St. Johns Audubon Society - Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge Trip Info

Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge - DeLeon Springs, FL

Trip Summary and Journal Entry
"Skip Whitford and Diane Reed co-led a joint field trip to Lake Woodruff. Around 25 people showed up for what turned out to be an excellent birding day with lots of walking. We had great views of animals to include otters, a rabbit and plenty of alligators. A Mississippi kite was observed out at one of the cells. This bird does not usually show up until around March, so it was considered quite controversial for this time of year with plenty of debate among the birders. We also had looks at the whooping cranes, which was a special treat for everyone. Everyone enjoyed views of a Virginia rail that stayed hidden in the grasses, but gave us a quick glimpse every so often. We were also able to hear the chattering of this elusive rail. The total trip species seen are listed below." - Diane Reed, 2/5/2007

Original Trip Notification and Itinerary
Leader: Skip Whitford / Diane Reed (Duval Audubon & St. Johns Audubon Field Trip) Date: January 27, 2007 Time: 8:15AM Meeting Place: Refuge headquarters What to Bring: Drinks, lunch, snacks, insect spray, binoculars, a scope if you have one and lots of energy Trip Difficulty Level: This trip consists of walking possibly over 2 miles Directions: From US Highway 17 in DeLeon Springs, go west on Retta Street one block to Grand Avenue. Proceed south .5 mile on Grand Avenue to the refuge headquarters (4490 Grand Avenue ). The refuge is located 25 miles west of Daytona Beach; 1 block west of U.S. Highway 17 in DeLeon Springs, FL. Visit their website at http://www.fws.gov/lakewoodruff/ Questions? Call Diane Reed @ 904-829-9854 This little known refuge borders the St. Johns River and is comprised of 19,000 acres of freshwater marsh, swamp, and uplands. Waterfowl and marsh birds are attracted to the impounded pools. Miles of dyke surrounds the impoundments and there are nature trails that travel through pine and hardwood forests. Possible birds to be seen include limpkin, American bitterns, blue-winged teal, sandhill cranes, other waterfowl, and forest birds.

Species List & Count This area contains a listing of the species seen or heard on the trip.
Pied-billed grebe Double-crested cormorant Anhinga Great blue heron Great egret Snowy egret Little blue heron Tricolored heron Cattle egret White ibis Glossy ibis Black vulture Turkey vulture Blue-winged teal Green-winged teal Hooded merganser Osprey Mississippi kite Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered hawk American kestrel	Wild turkey Virginia rail Sora Common moorhen American coot Limpkin Sandhill crane Whooping crane Ring-billed gull Forster’s tern Rock pigeon Mourning dove Belted kingfisher Red-bellied woodpecker Yellow-bellied sapsucker Downy woodpecker Pileated woodpecker Eastern phoebe White-eyed vireo Blue jay American crow Fish crow	Tree swallow Tufted titmouse Carolina wren Sedge wren Marsh wren Ruby-crowned kinglet Blue-gray gnatcatcher American robin Gray catbird Northern mockingbird Cedar waxwing Yellow-rumped warbler Palm warbler Common yellowthroat Savannah sparrow Swamp sparrow Song sparrow Northern cardinal Red-winged blackbird Eastern meadowlark Boat-tailed grackle
Photo above courtesy of Marie Dailey