Jan. 20, 2019 - St. Marks NWR - Flamingo

Last November, an American Flamingo showed up at St. Marks NWR in Florida. It was presumably brought there by Hurricane Michael. At the time, we were in Orlando for Diana’s math conference. I drove four hours from Orlando to St. Marks, hiked about 5 miles, but didn’t see the Flamingo. Accepting the fact that chasing a rare bird often results in not seeing it, I started driving back to Orlando. About halfway back, I got a call from one of the birders at St. Marks saying they re-found the Flamingo. Too late for me to turn around and drive back. I would have to accept not seeing it. Fortunately, the Flamingo stayed in Florida. A trip to St. Marks last week with my birding friend, John Murphy, resulted in seeing my 889th life bird.

FlamingoAmericanfeedingMarksNWR20190111

Wild Flamingos are uncommon in the United States, even in south Florida, so seeing one in north Florida is really a rare sight. Flamingos are very tall, up to 50 inches in height.

FlamingoAmericanMarksNWR20190111

Most flycatchers are drab, greenish-yellow little birds that are hard to tell one from the other. Not the Vermillion Flycatcher. The male’s bright red and black plumage makes it stand out from the rest. Its normal range is from the southwestern United States through Mexico into Central and South America. However, for the last several years, a Vermillion Flycatcher has overwintered at St. Marks NWR. It’s only about 6 inches long.

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Little Blue Herons are common at St. Marks. Note how its long neck gets tucked in when it flies.

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Here’s a picturesque little island in the middle of one of the pools at St. Marks.

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John and I ended our birding trip at Bald Point State Park. This Armadillo was snuffling along beside the road and I just had to take its photo. I know they are considered pests because they dig up gardens and lawns, but to a Minnesota resident, an Armadillo is an exotic animal.

ArmadilloNinebandedBaldPointStatePark20190111