Date: 1/17/25 6:19 pm From: Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan...> Subject: [ALbirds] AOS Winter Meeting at St. Marks NWR information
Hello St. Marks AOS attendees!
Attached as well as pasted below are notes for the AOS Winter Meeting at St. Marks. The info sheet will print on 3 pages. This is general information that you will need for the trip. It does not include Meeting Schedules for Friday night, Saturday or Sunday activities. That information is in the Yellowhammer Winter 2024 issue page 8 found at https://www.aosbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Yellowhammer-Winter-2024.pdf. Any changes to the schedule will be announced at the Friday evening gathering.
If you have questions you may contact me (Lucy Duncan) at <robertaduncan...>
BIRDING THE ST. MARKS AREA !
HELLO AOS BIRDERS!
We are looking forward to a great time, and part of having agreat time is being prepared for weather. It can get bitterly cold on the St.Marks refuge, so come prepared for wet and/or cold/ or warm or windyweather! You may also wish to bring insect repellant in case it’s needed,as well as sunscreen and a hat. You will also need to bring a picniclunch for Saturday on the refuge, or make other arrangements. Thereis no place on the refuge to purchase food or drinks. There is A Subway enrouteto the refuge from the Wildwood Inn. The Subway is at 7223 Coastal Hwy, ExpressLane Chevron, St Marks FL 32355. Phone (850) 925-6184. It willbe on the right at the corner of Hwy 98 and Co. 363, in the Chevron Stationbuilding.
The Visitor Center is open 10 am – 5 pm on weekends (M-F8 am – 4 pm) so will not be open when we arriveto start our Saturday outing.
Bathrooms. The first bathroom we will encounter onthe refuge is at headquarters Pond, 5 miles (10 minutes) down Lighthouse roadfrom the Visitor Center. However there will much birding to be done before weget there so plan accordingly. There is usually a porta-potty near thelighthouse.
Visitor Center. Refuge maps and bird checklists areavailable free here. The Center also houses the Friends of St. Marks Gift Shop,bathrooms and Museum displays. The gift shop carries nature books and guides,wildlife art, jewelry, notecards, mugs, hats, tee shirts, etc. Supporting theFriends of St. Marks, all proceeds fund public events and classes on therefuge, student interns, etc. Museum displays are in the Visitor Center.
St. Marks Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters Open House (free),FRIDAY & SATURDAY, January 24 and 25, 2025, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Thepast is on display at the recently restored St. Marks Lighthouse. Come visitthe Keepers’ Quarters Open House. Guides are trained Refuge volunteers and havestories and interesting facts to share. History will come alive in thisbeautiful landmark building. Please be aware that climbing the tower is notpermitted. Also pets, food, beverages, wet clothing, smoking and vaping are notallowed.
READ & PRINT THESENOTES OR HAVE THEM ON YOUR PHONE FOR YOUR USE.
SUNRISE AND SUNSET TIMES - TIDES FOR ST MARKS
There are two high and two low tidesdaily here. Those that affect our visit are below. Low tides in the bayreveal oyster reefs where the erstwhile American Flamingo was found, as well asother water birds. High tides pushshorebirds inland where they are found in refuge impoundments.
REMEMBER THIS IS EASTERN TIME !
Saturday 25th
Sunrise at 7:30 a.m. Low Tide: 5:46 am
Sunset at 6:08 p.m. HighTide: 12:42 pm
BIRDINGTHE REFUGE offers many choices. Most birders will want to drive the mainroad to the lighthouse, birding along the way. There are places where youcan pull off to view waterfowl, herons, etc. Be sure to use the online refugemap mentioned earlier or one from the Visitor Center.
Visitor Center area is rich with passerines.
Double Bridges: Firststop on the refuge road after the Visitor Center is at the Double Bridges forBarred Owl and wintering species. The earlier, the better.
Heliport: Whenthe road leaves woodland and opens up, there’s a short bridge on the left(east) where you can walk a short distance to the Heliport. Here is whereyellow rail has been found (twice) in winter as well as Henslow’s Sparrow. Ifyou leave the dirt track at the heliport to walk the field, the furrowed groundis uneven and makes for challenging tromping.
East River Pool on your right (west) has a shortpier. Boat-tailed Grackles often hang out there, and it’s a good spot to findWilson’s Snipe along the muddy shoreline by the pier. Look for ducks.
Stoney Bayou Pool on the left (east) is a vast openpool often replete with shorebirds. You may want to walk the dike out to becloser to them.
Headquarters Pond: Just north of the restrooms andthe picnic area, this pond has common and purple gallinules, various pondducks, American bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, various egrets and ibis,and often a surprise. There’s an observation platform on the south sideaccessible from the restroom parking lot.
Restrooms. Park here for the observation platform(above) and for Tower Trail.
Tower Trail is behind the Restroom (not VisitorCenter). Walk this trail (bear right of the tower) under oaks. Look for Blackand White Warbler here and other passerines. When the trail comes to a T, goleft. You will have “Mounds Pools” on the left (shorebirds and ducks) and openmarsh on the right. I have often heard Black Rails from the edge of this marsh!Walk north along the track and you’ll come to another pond for ducks, and thenanother and sometimes shorebirds. There has been a pair of Black Ducks in oneof these ponds this year. Shorebirds in these ponds are tide-dependent.
Picnic Pond just south of the restrooms may have afew ducks. The pond is also viewable from Tower Trail where Scot Duncan foundFlorida’s first documented Violet-green Swallow Dec. 27. Always check out loneswallows!
Cedar Point Trail starts at the west edge of the boatlaunch parking lot. It is a great place to look for Western Kingbirds, and theend of the trail looks over Apalachee Bay where you look for – yes, thatflamingo – and Goldeneyes and bay ducks. In spring listen for Seaside Sparrows in themarsh.
Lighthouse Pool will have ducks. The flamingo (thatmay have flown the coop) came in here sometimes. A view from the observation platformhere sometimes yields large shorebirds on flats in the marsh.
Apalachee Bay is the large bay south of theLighthouse. Look for scoters, redheads, horned grebes, scaup, pelicans,cormorants, gulls and terns.
Don’t forget the Lighthouse Tour here if you’ve seenenough birds!
SUNDAYWAKULLA BOAT TRIP RESERVATIONS: MAKE YOUR OWN BOAT RESERVATIONSat the Wakulla Springs State Park website for the 11:00 a.m. boat trip at https://tinyurl.com/5ykzvwkt
or call (850) 421-2000. These boat trips fill fast.
The boat trip is ~45 minutes long, $8 /adult, run hourly.On weekends there is often high demand for a seat. Same-day reservationsmay be made up to 60 minutes before departure at the Wakulla Lodge front desk;however, with the popularity of the trip, space is limited and may not beavailable. Reservations for the Boat Tour are best made prior to arriving atthe park. Boat tours run every day of the year about every hour unless severeweather occurs.
BIRDING SPOTS NEAR ST. MARKS:
BALD POINT STATE PARK is just westward (south) on theCoastal Highway 98. $4 entrance (Hwy 98 is north-south here) fee for “honor”envelopes. Often a great spot for scoters. At low tide you’ll seeoystercatchers and shorebirds and a few gulls and terns and ducks. The oaks inthe parking lot can have wintering passerines and the marsh is full of clapperrails. Directions: From the Wildwood Inn turn right (south) on Hwy 98, goacross the Ochlockonee Bridge in Panacea, turn left on Hwy 390. Turn left forBald Point State Park when the road splits.
OTTER LAKE for SUNSET is an ethereal experience. Thesun drops down directly across the cypress-rimmed lake while cormorants, ibisand wood storks fly in to roost. Eastern Screech, Barred and Great Horned Owlscan be heard here. Otter Lake Road runs due west from the center ofPanacea on Hwy 98. At this intersection there is a sign to a Baptist churchwith a BIG RED ARROW pointing west down this road. Drive to the end of theroad, and you’re there!
BOTTOMS ROAD (Panacea) runs south from the south endof Panacea. (Hwy 98 is north-south here) This road is excellent for rails and aShort-eared Owl has been regular there just before sunset over the marshes.
WAKULLA SPRINGS State Park HOTEL GROUNDS are good forwintering passerines. The view of the springs and upper river yield manatees,hooded mergansers, bufflehead, common moorhens and several species of heronsand egrets. You can climb the steps to the diving tower for awesome looks atmanatees and the Spring. The boat ride will bring you and your camera up closeand personal to these and alligators. Short trails through the picnic area andwoodland can be productive. If you have never been to this historic hotel,take the time to look around!
