St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was establish in 1931 to protect the wintering grounds for migratory birds. It’s one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the United States and encompasses over 68,000 acres. From Manatee Springs it was an easy 3 hour drive to Crawfordville, Florida.
Wildwood Golf and RV Resort
Wildwood Golf and RV Resort was near St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. It was also close to Tallahassee which had a Costco. Another great opportunity to stock up on necessities. The RV park had full service and ok wifi. The amazing thing about this park were the 5 resident white squirrels. They are a version of the eastern grey squirrel. These white squirrels are not from albinism (which have pink eyes), but from leucism (partial loss of pigmentation but doesn’t affect the eyes). The squirrels are rare, partially because its easier for predators to see them. Even trying to photograph them was difficult because they were very skittish and quickly stayed out of view. Michael loves a challenge!
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
A Bald Eagle with it’s eaglet. They were very far away, so the image quality is poor, but still a joy to see. We saw numerous nests in the area and wondered how many breeding pairs of eagles were there.
The American Alligator seems to be everywhere there is fresh water in Florida. We never tire of seeing them.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is a birders destination. Kind of like any National Park, if there are cars pulled off the road then there is something to see. Birders are friendly and helped to identify species. This bird is a Vermilion Flycatcher. A birder said it was very rare to find one in this area.
An immature Yellow-rumped warbler.
Glossy Ibis.
Common Moorhen.
Tricolor Heron.
A Belted Kingfisher.
St. Marks Lighthouse
The St. Marks lighthouse was constructed in 1842. During the Civil War the lighthouse was a strategic location and numerous raids occurred. Fortunately it wasn’t completely destroyed during the war. It was automated in 1960 and remains a navigational aid for the Apalachee Bay.
