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Vol. 1 - Florida & Southeast 11/08
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Vol. 1 - Florida & Southeast 11/08
Vol. 2 - the Southwest 11/09
Day 104, Camp 23 - Ochlockonee State Park, Sopchoppy, FL
Posted 03-04-2009 at 07:12 PM by Phantom
2009/02/23
Day 104, Camp 23 (3 nights @ $15 per nite)
Ochlockonee State Park, Sopchoppy, FL
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge &
Wakulla Springs State Park
ALL PHOTOS RELATED TO THIS BLOG
ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW AT:
Picasa Web Albums - Phantom
We pulled out of Shell Mound and headed North, up Hwy 98, around the 'Big Bend' of Florida, heading West into the panhandle ... about 160 miles to the little town of Sopchoppy and Ochlockonee State Park. (pronounced 'O'clock-e-nee' with the 'eh' before the 'knee' nearly silent). This was really a 'jewel' of a park... just like the Florida State Parks brochure claims! Located on the banks of the Ochlockonee River, in dry Sand Pine Forests, with beautiful grasses, trails and canoeing. Home to Black Bear (didn't see any in Florida yet), White-tailed Deer, Gopher Tortoises and the unusual White Squirrel.... not albinos, but a color phase of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. It is also home to the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, the only woodpecker to nest in cavities it makes in live pines! We were not so fortunate to see one, though we did see a Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Mockingbirds and the illusive Winter Wren. The campground was very nice... with protected sites... ours was on the river side, just a short trail through the scrub to sandy river beaches and trails. I really liked it here!
We hiked the trails, once rescuing a lost and exhausted dog... a tall, medium sized, very sweet hound of some sort. We walked him to the ranger station and learned that some jerk had left him after hunting some four months ago! Though he had been contacted by the park manager, who was caring for him, he had not returned for his dog!... even though he lived in central Florida. How sad.
We drove around the area... never have we seen so many 'for sale' sign everywhere we go. All kinds of properties are up for sale. Small cottages, estates, river and ocean frontage homes, condos, etc. etc. A strange and trying time in America.
We visited St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge... just a short distance back along the coast. It was a beautiful area... fresh and salt water marshes... a light house out on the gulf. Many, many shore birds, wading birds, ducks, etc. Saw Royal Terns, Lesser Scaup, American Widgeons, Boat-tailed Grackles, Fish Crows... so many first-sightings for me... and of course the ever-present Great Egrets, Brown Pelicans, etc. I'm thinking I may need a better birding book...
.... should have gotten one at the great visitor center!
From there we drove a little inland to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. A very large and deep spring, we took a boat tour on the river. The very place that some of the old Tarzan movies were made... the Johnny Weissmuller ones.... and the famous Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was amazing how many birds were on the river. American Widgeons, American Coots, Common Moorhens, Wood Ducks. Saw an illusive Yellow-crowned Night Heron, deep in a bush... couldn't get a decent photo. Tons of gators. Saw a Banded Water Snake on the dock, up-close and personal. Not poisonous, but teeth like a saw blade and so much dirty bacteria that a nasty infection is nearly certain. Nice.
If it were summer, the place would be mobbed with swimmers and divers. Great day trip!
Day 104, Camp 23 (3 nights @ $15 per nite)
Ochlockonee State Park, Sopchoppy, FL
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge &
Wakulla Springs State Park
ALL PHOTOS RELATED TO THIS BLOG
ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW AT:
Picasa Web Albums - Phantom
We pulled out of Shell Mound and headed North, up Hwy 98, around the 'Big Bend' of Florida, heading West into the panhandle ... about 160 miles to the little town of Sopchoppy and Ochlockonee State Park. (pronounced 'O'clock-e-nee' with the 'eh' before the 'knee' nearly silent). This was really a 'jewel' of a park... just like the Florida State Parks brochure claims! Located on the banks of the Ochlockonee River, in dry Sand Pine Forests, with beautiful grasses, trails and canoeing. Home to Black Bear (didn't see any in Florida yet), White-tailed Deer, Gopher Tortoises and the unusual White Squirrel.... not albinos, but a color phase of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. It is also home to the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, the only woodpecker to nest in cavities it makes in live pines! We were not so fortunate to see one, though we did see a Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Mockingbirds and the illusive Winter Wren. The campground was very nice... with protected sites... ours was on the river side, just a short trail through the scrub to sandy river beaches and trails. I really liked it here!
We hiked the trails, once rescuing a lost and exhausted dog... a tall, medium sized, very sweet hound of some sort. We walked him to the ranger station and learned that some jerk had left him after hunting some four months ago! Though he had been contacted by the park manager, who was caring for him, he had not returned for his dog!... even though he lived in central Florida. How sad.
We drove around the area... never have we seen so many 'for sale' sign everywhere we go. All kinds of properties are up for sale. Small cottages, estates, river and ocean frontage homes, condos, etc. etc. A strange and trying time in America.
We visited St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge... just a short distance back along the coast. It was a beautiful area... fresh and salt water marshes... a light house out on the gulf. Many, many shore birds, wading birds, ducks, etc. Saw Royal Terns, Lesser Scaup, American Widgeons, Boat-tailed Grackles, Fish Crows... so many first-sightings for me... and of course the ever-present Great Egrets, Brown Pelicans, etc. I'm thinking I may need a better birding book...
.... should have gotten one at the great visitor center!From there we drove a little inland to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. A very large and deep spring, we took a boat tour on the river. The very place that some of the old Tarzan movies were made... the Johnny Weissmuller ones.... and the famous Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was amazing how many birds were on the river. American Widgeons, American Coots, Common Moorhens, Wood Ducks. Saw an illusive Yellow-crowned Night Heron, deep in a bush... couldn't get a decent photo. Tons of gators. Saw a Banded Water Snake on the dock, up-close and personal. Not poisonous, but teeth like a saw blade and so much dirty bacteria that a nasty infection is nearly certain. Nice.
If it were summer, the place would be mobbed with swimmers and divers. Great day trip!
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