Blue Goose ~ Day 228

January 10, 2015 ~ Crawfordville, FL to Ocklockonee River State Park, FL

I had passed through this area two years ago and saw a Red-cockaded Woodpecker at Ocklockonee River SP near Sopchoppy, not far from Crawfordville, so I went back to find one again. The habitat is longleaf pine savanna - tall pines with branches at the tops of the trees and open space between the trees so the effect is park-like, although sometimes marshy. The sun came out, warming me just enough. The park (this time of year) is a peaceful place with 25-30 camping spaces under the pines, and I decided to spend the night here. I registered for a campsite after slowly driving a loop while looking carefully for RCWs. I met a couple who were walking and also seriously looking. Neither of us had see one so far. There were Downy, Pileated and Red-bellied WPs, along with many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers but no Red-cockaded, although the woman at the registration office said she had seen one that morning. They're here; we just didn't see them.

Ocklockonee River State Park - FL

I spent the afternoon at St. Marks NWR, one of the most frequently mentioned refuges when I talk with people about what I am doing. The refuge is approximately 25 miles long along the Gulf and 5 miles wide, 20 miles south of Tallahassee, stretching over three counties. It was established in 1931 for migratory birds. A paved road out to the St. Marks Lighthouse passes through several habitats of freshwater and saltwater marshes, estuaries and swamps. Other roads and levees are open to hikers, and 50 miles of the Florida Scenic Trail runs through St. Marks.

Part of most refuge management is eradication and/or control of nonnative species. Here is a little primer from the St. Marks website:

WWW.FWS.GOV 

The Scary Facts and Numbers:
"One year's seeding, seven years weeding." - Old gardener's adage  

• In the mid 1990's the economic impact of weeds on the U.S. economy was estimated to be $20 billion annually, ($15 billion agricultural, $5 billion non-crop damage). 

• Nonnative species threaten approximately 66% of all threatened and endangered species 

• Nonnative species are considered the second most important threat to biodiversity, only surpassed by direct habitat destruction. 

• In Florida alone, nearly 30% of plant species growing in the state, excluding cultivated crops, are exotic species. That's 1200 different species of exotic plants with potential invasive properties (they've already met the first requirement of adaptability to local climate and soils)! 

So there's that...At St. Marks, the three biggest threats are Cogongrass (perennial grass), Chinese Tallow Tree (medium-sized tree) and Japanese Climbing Fern.

Also, seven northern Florida rivers flow through St. Marks before entering the Gulf.

Saw Palmetto at St. Marks NWR - FL

Excuse me if I've told this story before but I met a man at Canaan Valley NWR who went to St. Marks with his parents as a young boy. They arrived in the morning after a night of fog, and he said he would never forget the "hundreds" of dead birds of all sizes on the ground around the lighthouse. They apparently had become disoriented by the light and had flown into the structure, which killed them. I couldn't find any references to this phenomenon but will never forget listening to this guy (a college professor with credibility) as he told me the story. The author Rick Bass also tells of driving to deer camp in central Texas as a youth, arriving on a foggy night and hearing ducks and/or geese calling and circling the cabin all night, not able to get their bearings in the fog.

I walked a short trail, watching a good-sized alligator basking on the bank of the pond below the VC balcony before driving to the lighthouse. As far as the alligator goes, I really thought it might be fake; it was utterly motionless to my eyes, so I went inside and asked. They assured me it was real.

St. Marks NWR - FL

The atmosphere on the trail was church-like with palms and pines and palmettos...very quiet, the sun shining through any open spaces in the flora.

I associated St. Marks with one of Maria's last outings as she and Richard stopped here in 2012 and remembered how impressed she was. I often wear the blue T-shirt she bought here.

I then went back to Ocklockonee and relaxed and read until it got too cold and then walked to the river at twilight. The state parks advertises themselves as "The Real Florida," and it is easy to envision the land before condos in a place like this.

I fixed a noodle bowl for dinner after snacking on cheese and crackers. People walked by my campsite, either with dogs or with binoculars. A few others were sitting around campfires. I saw license plates from Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Georgia...and Florida, of core. All was very quiet. Darkness still comes quickly, but it's cozy reading in the van under the covers.

Black-crowned Night Heron (immature) - St. Marks NWR - FL