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Excellent birding at Saint Marks NWR today. In about 3.5 hours (between
appx. 1030-1400), we found 65 species, even though we completley skipped the
primitive walking trails.
Highlights:
DARK-PHASE REDDISH EGRET: In the mudflats behind the lighthouse, easily
found from the observation platform.
CATTLE EGRET: Two in breeding plumage in Lighthouse Pool.
GREEN HERON: HQ Pond and Mounds Trail.
DUCKS: Blue-winged Teal, Wigeon, Canvasback and Redhead in Lighthouse Pool.
No ducks seen (alive) anywhere else on the refuge!
BALD EAGLE: Adult flew over carrying a duck!
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: One in winter plumage on the shore behind the
lighthouse.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: Two on Mounds Trail
Late EASTERN PHOEBE: On the west part of the Florida Trail, just before the
"waterfall".
EASTERN KINGBIRD: Small group on the back side of Mounds Trail; one on dead
tree in Stony Bayou(very wet)Field.
BARN SWALLOW: Flying *under* the road through the culvert at the Mounds Pool
observation platform!
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: One in the woods next to the restrooms at Mounds
Trail.
WILSON'S WARBLER: One at the start of the trail behind the lighthouse.
SUMMER TANAGER: One male next to the fire tower on Mounds Trail
FLORIDA'S *OTHER* STATE BIRD: 9,000,000;they carry you off to dine on you
later-BUZZZZZ!
(not at St. Marks)
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW: Calling from our yard this evening.
The list:
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis - in Lighthouse Pool only
Turkey Vulture
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Osprey
Bald Eagle - immatures on back side of Mounds Trail, then adult flew over,
headed to the nest, carrying something with webbed feet!
Northern Harrier
Sora - flying across Lighthouse Pool!
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Willet
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher - large groups behind lighthouse
Common Snipe - 1, flying over lighthouse observation platform
Laughing Gull
Royal Tern - lighthouse pilings, both breeding and (as Mom says)
"Groucho Marx" plumages.
Common Tern - Stony Bayou Pool, bill just starting to change color
Forster's Tern - lighthouse pilings, doesn't have an orange bill yet
Mourning Dove(heard only)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow - outnumbered by the Barns for the first time
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee(heard only)
Brown-headed Nuthatch(heard only)
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet(heard only)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
European Starling - small flock on the shore(!) behind the lighthouse
Northern Parula - singing everywhere
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Summer Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow - nesting in East River Pool
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Hit a few spots in Tallahassee, mostly busted (skipped San Luis Mission
Park, shouldn't have) but still wound up with a daily total of 81 species!
-S.P. MacCumhail
Crawfordville,FL
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