The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-12
Audubon
Notes
BY FRANCES HAMEs
President Of Monroe County
y Audubon Society


Audubon Society
How many varieties of birds may
be found around Key West in Ap-
ril? II you should drive out Tru-
man Avenue to the Boulevard and
even over to the Sanctuary on
Stock Island, without taking little
time to investigate, you might not
see more than dozen different
kinds, but it you had gone with
three or four of us on a few days
in April about vacant lots, around
the fresh water ponds and along
the beaches of Key West you would
have been fairly close to about 112
species of birds.
This would not seem great
number to one who has had the
privilege o. birding in the Ever
glades National Park or on some
of the inland hyways in the spring,
but for Key West it is a good list.
There were waves of warblers,
buntings, vireos and nighthawks,
which at times appeared in such
concentrations as could be seen
only on islands along the migra.
ton route. About SO species were
migrants, some travelling over end
less stretches of ocean - as do
the nighthawk and bobolink, CON-
ing from the southernmost tip of
South America, while great ma
ny of our migrating warblers spend
the winter In Cuba and the Islands
Of the West Indies.
Roseate spoonbills seem to have
taken up residence here for the
first time. Five birds have been
feeding around the ponds near Ber-
tina Street and Atlantic Boulevard
since the 18th of April. The "old
timers" say these birds were never
here before.
Reedish egrets, glossy ibis and
uninterrupted sandpipers were al
so among the unusual, as were the
100 or so cedar warnings seen on
May IA. Great white herons out
number American egrets now and
the yellow-crowned night heron ap-
pears to be on the increase. White
crowned pigeons have come back
In the usual numbers, also the Gu.
ban golden warbler.
A representative group from Key
West attended the first southeast
Audubon Convention in Miami in
April. We were both informed and
inspired by the many speakers re-
presenting conservation groups and
public interests throughout the
south.
Our annual dinner was held this
year on Audubon Day, April 26.
with Kenneth D. Morrison, Direc-
tor of Public Relations of the Ma.
tional Audubon Society and Editor
of Audubon Magazine, as guest
speaker. Mr.. Morrison spoke on
several subjects pertaining to the
National Society,s activities.
We have just presented our first
annual Award to SheiIa Sweeting.
outstanding Nature Student in the
Senior Class of the Key West High
School.
We regret thar Mr.. and Mrs. Fl.
lie Finch have moved away from
Key, West. They were enthusiastic
boosters of the Audubon Society.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wallace Kirke
have joined that movement "North
with the Spring." and Miss HiIda
cvnniff is preening for a hop TO
her summer home in New Hamp-
shire.
We have just discovered that we
nave an artist in our group Mar.
garsf Hvndisy. Being an ardent
bird-watcher, she decided to paint
them, and her Roseate Spoonbills
ReediSh Egrets and some others
are to be hung in the Gallery soon
The Junior Clubs have been very
active this past year and deserve
more recognition than we have
given them. Weekly program of the
Ponclana Elementary School ov.
er WkWF, was taken over by their
Junior Audubon Club last week.
They were given fifteen minutes TO
tell about what their Club is doing
At the last meeting of the st. 10.
seph's Club for this school year.
they reported an active member,
ship OF s5S. The story, with photo.
graphs of the group, was carried
in a recent issue of The Kew West
Citizen.