Announcement – We are looking for members to join our PRAS Board of Directors!

We are currently seeking to fill a few Director slots on our board due to normal attrition. If you are interested and willing to put in a few hours per month, we would like to hear from you. In addition, we have multiple committees to choose from depending on your interest. There will be an opening for a new treasurer soon, and new publicity and education committee chairs. Help us make decisions about the role of PRAS in our community!

One can be a “snowbird” since more and more is being done electronically via computer access. We have allowed potential board members to “audit” one of our meetings to see if you would fit in. Think about it, as volunteering for PRAS can be a very rewarding experience!

Don’t hesitate to discuss this further with Pete Quasius of the Nominating Committee at pquasius@msn.com or call 239-465-1556.

PRAS Walkabout at Seaboard Grade Road – Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Photo of a Purple Gallinule taken by Barbara Segal on Seaboard Grade Rd.

PRAS Walkabout: Seaboard Grade Road, Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area Meet: 8:00 AM at pay station – carpooling Coordinator: Barb Segal (651) 336-6959

Our next Peace River Audubon Walkabout will be on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 8 AM. We will be walking Seaboard Grade, a trail that meanders along a canal, past tall pines, hardwoods, and marshes. A variety of birds can be seen – check out the list below!

This will be an in and out walk of about 2 miles. We will meet at Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area at 29200 Tuckers Grade, Punta Gorda, FL 33955. Drive past the pay station and meet the group at the corner across from the hunting check-in building. From there we will carpool to Seaboard Grade, about a 10 minute drive. You are welcome to follow us if you prefer to drive your own car or just meet us at Seaboard. Our birding guide will be PRAS member, Barbara Segal. You can contact Barbara at 651-336-6959 if you have any questions or concerns. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, bring water, wear sunscreen, and bring your binoculars! There are bathrooms near our meeting area, just look for the cement building on the right. All of our walks are free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Early Morning Option: If you like to be out birding early, Barbara plans to be there at 7 AM. You can head out with her to look for the early birds, then return to the entrance to meet the rest of the group at 8 AM. Call Barbara to let her know you will be joining that group.

Common Birds seen on Seaboard Grade: Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Osprey Northern Rough-winged swallow Ground Dove White-winged Dove Swamp Sparrow Northern Bobwhite Carolina Wren White-eyed Vireo Prairie Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Black and white warbler Pied-billed Grebe Kestrel Osprey Anhinga Catbird Mockingbird House Wren Blue Jay Double-crested Cormorant Wood Stork Sandhill Crane Herons (green, black-crowned, little blue, great blue) and Egrets Belted Kingfisher Tree Swallow Meadowlark Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped warbler and Palm warbler

Less common birds seen within the past week in March: Bachmans Sparrow Louisiana Waterthrush Swallow-tailed Kite Pileated Woodpecker Brown-headed Nuthatch Hairy Woodpecker Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-headed and Yellow-throated warblers Sora King Rail Purple Gallinule Snail Kite Least Bittern (2) Marsh Wren Merlin

PRAS Online Meeting March 24, 2022 with Charles Sobczak’s presentation – “Rewildin

Charles Sobczak lives and writes on Sanibel Island, Florida. His first novel, Six Mornings on Sanibel, was originally published in 1999 and is currently in its seventh printing. In 2007 Sobczak turned his attention to non-fiction and published Alligators, Sharks & Panthers: Deadly Encounters with Florida’s Top Predator-Man. The book went on to win several awards and continues to sell well in academic circles. In 2010 he published a nature guide titled, Living Sanibel – A Nature Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands. The book quickly became the best-selling book on Sanibel and rose to #34 national for nature guide sales on Amazon.com during the winter of 2011.

Sobczak has appeared on National Book TV and has lectured on various nature topics to the Road Scholar organization, Audubon and Sierra Club groups and in early 2017 he became a featured speaker on board the Celebrity Equinox. Excerpts from his books have appeared in The Florida Weekly, The Islander, The Mullet Wrapper and The Cape Coral Breeze.

His second nature guide, The Living Gulf Coast – A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida, won the Gold Medal President’s Award for the best work of Adult non-fiction, 2011, by the Florida Publisher’s Association. The book covers all the birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians living within the six county region as well as 161 parks, preserves and eco-destinations where residents and visitors can discover these birds and animals in the wild. Sobczak is currently working on a novel.

Topic: Peace River Audubon Society General Meeting – 3/24/22 Time: Mar 24, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88933809980?pwd=RUk2VmYrcThpV05KOERJQThqd2FLZz09

Meeting ID: 889 3380 9980 Passcode: 0194083