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10 June 2010
Welcome to a Genuine
Bird Watching Paradise
The St. Marks Wildlife Refuge (Wakulla County) hosts more than a quarter-million visitors each year and has certainly lived up to its original objective as a bird paradise. More than 300 species of birds have been registered and nearly 100 of the species call it home. Ducks, geese and shorebirds frequent the area and three endangered/threatened species (red-cockaded woodpecker, Southern Bald Eagle and Least Tern) are regular residents.
This oasis of varied habitat also features wood stork, American Alligator, West Indian manatee, loggerhead sea turtles, Florida Black Bear, indigo snakes, peregrine falcon, swallow-tailed kite plus more than 50 species of mammals, 65 species of reptiles and 40 species of amphibians.
But the refuge is not the only spot on the Forgotten Coast where “Birders” can discover an amazing variety of winged ones. Turn down most any road in the area; pull out the binoculars; and be ready to be enthralled.
The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (the largest of its kind in the country) is teeming with feathered friends of every shape, size, color and description on its nearly 200,000 acres. Preserved “Tate’s Hell” is heavenly. The Apalachicola National Forest, is a perfectly natural bird paradise, and can’t be traversed in a month of Sundays. Hang around the Indian Pass Lagoon shoreline and you just might be lucky enough to spot a couple of Eagles performing their aerial mating dance. Go north out of Port St Joe and you’ll discover all kinds of peaceful places where a fabulous variety of birds call home. Or the St. Joseph Buffer Preserve or Alligator Point Aquatic Preserve.
Lest we forget, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (Previously rated the best beach in the United States) is teeming with wildlife and marine life. Noted as an excellent birding area, it is a premier location in the eastern United States for observing hawks during fall migration. Many species can be seen including the endangered peregrine falcon. The monarch butterfly is also on the wing in autumn, making its long migratory journey from northern states to wintering sites in Mexico. Shore and wading birds are in abundance throughout the year.
While the best area of the park to observe birds is along the beach and bayshore, the sandpine scrub, pine flatwoods and dunes offer protective habitat.
Heck, the list goes on an on. And on!
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