Don Morrow
<donaldcmorrow...> <donaldcmorow...>
Tallahassee, FL
On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 4:31 PM Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...> wrote:
> Willets are found at the refuge year-round, in numbers ranging from thirty
> to several hundred. The refuge sees an annual shift between its breeding
> population of Saltmarsh Willets that begin to leave the refuge in July to
> winter along the coast of South America and our wintering population of
> Prairie Willets that breed in the western US. These populations overlap
> at the refuge from mid-March through April during Spring migration and from
> late July into August in Fall migration.
>
>
> [image: image.png]
>
>
> The saltmarsh willet is more streaked, shorter-necked and has a shorter,
> thicker bill that is faintly two-toned. The western willet is a lankier,
> less marked bird with a slightly longer, thinner bill that is usually all
> black.
>
>
> That's the quick-and-dirty version. I'm working on an essay that would go
> into more detail and include photos.
>
>
>
>
> Don Morrow
> <donaldcmorrow...> <donaldcmorow...>
> Tallahassee, FL
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 4:10 PM Anthony Lee <aleehomes...> wrote:
>
>> Don what do you look for in order to identify the prairie or the
>> saltmarsh willet?
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 16, 2026, 3:28 PM Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...> wrote:
>>
>>> I watched the International Space Station in the night sky above St.
>>> Marks NWR on Thursday morning. It was closely followed by an unmanned Cargo
>>> Dragon capsule that was moving to link up with it. They passed soundlessly
>>> overhead as Black-crowned Night Herons were flying in to roost, barking in
>>> the dark, mindless of the technological marvel taking place 250 miles above
>>> them. Slowly, the light gathered and Gray Catbirds began to call,
>>> announcing another Fall day at the refuge.
>>>
>>> These mornings at St. Marks are cool and colorful. Goldenrod is in bloom
>>> and Muhly grass is a pink haze along the edges of the levees. Butterflies
>>> are swarming; Cloudless Sulphurs, Gulf Fritillaries, Long-tailed Skippers
>>> and the first few Monarchs.
>>>
>>> Outlying rain bands from Hurricane Isaias dropped a lot of rain on the
>>> refuge and the pools and ponds are full. Favorable winds gave a boost to
>>> migration and in two nights, fifteen million birds passed through the
>>> refuge. Most of these were thrushes, warblers and flycatchers, just passing
>>> through. Yellow Warblers are easy to find right now. Look for them on
>>> Goldenrod as they search for insects. Thrushes make use of fruit on
>>> migration and I’ve recently found Swainson’s Thrushes at the refuge feeding
>>> on Yaupon, Sweetbay and Viburnum. This migratory pulse also brought in
>>> wintering birds; Swamp Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebes and
>>> Northern Harriers.
>>>
>>> Our winter duck population starts climbing in October and then jumps up
>>> in late November. Waterfowl populations are usually still low in
>>> mid-October, but generally show the first increase in diversity as a few
>>> pintails and wigeons begin to show up among the usual Blue-winged Teal. I
>>> found 56 Blue-winged Teal and a single Northern Shoveler on the refuge on
>>> Thursday. Most of the teal were skittish and easily spooked, a sign of
>>> active migrants.
>>>
>>> The refuge’s Land Protection Plan calls for one area to be closed in
>>> order to provide an area for waterfowl to rest, unmolested. Signs have
>>> gone up closing the Gulf-side levee on the southeastern side of Mounds 3.
>>> This closure is for the winter season.
>>>
>>> The refuge’s current high water levels have inundated shorebird flats
>>> and the refuge biologist is working to adjust water levels to accommodate
>>> both ducks and shorebirds. On Thursday, I had only a handful of shorebirds,
>>> but they included a Black-necked Stilt, a Red Knot and a Dunlin, all on
>>> Tower Pond. Dunlin normally begin to arrive in October and by November,
>>> they will be the most common shorebird on the refuge.
>>>
>>> The American Ornithological Society has decided to split one of our
>>> most common shorebirds, the Willet, into two species. The new Saltmarsh
>>> Willet is our local breeder and the new Prairie Willet is our wintering
>>> bird, currently on the refuge. If you keep a bird list, your total just
>>> went up by one with no effort.
>>>
>>> One other thing that you can do with almost no effort is come down to
>>> St. Marks. We have birds, butterflies and glorious Fall weather waiting for
>>> you.
>>>
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>>>
>>
