Stretching along the Gulf Coast, 25 miles south of Tallahassee, Florida, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to protect natural habitat for wintering birds. Its vast realm of saltwater marshes, riverine woodlands, tidal creeks, pine flatwoods, swamp forest and man-made wetlands is fed by seven rivers, including the St. Marks River; this stream rises in eastern Leon County and is fed by discharge from Wakulla Springs on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. At the mouth of the river, on the north shore of Apalachee Bay, is the St. Marks Lighthouse; built in 1932, this structure is a National Historic Landmark.
On our visit to the Refuge this evening, we headed south on Lighthouse Road from U.S. 98 at Newport, Florida; within 3 miles, this road enters the refuge, passes its Visitor Center and winds for 7 miles through the heart of the preserve, providing access to a number of trails, boardwalks and viewing sites before ending at the lighthouse. Passing both freshwater and saltwater wetlands, we saw a fabulous diversity of birdlife, including anhingas, great blue and little blue herons, common egrets, white ibis, black vultures, ospreys, brown pelicans, double-crested cormorants, least terns, laughing gulls, killdeer and belted kingfishers. Other nesting species of note include least bitterns, bald eagles, swallow-tailed and Mississippi kites, clapper rails, purple gallinules, American oystercatchers, black-necked stilts, common ground doves, barn owls, red-cockaded woodpeckers, gray kingbirds, fish crows, marsh wrens, prothonotary warblers, blue grosbeaks and both Bachman's and seaside sparrows.
To the delight of our grandson, we observed four large American alligators in the roadside wetlands. Among the other non-avian residents at St. Marks NWR are white-tailed deer, river otters, black bear and a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians. As at all nature preserves, wildlife viewing is most productive early and late in the day and this spectacular refuge is open from dawn to dusk; a modest entry fee is charged per vehicle.
