January 2018 Wrack Line Newsletter

Events: Now - January 5: Audubon's 118th Christmas Bird Count  January 11 - 15: Everglades Birding Festival  January 12 -14: Rookery Bay; Festival of Birds January 18 - 21: Lake Apopka Birding Festival  January 24 - 29: Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival  FSA News Florida Winter Shorebird Survey Florida’s Annual Winter Shorebird Survey starts on Friday, February 2nd, and continues through Thursday, February 8th. This week-long survey serves as the official statewide snapshot of coastal wintering shorebirds and seabirds in Florida.  For the 2018 survey, FWC and partners updated the protocol and streamlined the sign-up process to make it easier to participate!  Please check the FSA website and Facebook group in mid-January for more details and to participate.  We hope you enjoy this fun and challenging winter survey and Thank You for your continued efforts! Audubon Christmas Bird Count Ends January 5th As a reminder, Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count is going on until January 5th. This count is one of the longest-running wildlife surveys, conducted for over 100 years.  Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this count to assess the health of bird populations and help guide conservation actions.  If you haven't yet, please join the tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide making a difference for science and bird conservation. To participate, contact your local compiler to join or conduct a count. You can find the contact information for your local compiler here. FSD Updates It may not be breeding season, but the FSD team is busy!  The non-breeding season gives our team the opportunity to archive and analyze the 2017 data, and get ready for the season ahead. We are wrapping up quality control, making improvements to the FSD website, and sprucing up the annual training materials. Based on partners’ experiences, we have made a few minor changes to the Breeding Bird Protocol that will facilitate even better data collection. And we are putting together a Data Entry Protocol to help guide everyone entering data into the FSD, from new users to seasoned veterans.  Stay tuned to the Wrack Line for details coming this spring! As always, if you have data requests, suggestions for improvement, or general inquiries email us at FLShorebirdDatabase@myFWC.com. Ebb Tidings We wish you a Happy New Year! As we reflect on 2017 and begin to prepare for the 2018 breeding season, we send thanks and gratitude to you for making the Florida Shorebird Alliance a successful conservation partnership!   original photo by Alex Kropp

Want to get involved? Email shorebird@MyFWC.com for more information about your local partnership, and to share important shorebird stories and photos. Join the flock on social media: Florida Shorebird Alliance Facebook Group The Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) is a partnership of agencies, non-government organizations, and individuals committed to shorebird and seabird conservation in Florida. FSA partners coordinate their independent work and collaborate to address research, management, education, outreach, and public policy needs.

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