Date: 3/4/25 12:23 pm From: Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...> Subject: [NFLbirds] The last field trip
I am not sure how long I have been leading the refuge’s winter wildlife
tours, but for at least twenty-five years my annual schedule from October
through March has included a monthly day at the refuge with three-hour
field trips starting at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.
There is no standard agenda for these field trips. I try to find a route
that has a good chance of showing off what the refuge offers in winter;
ducks, shorebirds, gators, otters, bobcats, and nesting eagles. My routes
usually go out on the levees, but may also snake down Lighthouse Road. I go
wherever I think there might be something interesting.
I have led car caravans, driven an 18-passenger van and used a Wakulla
Transportation bus that came with a driver who would surreptitiously keep
me updated on college football scores. For years we used the “people
mover,” an open wagon pulled by a refuge pickup truck. This year, I have
been driving the refuge’s seven-passenger van.
There are people who have been coming on my field trips for years and,
always, new people that I have never before met. I have always had birders,
some experts and some beginners. I have learned identification tips on the
job from some very good birders and taken pleasure in teaching others the
fundamentals of duck identification.
Over the years, as digital camera technology has improved, I have had more
and more photographers looking for that perfect shot. I have tried to
balance giving them time for photos with moving the field trip along.
I also get folks who just want to get a ride around the refuge and see
something new. There are no skill requirements or entrance tests to come on
these tours. Everyone has always been welcome.
Leading field trips requires patience and thought. There’s the basic
logistics. What route to take. How long to stay at each stop. Finishing up,
sort of on time. I have tried to ensure that everybody gets something out
of the trip and that questions are answered, even if the answer is “I don’t
know.”
I have led several hundred refuge field trips and taken a few thousand
people out to see their refuge. My time leading the St. Marks winter
wildlife Tours has, however, come to an end. Last Saturday afternoon, I led
my last winter field trip for the refuge. Like all field trips, it had some
highlights; a pair of mating eagles in a pine tree, a White-faced Ibis and
a Glossy Ibis standing near each other for comparison. It was a good way to
end things.
I will still be doing field trips at the refuge for birding groups and
perhaps an occasional refuge event. I have, though, decided that it is time
for someone else to take over the winter wildlife tours. I am hoping that
the refuge will choose a younger and, perhaps, more diverse voice to
replace me. Regardless, whoever is chosen will, I am sure, do a great job.
I appreciate the opportunity that I was given to lead these trips. It has
been a great ride.
