St. Mark's, Shell Point & Bald Point, Florida

 

This is one of the many dikes to hike at St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge.  Each day we cover several miles walking into different habitats.

So far, we have encountered over 150 species of birds.  Bird populations are already changing as some are starting their jounrey north.

This is Tower Pond, during gulf high tide the shorebirds gather inland.

Two Marbled Godwits are in the front of this mass of Dunlins, Dowitchers, and Sandpipers

American Avocets still in winter plumage

Rusty Blackbird male in favorite swamp habitat

Rusty Blackbird female

Double-crested Cormorants occupy the "public" viewing deck

Osprey at Shell Point on dry dock sailboat mast

Hey!  What you looking at?

Common Loon, agression display?

Preening Loon, rolls on side

Cicada exuvia cast ( shed skin)

Snowy Egret

St. Mark's River by Newport Campground

 

Red-shouldered Hawk Pair at our campground

Tiptoeing through the water, drink? or prey?

Adult Red-shouldered Hawk

Went into St. Mark's very early looking for Bobcat.

Found one, going 35 miles per hour into the brush.

Sora below viewing deck at Headquarter's Pond

Common Gallinule, check red knees and large yellow feet

River Otter with catch of the day

Make that two!

Here's number three!

Chowing down number four

And finally number five and six, All in about 15 minutes

Bald Point State Park, about 15 miles from Newport Campground

Ruddy Turnstone turning over shells

Northern Shoveler pair in good Spring colors

Lesser Scaup feeding at Lighthouse Pond

 

American Wigeon, note drake's unusual amount of white on head

Twelve foot + Alligator sunning, (counted over 25 gators this morning)

Another great day of wildlife watching at the Refuge.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann

To th Big Bend of Florida

 

Crested Caracara

A new year, a new location and a new bird list started.

We traveled north along the Gulf Coast to Newport Campground where we will be until March 31st.  We are right across the road from St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge and a beautiful 10 mile auto tour to the Lighthouse on the Gulf.  

On the way we found this fabulous Crested Caracara that looks like he just had a big lunch, (notice the full crop protruding through the breast feathers).

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture looking for roadkill lunch

Black-crowned Night-heron along a stream

The Lighthouse at St. Mark's.  The fresh water pond is full of wintering ducks

Great Egret runs with his fish away from the Snowy Egrets

Salt Marsh on the refuge

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker in one of the hammocks

Dahoon Holly - good bird food

Marsh Wren in Spartina

Hundreds of mostly Redheads and 12 other species of ducks

Ring-necked drake

Redhead in front of Canvasback drake

Redhead with American Coot escort

Bufflehead drake

Hooded Merganser drake

Hooded Merganser hen with great coif

Wakulla Springs - the spring is 186 feet deep with 260,000 gallons of water a minute 

forming the Wakulla River

The warm 69 degree water provides a winter haven for Manatees

Seen from the two level viewing deck above the Spring

Exhaling (blowing bubbles) 

Cow Manatee with her calf

Bald Cypress Trees with Spanish Moss along the boat tour 

We first came here in 1980  with our 2 sons and it hasn't changed.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Male Anhinga drying off his wings after underwater fishing

Two year old baby alligators, we counted 25, still guarded by Mom

Part of the "jungle" area where Tazran was filmed in the 1940's

Back at St. Mark's, a 12 foot monster Alligator sunning

Part of the Pineland habitat interspersed with ponds and wetlands

Prairie Warbler

Downy Woodpecker

Male Boat-tailed Grackle with three females

Brown headed Nuthatch, a southern specialty, nice flock came close

Hundreds of American Robins feeding on palm fruit

They will be heading north soon

Female Anhinga

A rare find in Florida, an Iceland Gull, many birders came to view it.

Looking forward to many more days on the refuge especially during the coming migration.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann