President's Message

The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge has had an eventful couple of months. We welcomed longtime Refuge volunteer Allison Underwood to the Board of Directors and two new Board officers. Myrtle Bailey has graciously agreed to serve as Vice President, and Harry Chiles takes on the responsibilities of Treasurer. Katasha Cornwell will ultimately transition to become the editor of this newsletter. Past president Phillip Pollock and others will continue assisting with the Reflections newsletter and will attend to social media postings. Tyler McKibbin will keep our computer systems updated. 

We are saddened to lose Board member Bill Everitt who handled so many of these and other tasks while on the Board. We’ll miss you, Bill.

The Friends have championed re-opening the St. Marks Lighthouse for scheduled visits as long as enough volunteers are available. Under the direction of Ranger Connie Clineman, volunteers have recently cleaned and polished the keeper’s quarters that had sat dormant for two years and welcomed the first visitors post-COVID on July 16^th. Over a hundred visitors per day have toured the lighthouse on subsequent openings. If there are sufficient volunteers, the plans are to have the lighthouse open on every second and fourth Saturday of the month going forward.

Plans are underway for the resumption of the Monarch Festival on October 22 and the Friends Board is looking forward to having some new and interesting attractions for visitors and work toward strengthening the Friends organization at that time.

So mark your calendars for upcoming events and encourage your friends and colleagues to visit our website and become Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Above all, make St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge a regular part of your life. Get out in nature. There’s always something new to see at the Refuge.

Text courtesy Tom Baird, President, Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge

Refuge Rewards

Have you heard about Refuge rewards? No? It's not a new membership program for frequent visitors to the Refuge, but it is mother nature’s reward system as part of every single trip for every single visitor, if you are paying close attention. And how could you not in such an immersive, “real” Florida habitat? During these dog days of summer when it is easy to think there won’t be anything exciting happening, I have been reminded many times of just how rewarding the Refuge is even when we aren’t in the height of birding season.

While a few rewards, like deer and alligators, are expected on a fairly regular basis, and may not raise the excitement level for everyone, they might be a big bonus for first time or less-frequent visitors. Like when we recently brought my parents on a drive along Lighthouse Road, we saw two gators crossing the road so that a glimpse of their full bodies was rewarding when often only seeing a snout sticking out of the water. Another personal reward was seeing two spotted fawns feeding just past the Visitor Center on a warm summer evening.

Other critters may be encountered less frequently. Some examples of the recent rewards I have experienced include seeing a robust diamond back rattlesnake along the trail near picnic pond; Six-lined Racerunners (center photo) along Cedar Point Trail; a very curious manatee that befriended our boat along the Refuge in the St. Marks River; and a racoon family (top photo) feeding along the marsh mid-day.

And while the Refuge might be less “birdy” right now, a few reward highlights have come when showing off the beautiful place we call home to our friends and family. We hadn’t seen Pinky the flamingo for months, but when my sister visited, it did not disappoint and was visible with the naked eye in Stoney Bayou. A Great Egret let us watch it eat a way-too-big looking fish, and we saw Common Gallinule chicks. My dad, who is vision impaired, was able to use binoculars to see bright Roseate Spoonbills in Lighthouse pool. My favorites were seeing a Horned Grebe while boating and a Clapper Rail chick (bottom photo) during low tide along Lighthouse Road.

And while I like to tote my camera around and capture these amazing rewards in pictures, even when there is “no shot”, I appreciate each and every spectacular opportunity to watch events the natural world presents. The Refuge does not disappoint, especially when you are showing off. It’s just about time for butterfly season to start heating up. Be sure to come reap your rewards at the Refuge soon. 

Katasha Cornwell, Friends Board of Directors member

New to Birding? Some Helpful Hints for Identifying Our Avian Neighbors

On a cloudless, rain-bathed late-March morning, I headed to the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge to meet Matt Johnstone (right), an avid, longtime birder who volunteers with Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. A botanist by trade, Matt, who regularly leads tours for the Friends organization, had kindly agreed to introduce me to the science and art of bird identification. I soon discovered I was a good subject for this exercise: although I know the birds who visit my backyard, I’d never gone birding before, so I was a blank slate—which, as Matt noted, means I hadn’t developed any bad habits yet!

Not having bad habits is a good thing, Matt maintains, because, in his view, he did things “really wrong” when he started. Having learned the hard way, he has suggestions for helping new birders “make it easier” on themselves.

Matt began birding 49 years ago. As a young Navy man on a port visit to Athens, Greece, he was looking for “something different” to read and picked up a field guide on a whim. Immediately, he began to make mistakes, he confided. To begin with, he launched into this new hobby on his own, without first seeking advice or guidance: “I already had a pair of binoculars for general marine viewing, got the field guide, and just went at it.” His next mistake was that he was “a loner; for the first few years, I birded all by myself.” Although he eventually figured out how to be an astute birder, he feels he took a needlessly long way to reach that goal.

When asked how he would do things differently now, Matt recommends studying a guidebook or two before embarking on a birding adventure. On the back seat of his car were well-worn copies of Sibley’s Birding Basics and Peterson Bird Identification in 12 Steps, which he called great starter tools that clarify the “topography of birds” (that is, the different bird parts) and explain “general birding strategy and how to process what you’re seeing so that you’re able to identify specific birds. These books won’t tell you how to ID a particular bird,” he emphasized, “but they will help you develop and use identification skills in an organized manner.”

Should people carry their guides with them when they go birding, I wondered? It’s a controversial subject, Matt observed. While he stresses that guides are helpful, it’s a mistake to get caught up in a guide—because the bird in question is likely to fly away while you’re busy thumbing through pages. Matt recommends you begin by looking carefully at the bird, trying to remember everything you can about it (its size, color, and field marks, for instance). After you’re armed with all these details, you’re ready to open the guide and try to identify the bird. He added that good smartphone apps can help with the process—Merlin Bird ID, Audubon Bird Guide, and Sibley Birds came to mind.

In addition to putting in time with the guidebooks, Matt suggests having a pair of binoculars that you’re comfortable using and won’t mind lugging around with you. And, especially if you’re just starting out, “It really helps to go birding with people who know things about birds.”

Another critical ingredient in bird identification is what Matt described as “getting down the categories of birds,” which he jokingly compared to “old-fashioned mail-sorting.” Since it’s difficult to memorize every bird, you can benefit by learning how to narrow the field of what an unfamiliar bird could possibly be; using categories, you can eliminate a whole lot of birds from consideration. Some of the useful categories Matt mentioned are season, location, habitat, tide, water depth, bird size, facial pattern, bird behavior, and feeding behavior. 

To demonstrate this principle, Matt introduced me to the shorebirds at Tower Pond. Because the tide was high in the bay and marshes, the pond was studded with many hundreds of birds. To make sense of the dizzying possibilities, Matt explained, he stratifies the birds based on feeding strategy; in other words, he narrows the identification possibilities based on where, in and around the pond, they feed and how they feed. Using these categories, he quickly pointed out the little peeps (Least and Western Sandpipers) feeding on the mud flats; the Dunlin, a bit larger than the peeps, feeding farther down into the water; and the Dowitchers and other longer-legged species actively feeding in the water (he distinguished among the various leggy birds by the way they probe for food). Using this “mail-sorting” technique, he remarked, even a novice birder has a pretty good chance of successfully identifying birds.

My thanks go out to Matt, who inspired me to begin my birding journey and who left me with these wise words: “People can bird at any level as long as they do no harm.”

Editor's Note: Although Matt's bird field guide suggestions are very good, the Friends do not endorse the use of any specific guides. As all birders know, identification guides are very personal. Use whatever works for you in your lifetime search for our avian friends. Also, on a fairly regular basis, Matt, Don Morrow, and others perform bird surveys at the Refuge, and they can be found on the Friends' website be following this link.

Text and Photos Courtesy, Beth C. Schwartz, Ph.D. English, Cornell University

THE NATURE STORE IS OPEN AT THE VISITOR CENTER

WEEKEND HOURS, FRIDAY 10 AM - 4 PM, SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10 AM - 5 PM 

Yes, the Nature Store at the Refuge Visitor Center is open for your weekend shopping pleasure. As you know, our T-shirt designs are outstanding - there are so many to choose from. Also, in just the past few weeks, a small flock of plush flamingoes flew into the store. So, while the 'real' flamingo plays hard-to-get, deep in Stoney Bayou Pool, your very own fuzzy flamingo can ride home with you!  

And, of course, it IS that time of year. The bugs are out in force and feasting on us. But, we have just the remedy . . . Picaridin Insect Repellent. It's fantastic, and it keeps the bugs at bay.  

Come see us in the store any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, or shop online on days in between. We look forward to seeing you.

Text Phillip Pollock

Skyflower (Hydroiea corymbos)

This beautiful Skyflower (Hydrolea corymbosa) is commonly seen in the Florida peninsula but less so in the panhandle region. It's a wetland flower species and has a low-to-the-ground profile. It can easily be missed because of its smaller size, but if you are lucky enough to stumble across it, it's a treat to the senses. (Right now, you can see lots of these flowers along the first 3-4 miles of Lighthouse Road, prior to reaching the toll booth.) The Skyflower blossoms are pushed skyward (thus the name) in its growth. Between the almost unbelievable blue color and the stamens that extend well beyond the petals, it's hard to say which trait is more distinctive. Blues such as this can be difficult to capture with your camera, so a suggestion is to photograph Skyflowers on a very cloudy day so that the blue color is less saturated by bright sunlight. Enjoy your Refuge.

Text and photo courtesy Phillip Pollock,

Snakes Require Respect and Distance

Visiting the Refuge at St. Marks requires that you pay close attention to all wildlife while there; wildlife is the star of the show. While most of the critters you see are harmless, there are some that can be dangerous and pose a threat. In the reptile family, venomous snakes certainly fit into the latter category.

If you see snakes while out on hiking trails, or even walking along roadways, it is okay to observe them from a safe distance, but do not interfere with them or harm them. The majority of the snakes are harmless and pose no threat to you. Even venomous snakes (Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, left) would rather flee than interact with an intruder in their environment. But, if any snake is molested, its only defense is in biting.

In the unlikely event that you are bitten by a venomous snake, you should seek medical treatment immediately. Depending on where you are, it’s best to call 911, or find your way to a medical center as quickly as possible. 

If you believe you’ve been bitten by a venomous snake, keep the following in mind:

• Call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.
• Keep the snake bite victim still, as movement helps the venom spread through the body.
• Keep the injured body part motionless and just lower than heart level.
• Keep the victim warm, calm and at rest. 
• Do not allow the person to eat or drink anything.
• Cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.

For more information on how to avoid being bitten by a snake, evidence and symptoms of a snake bite, and what not to do, follow this link.

Enjoy your Refuge safely. 

Text courtesy Phillip Pollock. photo of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake courtesy David Fusselman

In the Pink of Things at the Refuge

The always showy Roseate Spoonbills have been treating visitors with their presence at the Refuge for at least the last month as the fall migration begins. Their brilliant, primarily, pink coloration is a key in identification, along with their bill shape. In addition, the American Flamingo, which stands much taller, continues to stay with us, as well. Both of these stunning, pinkish birds make a trip to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge complete at this time of year.

Sensitive nerve endings in the bill of both the flamingo and the spoonbills make them successful in their hunt for crayfish, shrimp, crabs and small fish, as they sweep their heads back and forth through the shallow water. Interestingly, their pink coloration is the result of an organic pigment called carotenoids, which are contained in many of the foods they prey on, primarily shrimp and other crustaceans.

The spoonbills have been seen in numerous locations at the Refuge over the past weeks. The flamingo is a bit more static, and has most recently been spotted in the depths of Stoney Bayou Pool. Always best to ask others that you see along Lighthouse Road for the latest sighting or call the Refuge at 850-925-6121. Enjoy your Refuge.

Text and Photos courtesy Phillip Pollock

Bird Reports Assist Visitors

Don Morrow and Matt Johnstone, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge volunteers and expert birders, lead in-depth bird tours at the Refuge frequently throughout the year. Their tours are currently on hold until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deems it is safe for groups to gather. However, both Don and Matt keep us up-to-date on what we can see from week-to-week. To see what THEY see, so that YOU can as well, check out their sightings on our website.

Go there now.

Photo (Yellow-throated Warbler) and text, Phillip Pollock