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January 2023 Photo Club Theme

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  As the calendar turns to 2023, now is a good time to reflect on the best photographs we’ve made over the past year. I invite everyone to attend January’s TAS meeting to share your Top 5 Photos of 2022 .  After we announce the winners of the 2022 Photo Contest, we’ll open the floor up for you to share your top 5 photos. Be prepared to tell us about each of the photos, and also feel free to share your 2023 photography goals.  I’ll go ahead and tell you one of mine – I want to create at least one “conservation photography” story in 2023. We have two sessions dedicated to conservation photography in 2023, and I am really excited to tell you more about how we can use photography to promote conservation. To submit your Top 5 Photos for 2022, upload them using this link: https://tampaaudubon.smugmug.com/upload/j979w7/ShareYourPhotos . Before uploading your photos, be sure you rename the photo to include your name in the filename (e.g., SMITH_001.jpg). Upload your photos at least 24 hours pr
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President's Message: January 2023

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 Hello Fellow Tampa Audubon Member, Ann Paul, President Tampa Audubon Sometimes I get asked, “What is the Tampa Audubon Society and why should I become a member?”   First, Tampa Audubon Society is a non-profit Florida corporation committed to conserving birds and wildlife. We do this by focusing on protecting and restoring the habitats where animals live, find food, survive and raise their young. The tools we use for this mission are educating the public, serving as advocates for regional preserves and wildlife and offering opportunities for the community to become involved in our efforts.     Established in the 1940s and incorporated as a nonprofit Florida corporation in 1972, Tampa Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society and Audubon Florida. We serve Hillsborough County, the greater Tampa Bay area and its suburbs, from Citrus Park to Bayshore and from Odessa to Plant City. We are the local affiliate of the larger National Audubon Society, which focuses on issues
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Helping to Tame Winter for Your Birds

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By Wild Birds Unlimited, Tampa A high fat diet…the medical books say it’s just not good for us.     Well, it’s a good thing that birds can’t read! Because a diet high in fat is an absolute necessity for many of them to be able to survive the rigors of winter.   For birds, fat is fuel. It is the most concentrated energy source that a bird can consume and it is the only dietary component that is absorbed completely intact by their body. Stored body fat is the primary energy supply that fuels a bird throughout the winter.   Keeping warm is costly. A bird expends about 60% of its energy generating body heat. To stay warm, songbirds may use up 75-80% of their fat reserves during a single winter’s night. That’s equivalent to shedding, and then replacing 10% of their weight in the form of body fat, every twenty-four hours.   Even in areas lacking bitter temperatures, the most overlooked winter survival challenge for birds is having to endure the long period of darkness during the night. While
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Mic's Picks - January 2023

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Monthly eBird Pro Tip   From Cornell: Are bird populations increasing or decreasing in your area? Zoom in to new, interactive eBird Trends maps to find out. Built from eBird data, these maps provide a detailed snapshot of population health for 586 bird species around the world. Learn more about new eBird Trends maps here .   Annual National Park Passes—Some are Free!   A new year approaches and national parks await! Many of us will visit The Great Smokey Mountains and other wonders of nature. You can pay at the gate or you can pre-purchase America the Beautiful  National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Passes.  The annual America the Beautiful pass is available to anyone for $80.     The America the Beautiful Senior annual pass is $20. An America the Beautiful Senior lifetime pass is $80. If you purchased annual passes in the past and still have them, you can credit them against the lifetime pass.     Do you have a permanent disability? You can obtain an Access Pass on store.
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2022 TAS Photo Contest Now Open!

The Tampa Audubon Photo Contest is now open for submissions!  You may enter the contest now through December 31, 2022.  To enter, visit the TAS website and follow the link to the contest page ( https://www.tampaaudubon.org/photo-contest ). As in previous contests, we have three categories: 1) Birds, 2) Native Plants, and 3) Wildlife, Habitats & Landscapes.   Feel free to enter as many photos as you would like; there is no limit.  TAS members receive a discounted rate of $5/photo entry, and non—members pay $10/photo.  If you are not a member, please consider joining TAS to take advantage of the member rate. You will also be joining a wonderful community. Winners of the contest will be determined by a panel of photography and naturalist expert judges.  The judges will evaluate each photo on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit.  In addition, a People’s Choice Award will be decided through an online voting platform. You can see all photos submitted by visiting this websi
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Learn About Bluebirds With Tampa Audubon

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Tampa Audubon is presenting a program titled Tales from the Bluebird Trails , Thursday, Jan. 5. The main speaker is Mary Miller, Bluebird Box Trail Coordinator for Tampa Audubon. The meeting is at the Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Blvd, Tampa, 33629.  Eastern Bluebird photo by John Miller The evening starts with a bird/wildlife photo presentation at 6 pm, followed by a potluck at 7 pm. The presentation starts at 7:30 pm. Everyone is invited to attend, and reservations are not required. You can also participate on Zoom. To join the meeting, click https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5090969712 . If you would like to show photos in the photo presentation, learn how to participate here: https://www.tampaaudubon.org/program . If you’d like to join the potluck, please bring a dish to share.   Since 2004, Mary Miller has monitored the Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail, established by Tampa Audubon Society in 1970. Recently, several other Audubon members volunteered to restore and monitor new and abandon
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Bird Biology and Behavior Books

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By Mic McCarty, Field Trip Coordinator We’ve all watched the pecking order at our backyard bird feeders and as birds forage at the beach. Have you ever wondered why birds act like they do?  What makes a grackle’s feather appear black until the sun shines on it, making it suddenly appear  iridescent blue? Why do some birds mimic other birds? Are birds walking on their feet or do they walk on their toes?   There are several books that delve into these questions. For a less in-depth look, check out David Sibley’s   What It's Like to Be a Bird . This book is “. . . geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author.” Available from most book retailers, you can order an autographed copy here .     Another good read is John Kricher’s   Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior.   “This book makes it possible to move beyond identifying birds to understanding some of the under
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