Return from St. Marks NWR
We returned Friday from a winter visit to St. Marks, one of our most favorite birding places in the world. We were not disappointed. Although we had hoped to find the Flamingo that has been in residence there for at least two years, we dipped for the second time. But of course, it was seen soon after we left! But we logged 113 species for our three day trip, including 14 species of ducks and 17 species of shorebirds. The only rarity was a W. Kingbird seen at the boat ramp area along the Cedar Point Trail.
At the double bridges on our first stop, where Lucy’s FM Weston field trip last year yielded knockout looks at Barred Owl, early in the morning we logged Wood Duck, Black & White Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Winter Wren, Rusty Blackbird and Great Horned Owls. The pond behind the tower yielded hundreds of shorebirds, including Marbled Godwits. In the impoundment to the east, we found Pintail, Canvasback, Mallard (real birds, not barnyard ducks!), Redhead, Green-winged Teal and other ducks, but we missed Black Duck which is usually there in winter.
The Gulf was chock full of activity – gulls and terns – and we managed to scope several Goldeneyes. Anyone planning a trip over there should consider going on weekdays as weekends find the road through the refuge clogged with visitors. We had only light traffic and met only a handful of birders with whom we shared tips about bird locations. The only downer on this trip is that we could not find a Cardinal for our list, after 400 miles driven and a frantic search after we realized its absence on our trip list! And we didn’t get one at home until a day later.
The Wakulla Hotel grounds were replete with colorful beech and hickory leaves with sprinklings of maples and winged sumac for oranges and reds, but land birds were oddly very hard to find even along the trails and entrance/exit roads. The cypress tree needles are stunning in a rich toned copper color. Typically we find several Hermit Thrushes in moist thickets, but not a one was in evidence, nor were sparrows and nuthatches. It seems that wintering birds were just not that far down south. Why should they leave “good feeding areas” in northerly places, to expend all that migratory energy flying south to find “good feeding areas?” Frost and snow have not yet curtailed their food supplies north of the coastal woods.
If you have a chance to visit the refuge this winter, you’re in for a treat. Whether it’s birding along the main road or hiking, there’s always something wonderful to see.