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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

St. Marks NWR (1 Viewer)

Andy Wraithmell

aka Limeybirder
Oh no I've started another thread! Oh well!:smoke:

St. Marks NWR is perhaps one of the best birding sites in the state, there is no doubt it is one of the best up here in the Tallahassee area. I used to bird there a lot but college kind of got in the way, for like 3 years! But now I'm done with all that nonsense and I'll be rekindling my passion for birding the heck out the refuge on a fairly regular basis.

Yesterday evening I spent an enjoyable 3-4 hours with my Dad, who is visiting from England. Our aim was shorebirds, shorebirds, shorebirds. Here's our list.

130 Semipalmated Plover
34 Black-bellied Plover
8 Wilson's Plover
9 Whimbrel
340 Dunlin
53 Willet
52 Short-billed Dowitcher
1 Spotted Sandpiper
2 American Oystercatcher
10 Black-necked Stilt
6 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
25 Least Sandpiper
11 Western Sandpiper
10 Semipalmated Sandpiper
3 Sora
2 Least Bittern
3 Least Tern
2 Gull-billed Tern
1 Northern Harrier
1 Bald Eagle
2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo

there are pictures on my blog for those interested.
 
Dang. I wish gas prices weren't so bleeping high. I need to make birding trips to St Pete, the space coast, and apparently Tallahassee.
 
Dang. I wish gas prices weren't so bleeping high. I need to make birding trips to St Pete, the space coast, and apparently Tallahassee.

sounds like you need to join Tropical Audubon on their next Panhandle weekend trip. They make an annual trip up here and see a lot of cool birds. That way you can share the cost of travel.
 
Lead an Apalachee Audubon field trip this morning to the refuge and had the following highlights

1 Bobolink
7 Gull-billed Tern
1 Whimbrel
3 Wilson's Plover
1 Northern Harrier
2 Bald Eagle
4-5 Least Bittern
1 Clapper Rail
1 Seaside Sparrow
3 Prothonotary Warblers

more pictures on my blog
 
A great 5 hours at the refuge yesterday morning

Dunlin 156
Semipalmated Sandpiper 89
Wilson's Plover 2
Black-bellied Plover 12
Whimbrel 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Willet 11
Greater Yellowlegs 5
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Short-billed Dowitcher 25
Least Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Plover 14
Least Bittern 2
Purple Gallinule 1
Orchard Oriole 1
Seaside Sparrow 1
Gull-billed Tern 8
Prothonotary Warbler 1
Hooded Warbler 1
Veery 1
Acadian Flycatcher 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Marsh Wren 2
Wood Duck 2
Northern Bobwhite 2

also went to Bald Point and had great views of many shorebirds.

pictures on my blog.
 
Heck I didn't even know we had Bobwhites down here. I never see them (probably not surprising). That's a great list - particularly jealous of the Prothonotary :t:.
 
3 hours at the refuge this morning produced

12 White-rumped Sandpiper
1 Reddish Egret
6 Least Bittern
2 Clapper Rail
8 Seaside Sparrow
30 Semipalmated Sandpiper
4 Yellow-crowned Night Heron
2 Purple Gallinule
1 Least Tern

posted some pictures on my blog
 
a few hours at the refuge this morning produced the following highlights;

8 Roseate Spoonbill
7 Reddish Egret
30 Wilson's Plover
5 Red Knot
9 Common Nighthawk
1 Great Horned Owl
12 American White Pelican
1 Yellow-throated Warbler

I've posted some pictures to my blog the link to which is below.
 
did my weekly shorebird count at the refuge yesterday morning and had the following highlights. Most of the birds were on Mounds Pool 3.

9 Roseate Spoonbill
9 Reddish Egret
149 American White Pelican
25 Wood Stork
15 Stilt Sandpiper
4 Pectoral Sandpiper
26 Wilson's Plover
12 Spotted Sandpiper
6 Marbled Godwit
9 Red Knot
1 Whimbrel

managed to get some cool pictures this week. On my blog as always.
 
Shorebird count for this morning as follows.

16 Black-bellied Plover
21 Wilson's Plover
90 Semipalmated Plover
3 American Oystercatcher
31 Black-necked Stilt
58 Greater Yellowlegs
15 Lesser Yellowlegs
334 Willet
17 Spotted Sandpiper
15 Marbled Godwit
60 Ruddy Turnstone
14 Red Knot
22 Semipalmated Sandpiper
15 Western Sandpiper
107 Least Sandpiper
8 Pectoral Sandpiper
25 Stilt Sandpiper
150 Short-billed Dowitcher
28 Long-billed Dowitcher
8 Wilson's Phalarope
185 unidentified peeps
74 dowitcher spp.

also had an incredible 18 Reddish Egrets (my highest count for this pecies at the refuge), 9 Roseate Spoonbills, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Common Nighthawk, many Eastern Kingbirds.
 
2 hours birding Mounds Pool 3 & Tower Pool produced the following;

5 Red Knot
19 Wilson's Plover
2 Solitary Sandpiper
7 Spotted Sandpiper
30 Long-billed Dowitcher
2 Marbled Godwit
3 Pectoral Sandpiper
9 Reddish Egret
23 Blue-winged Teal
1 Greater Scaup
5 Roseate Spoonbill

I've posted some pictures on my blog.
 
Best shorebird count of the fall so far today. Totals as follows

1 Upland Sandpiper (an ABA & FL lifer for me)
56 Black-bellied Plover
10 Wilson's Plover
111 Semipalmated Plover
1 Killdeer
27 Black-necked Stilt
5 Am. Avocet
70 Greater Yellowlegs
6 Lesser Yellowlegs
183 Willet
45 Spotted Sandpiper
33 Marbled Godwit
11 Ruddy Turnstone
9 Red Knot
52 Semipalmated Sandpiper
78 Western Sandpiper
66 Least Sandpiper
3 Pectoral Sandpiper
1 Dunlin
3 Stilt Sandpiper
141 Short-billed Dowitcher
5 Long-billed Dowitcher
411 unidentified peeps
64 unidentified dowitchers

also had

5 Black Terns
21 Reddish Egrets
2 Roseate Spoonbills
4 Mississippi Kites
2 Yellow Warblers
1 Greater Scaup
6 Blue-winged Teal

lots of pictures on my blog
 
Today's shorebird count at the refuge was awesome!

Here are my totals after 5 hours. Most of the birds were on Mounds Pool 3.

34 Black-bellied Plover
9 Wilson's Plover
101 Semipalmated Plover
2 Killdeer
26 Black-necked Stilt
1 Am. Avocet
62 G. Yellowlegs
17 L. Yellowlegs
122 Willet
27 Spotted Sandpiper
75 Buff-breasted Sandpiper
1 Hudsonian Godwit
15 Marbled Godwit
72 Ruddy Turnstone
5 Red Knot
1 Sanderling
41 Semipalmated Sandpiper
178 Western Sandpiper
35 Least Sandpiper
9 Pectoral Sandpiper
2 Dunlin
8 Stilt Sandpiper
194 Short-billed Dowitcher
1 Long-billed Dowitcher
1 Wilson's Phalarope
481 unidentified peeps
45 dowitcher spp.

also had

Peregrine, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Greater Scaup, Roseate Spoonbill (7), Reddish Egret (10+) and Bald Eagle.

pictures on my blog
 
A very nice 5 hours at the refuge produced the following highlights. As always there are more details on my blog including pictures.

2458 Blue-winged Teal
1 Greater Scaup
32 Pectoral Sands
5 Stilt Sands
26 Marbled Godwit
46 Red Knot
4 Bald Eagle
2 Northern Harrier
1 Peregrine - juvenile
2 Baltimore Oriole
2 Blue Grosbeak
2 Indigo Bunting
1 Wilson's Snipe
1 Black Tern
1 American Oystercatcher

1 River Otter
 
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