Surprise visitor to Emeralda Marsh underscores area's importance to migrating birds

LISBON — Maxfield Weakley , professional photographer and vice president of the Marion Audubon Society , often ventures beyond his usual Ocala-area stomping grounds to the Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area , which, he says, hosts more than 200 species of birds ranging from rare local snail kites to shy painted buntings and even canvasbacks, which are diving ducks.

Sometimes, the visitors steal the show.

"The Black-and-white Warbler ( Mniotilta varia ) is one of many birds that spend the winter months here in the Sunshine State," Weakley explained, adding the tiny songbirds reside throughout the eastern United States during the breeding season in the spring and summer and up into the Northwest Territories in Canada.

Of the sighting, he posted on his Facebook page that "this curious guy perched perfectly for me for several seconds; it was definitely the closest I’ve gotten to a studio-type photo of this species!"

Weakley visited Emerald Marsh on Oct. 11, just after Hurricane Milton downed trees throughout central and north central Florida.

Emeralda Marsh, Weakley said, wasn't too affected: "There was one tree that fell across the road for the wildlife drive, a fair number of trees and limbs down in the surrounding area, and noticeably higher water levels."

The excitement of seeing migratory birds distracted him from his Milton concerns.

Each fall, these warblers and hundreds of other species fly thousands of miles to escape the cold north and vacation in the warm southern states or the neotropics' temperate zones. The neotropical region encompasses Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

"For us in Central Florida, October is the peak of this southward migration, and it is when we can find several avian species that typically aren’t found in our state," Weakley said.

Some birds, such as Weakley's recently spotted male Black-and-white Warbler, will stay throughout the winter and head back north come March."

The expert birder tells us that migrating birds treat Florida as a "diving board" before heading further south to the Caribbean Islands, Mexico or Central and South America.

"Still, before these birds make the final leg of their journey south, they need to find somewhere to build up their diminished fat reserves and rest, and the Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area north of Lisbon is one of the best places in Lake County for them," Weakley emphasized.

"During migratory periods, this area teems with life from swollen numbers of our local populations and snowbirds," he added. "Later into the end of fall and beginning of winter, waterfowl are abundant in the marsh, and with this abundance comes the rare oddball that is the Christmas dream for local birders."

Weakley, who travels extensively to spot and photograph birds offers a recommendation:

"If you’ve never been, I strongly urge you to drive out to Emeralda at your next earliest convenience and do some birding!"

You can visit the conservation area by navigating to 36900 Emeralda Island Road, Leesburg. More details at sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/emeralda-marsh .

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Surprise visitor to Emeralda Marsh underscores area's importance to migrating birds