Bob's Gone Birding: Duck and Chuck

Early on a January morning at St. Marks NWR

You might think that the title of this post refers to last year's offense at the University of Florida - the quarterback trying to duck under the on-rushing defense and then chucking the ball out there, somewhere, hoping to find the right colored jersey. But in this case, it perfectly sums up a great day of birding at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The Red Van Gang made its annual pilgrimage to St. Marks for the Alachua Audubon field trip led by John Hintermister. For me, this is always one of the highlights of the year. I love looking at ducks, and there are few places any better in Florida to see a nice variety and in good numbers.

I love this shot of a Common Yellowthroat.

The gang gathered at 4:30 AM with temperatures in the mid-30s and a clear, starry sky. We drove northwest through High Springs and Fort White, towns I often only see in the dark, before reaching Perry and a tasty breakfast at a Huddle House. We eventually reached St. Marks just before the official 8:00 AM starting time, so we made a brief scouting trip down to Lighthouse Pond. Many of the ponds we passed were empty, but a Common Yellowthroat posed nicely beside the road. I was driving, so I didn't try to get a shot, but later I found the photo at left on my camera. I didn't take it. Wish I did.

The field trip itself started with a walk around the area adjoining the parking lot. Almost immediately we encountered a swarm of Yellow-rumped Warblers followed by a nice mixed flock. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker joined the crowd, followed by a Blue-headed Vireo, a Black-and-White Warbler, and a few Brown-headed Nuthatches. Phil Laipis caught a glimpse of a Golden-crowned Kinglet, but I missed it. I resolved to get back to the area later in the day and try for the kinglet again, but that goal went the way of so many other resolutions I've made.

American Wigeon

This year John opted not to join Don Morrow's tram tour of the eastern pools. I think the cold temperatures and stiff winds had something to do with it. Instead we made a quick stop at the double bridges before moving to the boat launch spot at Stoney Bayou 1. I hopped out, saw only a few American Coots, and raised my camera. Only it wasn't my camera. After swapping cameras with one of the gang, I looked around and found very little to photograph. Slow day so far.

Next we moved on to Headquarters Pond where the day got a lot better in a hurry. The pond was teeming with life. About 40 Black-crowned Night-Herons lined one side. A Sora patrolled the edge nearest the road. Some gorgeous American Wigeons (right) swam among dozens of Coots and Ring-necked Ducks. A few Redheads (bottom) joined the crowd adding another splash of color to the mix.

Chuck-will's-widow

It was at this point that the Red Van Gang separated from the rest of the group for a while. They were heading out for a long hike, and one of us was recovering from a bad cold and wasn't feeling up to the walk. Instead, we drove down to the Lighthouse and started working our way around the pond. It was loaded with birds and especially with female Northern Shovelers and some spectacular Canvasbacks. But before we were there for more than a few minutes I got a phone call from John. One of the group had spotted a Chuck-will's-widow in a tall pine behind the bathrooms near Headquarters Pond. We piled back into the car and hurried to the site. No one was still around, but John's directions had been precise. There it was, sitting quietly across (not along) a branch apparently taking a nap. We were able to get a few photos and even get some other folks on the bird. What a terrific sight! This is a bird that I've heard way more often than I've seen it, and even then it's been in the very dim light of early night just after twilight.

Canvasback

Eventually we drove back to Lighthouse Pond and returned to studying the Canvasbacks. I thought the one pictured on the right was particularly handsome. Farther along we encountered a few Northern Shovelers. The females were out on parade, but the males were snuggled in the reeds with their heads tucked into their sides. Offshore to our left, the Gulf was alive with Double-crested Cormorants, Redheads, Horned Grebes, Common Loons, Laughing Gulls, Red-breasted Mergansers, and an occasional small shorebird that zoomed by too quickly for me to identify.

At the end of the path is a gazebo that is a wonderful spot for a brief rest and some leisurely sea watching. There was a family there speaking a language that I didn't recognize at all. The man spoke a little English, and with words and gestures he asked me what I was seeing through my scope. I mentioned a bird and indicated he should look for himself. He did, and immediately called to his wife and daughter to look as well. Just then one of the Gang saw a Reddish Egret, which I eagerly turned to examine with my bins. When I turned around the family was happily looking out to sea with both of our scopes while the girl also tried to digiscope something using her iPhone. It took a while before we could reclaim our property and move on.

Swamp Sparrow

On the way back toward the Lighthouse some movement caught my eye in the vegetation near the pond. First a Sora and then a Clapper Rail came into view, both disappearing almost immediately. Another motion to my left proved to be a Swamp Sparrow (left) who was not as shy as the rails. It posed patiently while I snapped a half dozen shots.

After a picnic lunch and a quick look at Picnic Pond, we decided to inspect Mounds Pool 1 and 2 by walking along the dikes. What we found was a distant mass of ducks including our first Northern Pintails and a few stunning drake Mallards. They were too far away to get a decent photo, but I snapped a few anyway.

The afternoon was getting old, so it was time to rejoin the group. We typically end the day at Bottoms Road, well to the west, in hopes of finding a Short-eared Owl. This time John wanted to try Wakulla Beach. About 15 of the original field trippers made that much shorter trek and staked out a likely area. Unfortunately we struck out, but the talk and camaraderie made it worth the time and effort.

I hate to end this on a negative note, but I feel I owe this to birders everywhere. If you are in Perry and need to eat dinner, don't go to Pouncey's. I had the worst restaurant meal of my life there and I won't go back. Our waitress was very nice, but the food was paradoxically cold and overcooked and the building and furniture were badly in need of repair and cleaning. Save yourself the unpleasantness and use one of the fast food places or the Huddle House.