Birding at St. Marks
My parents won a silent auction for a guided birding trip through St. Marks, FL, and I was lucky enough to join! It was a day full of birds and surprises!
The first bird I was able to snap was the catbird, which has a distinctive, cat-like, MAH! sound. I was transported 500 miles back home, where my cat Gilbert was assuredly awaiting his morning rations.
The birds were a bit scarce at the beginning, but then we pulled off at a dock with several hundred waterfowl, including herons, great white pelicans, ibises, wood storks, and coots!
The great white pelicans were huge! I guess it’s in the name.
I saw one gear aggressively towards an innocent egret. He seems to know he’s in danger. Gulp!
The wood storks became an instant favorite of mine, with their angelic white feathered body mounted by a grisly, vulture-like head. To catch fish, they wade through the water with their mouths open!
Hey! No photobombing!
That’s better.
Here’s a coot, ain’t he cute? Don’t be fooled, his eyes are actually devil red!
There were several birders on the dock who were admiring the display. In conversation with some of them, it turns out there was something supremely special about the gathering, namely, that there were two types of dark-colored ibises - glossy and white-faced. They looked the same to me, but the white-faced ibis can be distinguished by the rosy color around its eyes. I was lucky enough to be able to capture both of them!
Above is the Glossy Ibis, and below is the White-Faced Ibis.
There was also a little blue heron with beautiful grey-blue feathers - another first for me!
After spending several minutes in awe of all the different birds, we decided it was time to move on. As we were driving, Mom glimpsed a bald eagle in its nest!
Our next stop overlooked some marshy land, replete with several ducks and other waterfowl. Here I saw my first gallinule! Their candy corn beak is a dead giveaway.
I also saw a male wood duck, but he was a bit too far out to grab a good picture. Next time!
We stopped off at the lighthouse and saw a great blue heron eating a whole snake! There were also a whole bunch of brown pelicans chilling on some wooden posts, and I managed to catch some awkward pictures - my favorite!
He’s singing the song of his people! It was not very good.
My family ventured ahead while I was busy with the pelicans. In catching up with them, I came across an Eastern Phoebe. I learned that they’re a type of flycatcher that likes to stay in the same place a while, hoping to catch any insects that might fly by. I wish food came that easy to me!
We left St. Marks soon after, but decided to stop at one more place - Lake Elberta. My dad and I wandered down the path and were startled by a couple of anhingas hanging out right above us!
As we walked back towards the car, my mom pointed out some whistling ducks! And yes, they sound like they’re whistling!
This outing was incredibly special. I got to see several new birds and learn so many interesting things! I hope to make it down to St. Marks again sometime in the future, but I’m looking forward to some more local adventures as well.