off

Dog days of summer are here. There is only one cure – grab your leash and water bowl and head for the beach!

Obi, a Welsh Corgi, and I did just that, winding our way down A1A south of St. Augustine, looking for a dog-friendly beach recommended by Brenda Flynn and her Scottish Terrier Pearl.

“It is a well kept secret, not even the locals know it is here,” said Flynn who lives in Ormond Beach. So secret we passed right by the street sign in Palm Coast for the turn because, silly me, I thought that there would be a dog beach sign. Hey, then it wouldn’t be a secret.

The street is named Jungle Hut Road. About half way down you cross a parkway that goes to Ginn Hammock Beach and Hammock Beach Vacation Rentals. Just stay on Jungle Hut until it ends. Surprise! Here is a public entrance to the beach with a paved parking lot, restroom, showers and a dune walkover. Very nice.

Leashed dogs are welcome. Clean up after your dog. Brenda is a regular here. She tells me low tide is the best time and in the evening, you are likely to see a dog coming down the steps from a waterfront home – carrying his leash in his mouth, his master trotting faithfully behind him.

Obi, urban dog that he is, quickly decided walking on hot sand was not his thing so naturally I carried him to the dune walkover. It is so nice have a dog small enough to pick up and sit in my lap. The sand by the water was much cooler.

Pearl thought the waves were wonderful and she liked Obi a lot, charging at him in the dog version of “let’s play!” He gave me that shocked look “Mom, the women are chasing me” and ran the other way. He got his feet wet at my encouragement but water wasn’t his thing.

We moved on to the Golden Lion Café in Flagler Beach. Dogs can sit outside the rail. Brenda, Per Hans and I sat at a table right next to the rail.

The fish taco was excellent, so were the onion rings. How sweet to smell salt air and look across the street to blue sky, white clouds and an ocean still clean, not yet spoiled by the oil spill.

Finding dog friendly beaches and dog parks in Florida is a challenge. Some are, some are not. Best to know ahead of time before venturing out. One good source is Florida Pets. Get on their E-mail list for regular updates on everything from places to play, restaurants that accept dogs and places to stay. Their motto: “They’re part of the family, so take them along!”

Another good resource is the Dog Lover’s Companion Guide to Florida by Sally Deneen and Robert McClure. This book is in its fourth edition.

Some towns get two paws up for being dog friendly. Apalachicola comes to mind; here people even bring their dogs to work. Sanford puts out the welcome mat, or at least the water bowls. We found several water bowls at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday.

Do you know of more dog friendly places? Let me know in the “comment” section and we’ll post the places. Your best four-legged friend will be happy with new places to explore.

Lucy Beebe Tobias is the author ‘of “50 Great Walks in Florida” and a freelance Florida environmental writer.

Let’s go pick blueberries in June

Posted by Lucy Tobias on Jun 1st, 2010 | Comments Off

Yumm. June is here and that means the time has arrived to get it in gear and get out the buckets. They won’t be empty for long. This is the season to pick blueberries.

What is it about these small, juicy purple morsels? One is not enough. Blueberries are both addictive and good for you, a perfect combination. Eating one blueberry leads to another to another and before long you have a purple face. The whole experience of devouring blueberries is rather like a chocolate binge but without the guilt. One cup of blueberries has 80 calories. What is not to like?

For my family and friends the taste of blueberries becomes extra sweet because we have a yearly ritual of gathering together to go on an adventure and pick blueberries. Somehow when you pick them yourself it improves the flavor.

To find a blueberry farm near you check out http://www.pickyourown.org This Web site lists all kinds of produce places to go in a number of states. Especially across Central Florida the list of blueberry farms is long. The ones that are organic have the word “organic” highlighted in green. We’ve picked organic blueberries at farms in both Marion and Alachua counties.

Picking blueberries is a prime time family affair and so is growing them. B&G Blueberries off County Road 315 past Silver Springs is a perfect example. “B” stands for Bill Hall and “G” stands for Gail Hall.

Here is what Bill said about how it all began:
“I started u-picking Rabbit Eye blueberries in 1983. At that time my two sons Danny and Jason were 12 and 7 and they assisted my mother Margaret Hall keeping the patch open Mon-Friday and Gail, Danny, Jason and I worked it on Saturday. My mother required the boys to pick 10 lbs. per day during the season.
Today their wives and six children are paid helpers on days we U-Pick. This year we spent a lot of time cross training the four older ones. There are six different jobs they do when we are open for u-pick. The six grand kids are ages 8 to 15. I always list them and their parents on the card we send to our customers.”

And here are their names – The Halls, Bill, Gail, Danny, Dorothy, Justin Micah, Rebekah, Ben, Jason, Robin, Savannah and EmmaLee. To get directions call (352) 236-4410 or Email: WDH47@embarqmail.com

Their picking dates in June are June 12, 18, 19, 25,26 and t hen July 3,5,10. Price is $2.50 per pound.

Close to Fort McCoy is the Bay Lake Blueberry Farm owned by Mike & Gail Waldron. This is a certified organic U pick and that means no pesticides! Good for your tummy, good for Mother Earth. The day we were there the Waldron’s daughters were helping customers carry their blueberries to the car and Gail’s mother in law was in charge of the cash register. Truly a family affair. Phone: 352-546-3834. Address: 20525 Highway 315, Ft. McCoy, Fl. and E mail: gwaldron1219@aol.com

In addition to picking blueberries Bay Lake has blueberry plants for sale along with local produce. We like to do this U pick early in the morning, then all go out for breakfast together. It is the food, fellowship and fun thing in action.

Live in Marion County? For more on picking blueberries in Marion County see the blog by Lucy Beebe Tobias and Sandra Friend entitled Ocala Adventures.

Now let’s get down to some specifics. Be an early riser for blueberry picking, so much easier in the cool of the day. Call ahead and find out when they open. Have the address and a map or use a GPS. Many farms are off the beaten path.

When you are there the farm supplies buckets for picking usually with rope so it can go around your waist and you have two hands free. Bring your own buckets in case you need them to put the berries in for the trip home.

Wear closed toed shoes for walking down the rows. A hat highly advised and bring water. Carry cash, this is not a credit card transaction. Most farms will have other things too – blueberry plants for sale, local produce and more.

This is a great inter-generational adventure. Various sizes of children work well with finding blueberries at different parts of the bushes (that can grow five six feet tall). Little ones pick the bottom, taller ones get the middle and adults find the ones on top.

Go for the fully ripe deep purple berries. Taste one before you start on a bush. If you like the flavor, that bush is for you. Pick them off one at a time. Don’t strip off unripe berries. It doesn’t take long to fill up a gallon bucket.

At home lay out paper towels and spread out the berries. Pick out any unripe ones. DO NOT wash them as they become mushy.

When any natural moisture has dried, bag them up a cup or two at a time and freeze. Set aside a good amount for yummy eating right now – straight, on cereal, in muffins, pie and even ice cream.

Here is Bill Hall’s favorite recipe for blueberry ice cream (one gallon)
2 pints blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
About ½ gallon whole milk
Take two pints blueberries, place in saucepan and cover with water. Add one cup of sugar and boil for five minutes. Let stand on stove until completely cooled. Strain directly into the churn cylinder. Pour remaining peels and liquid into blender. Blend then pour into churn cylinder. Add condensed milk and one tablespoon vanilla flavoring. Finish filling churn cylinder with whole milk. Sir and churn.

Ah, going to pick blueberries satisfies the prime ingredients for a good time – food, fellowship and fun. Grab your buckets and go!

Lucy Beebe Tobias is an author and writer. Her Web site is: http:www.LucyTobias.com

Loving the Levees in Florida

Posted by Lucy Tobias on Apr 27th, 2010 | Comments Off

Levees are elevated structures built by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to impound and hold back high water.

Building levees causes “unintended consequences” as they like to say in political speak. The “unintended consequences” in this case turn out to be good for you and me.

Consider the levee – lots of dirt piled at least six feet high and oh, say eight feet wide or more. The top of the level is flat.
There it is, the “unintended consequence” – turns out that flat, high surface is a great place to walk or ride bikes or watch birds.

Birders love levees because the sight lines are so great. Winter birds come to hang out in the waters impounded by levees. Birders use levees as their own elevated viewing platform, at least six feet about the water.

In the wintertime at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge south of Tallahassee, drive down Lighthouse Road and see all the birding scopes set up on tripods along the levees.

St. Marks is a classic levee story. Walk down the Mounds Trail (chapter 7 in my book “50 Great Walks in Florida”) and find Marker No. 2. It is on a tree, about five feet up, showing how high the water rose on Sept. 13, 1843. The Hurricane of 1843 wiped out the nearby towns of St. Marks River, Magnolia, Rock Haven and Port Leon. Today the refuge has a LOT of levees.

A specially designated levee trail starts at the end of Lighthouse Road. It is one-half mile long, with free leaflets at the start. Travel the trail on foot, on bike or by horseback.

Walkers like me like levees because I don’t like surprises, say wildlife crossing the road or a snake sunning itself. I prefer my wildlife viewing from a distance and distance (good sight lines) is exactly what you have on levees.

At Sunnyhill Restoration Area, St. Johns River Water Management District, located in southeast Marion County, sandhill cranes may join you on your levee walk. That happened to me. Their attitude was “What took you so long? We’ve been expecting you.” And so we walked together. Sandhill cranes like this area and tend to stay year round. Ch. 28 in 50 Great Walks is titled “Walking with Friends” about the Sunnyhill Restoration Area.

There is one down side to levees – no shade. The tops are mowed. No trees grow here.

That said, now you know to bring a hat with a wide brim and carry lots of water for your levee walk.

Another good place for levee walking is Arthur R. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach. This area is also a gateway for the Great Florida Birding Trail.

The big daddy of levee walks in Florida is the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail with the unfortunate acronym of LOST. Some 113 miles of LOST encircle Lake Okeechobee with gaps where the walker has to come down from the levee, and then get back up at a later point.

This levee is along the 35-foot high Herbert Hoover Dike. Surfaces are crushed gravel, some paved asphalt.
Once a year the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association hosts the Big O Hike, a week of going around the lake. This year’s dates are Nov. 20-28, 2010.

Springtime is the perfect time for walking levees – cool, sunlit days with lots of breezes and no bugs or humidity. See you on the levee.

©2010 Lucy Beebe Tobias, all rights reserved

Accept the Florida Lighthouse Challenge

Posted by Lucy Tobias on Apr 1st, 2010 | Comments Off

Are you up for the challenge?

April 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the Forgotten Coast Lighthouse Challenge. Visit Cape San Blas Lighthouse, Cape St. George Light, Crooked River Lighthouse and St. Mark’s Lighthouse. Tickets are $10 per person (over the age of 10) or $25 per family up to five people. All the lighthouses have tickets available. Receive a souvenir at each location and a special something if you climb or visit all four lighthouses.

Can’t remember where the Forgotten Coast is? Easy. Drop straight down south from Tallahassee until you run into the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline from Mexico Beach to Carrabelle is Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

Lighthouses are welcome sights for mariners, beacons in the night and day that make the difference between traveling safely or meeting an untimely demise. Did you know every lighthouse has its own color code pattern? By day a mariner can see the colors, look on his chart and know that location. The St. Augustine Lighthouse for example is painted in curving black and white stripes.

These tall structures, with spiraling stairs that make a gym Stairmaster look tame, are just plain cool. Climbing them is a challenge. Puff, take a break at landings, keep going, make it to the top and see an amazing 360 view.

Here is a link to a Visit Florida video I did on climbing Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, Florida’s tallest lighthouse with 203 steps (one way). Make it back down and you are ready to buy the t-shirt!

The lights that pierce the darkness are creations of beauty. The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse has a museum with lighthouse keeper lore and examples of these Fresnel lights.

Many lighthouses are still active but now they are automated. The lighthouse keepers and their families are gone. When you visit a lighthouse gift shop look for a map you can buy called “Florida Lighthouses Illustrated Map & Guide. It is also available online at Bella Terra Maps. Price is $6.95 folded and $12.95 laminated. Keep this as a guide to your lighthouse adventures.

With three sides of Florida surrounded by water we have an abundance of lighthouses. There is even one inland. Mt. Dora has a working lighthouse. Built in 1988 standing 35 feet tall the blue pulsing light guides boaters on Lake Dora after dark.

The Florida Lighthouse Association helps preserve the historic lighthouses along Florida’s 1200-mile coastline and keep the magic of these tall towers alive. There is a state license plate available for purchase to help generate funds for restoring our lighthouses.

This group is gearing up for a change of ownership at one lighthouse. On April 21 at a 1 p.m. ceremony the Sanibel Lighthouse will pass hands from the Bureau of Land Management into ownership by the City of Sanibel.

Whether answering the lighthouse challenge or going to the lighthouse nearest you – Combine visiting lighthouses with sampling local seafood and you have the perfect recipe for a day trip.

©2010 Lucy Beebe Tobias, all rights reserved.