April 20, 2014 - St. Mark's NWR

When we’re in northern Florida each winter, one of my favorite places to visit is St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I see more bird species there than any other place we visit. I can usually find American Avocets and, like this one, they are in winter plumage. I like this picture because the bird is calling and it really emphasizes the long, thin, curved beak.

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This bird, with its colorful red and yellow beak, recently had its name changed from Common Moorhen to Common Gallinule. The beak always reminds me of corn candy that’s available at Halloween. These chicken-sized birds are year-round residents along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. They nest in most of the eastern United States and a few have even nested in Minnesota.

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Redheads are common in Florida during the winter. I often see hundreds of them in flocks on the Gulf of Mexico. This is a male; that penetrating yellow eye seems to be giving me a very critical stare.

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Here’s a group of Blue-winged Teal spooked into flight by an Eagle. You can definitely see how they got their name.

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My friend, John Murphy, and I were standing behind my car eating lunch. My camera was in the back seat for safe keeping while we ate. As luck would have it, this Bobcat came sauntering out of the brush about 30 feet away and stood there looking at us. Great photo opportunity and me without my camera! By the time I got the camera, all I could get was this butt shot as the Bobcat crossed the road and disappeared into the Saw Palmettos.

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This is the St. Marks lighthouse, located at the end of the wildlife drive. It was built in 1842 and is still in use today.

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