Subject: Fort Meyers ABA Conference final report
Date: Jan 19 18:26:41 1999
From: Hughbirder at aol.com - Hughbirder at aol.com


The last day of the ABA Conference in Fort Meyers, FL our group had a half-day
trip to Sanibel Is. and Ding Darling NWR. Our bus visited the Lighthouse area
and the causeway on Sanibel Is. and then rode the tram thru Ding Darling. We
only had about 1-1/2 hrs which wasn't nearly enough time to spend there. Don
and Lillian Stokes, who live on Sanibel Is., joined us for part of the time.
We had a total of 59 species which included the following not seen before on
these trips:
Common Loon
Magnificent Frigatebirds - magnificent looks at a pair flying overhead
Roseate Spoonbill - beautiful pink birds
Mottled Ducks
Blue-winged Teal
American Wigeon
Lesser Scaup
Merlin - eating a songbird - guessed to be a Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Sandpiper
Prairie Warbler

It was a great four day conference and I ended up seeing/hearing 126 species
which included 14 "life" birds for me. I didn't get the total species seen by
everyone but I imagine it was 150-180. The next issue of Winging It will
probably have the final results.

Hugh Jennings at Fort Myers, FL
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder at aol.com