On a breezy, sunny, September day, my toddler, husband, and I turned onto the access road of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge along Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. St. Marks has fast become my favorite birding spot, with more than 68,000 acres protecting marsh, forest, and coastline. Still, I wasn’t really expecting to see a plethora…
Tag: florida
National Parks Traveler – A Toddler’s Joy Over Gulf Islands National Seashore
Waves crashed on the sandy shore of Santa Rosa Sound, wind whipping off the water and flinging my hair in all directions. One family had set up their chairs on the narrow strip of beach between the sound and the trees of the Gulf Islands National Seashore’s Naval Live Oaks area, but with a three-year-old and 18-month-old…
BirdWatching Daily – Lake Jackson sinkhole opens birding hotspot in Florida
I spotted the raptors before I saw the Lake Jackson sinkhole. Osprey and Turkey Vultures wheeled in tight circles above a small pool of water, surrounding by the sloping sides of what had been the lake bottom. I walked to the edge, shielding my eyes against the bright summer sun to take in a Wood…