Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008
1. Fort Morgan Peninsula/Trans Gulf Migration Flyway & Hummer/Bird Study Group
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
As a stopover on the Trans Gulf Migration Flyway, Fort Morgan has been named one of the 100 Globally Important Bird Areas in the U.S. by the American Bird Conservancy. This trip will visit the banding site of Bob Sargent and the Hummer/Bird Study Group, where 2,000-4,000 birds of 85-90 species are banded and their health recorded over a two-week period each fall. You might experience the thrill of holding a migratory bird in your hand and releasing it into the air. The trip will also take in the extensive open areas and the shoreline of Fort Morgan Historical Park that are attractive to western strays and landbirds, passerine migrants, and raptors. On this trip, expect to see Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Palm Warbler, Yellow Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Merlin, and American Kestrel. This trip has extensive walking in brush and sand. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug repellent.
2. Dauphin Island Trans Gulf Migration Flyway
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
Dauphin Island has been named the “Birdiest Small City’ in the U.S. and for good reason - an informal count in 2004 recorded 185 species. Located on the Trans Gulf Migration Flyway, Dauphin Island has been named by Wild Bird magazine as one of the top four locations in North America for viewing neotropical migrations. This heavy-walking trip will visit prime birding spots, including the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary, the Airport Marsh, Shell Mound Park, rock jetties at Fort Gaines, and the Causeway. On this trip, expect to see Clapper Rail, Great Blue Heron, Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Brown Pelican, and Black Skimmer.
3. Mobile Bay/Dauphin Island Sea Lab Research Vessel A. E. Verrill Cruise
7am - 3pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$45 - includes lunch
This trip provides a unique opportunity to view gulls and pelicans up close as they follow the Dauphin Island Sea Lab research vessel, the A.E. Verrill, a 65-foot, diesel-powered, steel hull boat on Mobile Bay. You can observe the movements of individual feathers as the birds fly just a few feet above and around you. With the aid of marine biologists from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and other birding experts, you will also learn the Bay’s history, ecology, and value and examine specimens caught in a trawl net. Trip includes a stop at the Estuarium and might make a close-up pass of Alabama’s only lighthouse, the Sand Island Light. Expect to see Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Skimmer, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Forster’s Tern, Caspian Tern, Herring Gull - and perhaps even bottlenose dolphins.
PLEASE NOTE:
• The A.E. Verrill is a working boat with very limited seating. There is a small toilet onboard.
• The captain makes the final decision regarding cancellations for weather or high seas.
• You MUST wear closed-toe, rubber soled, lace-up shoes. No sandals. No exceptions.
4. Weeks Bay Reserve and Weeks Bay Explorer Cruise
7am – 3pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 – includes lunch
This trip provides an opportunity to cruise Weeks Bay, Fish River, and Magnolia River on a comfortable pontoon boat. With the aid of biologists from the Reserve and other birding experts, you will learn about estuarine ecology as you explore this beautiful estuary. Trip includes easy walks on boardwalks through a bottomland hardwood swamp and through a rare native pitcher plant bog. Expect to see Brown Pelican, Royal Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Clapper Rail – and perhaps American alligator and bottlenose dolphins.
5. Lower Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Cruise
4pm - 6pm
Cruise departs from 5 Rivers
$20
One of the wildest regions of Alabama is the tangle of rivers, bayous, marshes, and swamps known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. This birder’s paradise has been designated as one of Alabama’s Ten Natural Wonders. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here. Enjoy a casual, relaxing cruise onboard The Pelican guided by a naturalist from the Alabama State Lands, our host at the beautiful 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. On this cruise, you might see Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, American White Pelican, White Ibis, Wilson’s Snipe, Laughing Gull, and Forster’s Tern. Listen for the frogs and keep an eye out for nutria, northern raccoon, and American alligators!
6. Welcome Reception and Presentation
6:30pm - 8:30pm
5 Rivers Delta Resource Center
$30, includes soft drinks, coffee, wine and beer
Enjoy a tasty selection of hors d’oeuvres and dessert and meet your fellow birders at the beautiful 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. Browse the gift shop and display halls, gather around the stacked-stone fireplace, or just take in the expansive view of the Delta from the screened porch and spacious deck. Bring your binoculars! Expert birder and photographer Greg Harber, research assistant, Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, will present Through the Delta and Beyond, a slide show set to music that features a variety of birds and their habitats, ranging from the farthest reaches of Northern Alabama, through the inland plain, and into the Delta and the Gulf of Mexico. Share the wonder of Alabama’s birds on the journey that millions take every spring and fall. Greg’s photos have appeared in Alabama Birdlife, Journal of the Alabama Ornithological Society, and the four-volume set, Alabama Wildlife, published by The University of Alabama Press.
Friday, October 17, 2008
7. Bayou La Batre, Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Point aux Pins
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
Fishing, shrimping, and oyster harvesting are big business in the fabled land of Forrest Gump. Birding concentrates on waterbirds, shorebirds, and marsh species. Passerines and raptors are often abundant in the fall. The lands in this area are so biologically diverse that The Nature Conservancy has called it one of the “Last Great Places on Earth.” On this trip, you might see Marsh and Sedge Wrens, Seaside Sparrow, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Great Egret, and Mottled Duck. This a moderate walking trip. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.
8. Mobile Bay/Dauphin Island Sea Lab Research Vessel A. E. Verrill Cruise
7am - 3pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$45 - includes lunch
See trip #3 on Thursday for description.
9. Weeks Bay Reserve and Weeks Bay Explorer Cruise
7am – 3pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 – includes lunch
See trip #4 on Thursday for description.
10. 5 Rivers, Meaher State Park, Daphne Bayfront Parks, Jackson’s Oak
8am to noon. Carpool from 5 Rivers
$20
A moderate walking tour through a variety of local habitats, including wooded trails and shoreline at 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, elevated boardwalks at wetlands at Meaher State Park, shoreline at Daphne Bayfront Park, and wooded trails at Jackson’s Oak. On this trip, expect to see a wide variety of shorebirds, and migratory birds, including Virginia Rail, Greater Yellowlegs, American Coot, Brown Pelican, American White Pelican, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Boat-tailed Grackle, White Ibis, and Wilson’s Snipe.
11. Lower Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Cruise
3pm - 5pm
Cruise departs from 5 Rivers
$20
See trip #5 on Thursday for description. Note time change!
12. Barbecue and Seafood Dinner, Speaker, and Silent Auction
5:30pm - 9pm
The James P. Nix Center in Fairhope
$35 – includes soft drinks, coffee, wine, and beer
At the Alabama Coastal BirdFest, you’ll experience true Southern Hospitality. Tonight’s event features a sumptuous dinner of fried and baked seafood, pulled pork, and seasonal local favorites. Arrive promptly at 5:30 for toe-tapping music, and place your bids at our exciting Silent Auction. This is a great opportunity to find deals on works by many of our talented local artists and photographers. Nature related products, art, wine, trips, and practical items will be up for bid. After dinner, we’ll hear a fascinating presentation from Dr. Frank Moore, ornithologist and Chairman of the Biology Dept. at the University of Southern Mississippi, about the high cost of migration, including the availability of suitable habitat.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
13. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR) contains 7,000 acres of coastal barrier habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles, and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. Guides on this trip will include naturalists from BSNWR who are particularly familiar with this unique habitat. More than 370 species of birds have been identified on the refuge during migratory seasons. The maritime forests, coastal marsh, beaches, and open waters of the refuge provide essential habitat for an amazing diversity of birds. On this trip, you might see Scarlet Tanager, Palm Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Brown Pelican, Marsh Wren, Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Swainson’s Thrush, Osprey, Merlin, and Forster’s Tern. Mid-October is also the peak of the annual Monarch butterfly migration. This trip includes extensive walking through brush, wooded areas and on the beach. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.
14. Dauphin Island/Sand Island Shorebirds
6:30am to 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 – includes lunch
Dauphin Island, a 14-mile long barrier island, has been called one of the “ten most globally important sites” for bird migration. This tour includes a visit to the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary, a 164-acre protected oasis of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes, and Sand Island, a narrow strip of land that used to surround the Sand Island Lighthouse but has migrated closer to Dauphin Island over the centuries. On this trip, expect to see Red Knot, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Willet, Piping Plover, Black Tern, Semipalmated Plover, Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, and Black Skimmer. Wear shoes that can get wet and pants that can be rolled up. You might have to wade to board the small boat that will take you the short distance to Sand Island.
15. Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Historic Blakeley State Park & Delta Explorer Cruise
7am to 10:30am. Carpool from 5 Rivers
$25
This trip features a 2-hour cruise in the lower Delta, a true birder’s paradise, on board the 50-passenger Delta Explorer, plus birding on the boardwalk. Participants are welcomed to continue their visit to the park with a stop at the Wehle Nature Center or walks on park trails. Expect to see Osprey, Bald Eagle, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Kite, American Coot, and Common Moorhen. Wear closed-toe shoes.
16. Backyard Wildscaping
8am to noon. Carpool from 5 Rivers
$20
Join Kent Schwartz, professor of landscape architecture at Faulkner State Community College, for this delightful walking tour of campus, yards of local nature enthusiasts, and parks in Fairhope that successfully combine native plants, ornamentals, and water features to create bird- and butterfly-friendly environments. The trip includes a stop at Fairhope’s Knoll Park for a glimpse of a rare coastal sandhill ecosystem, currently undergoing renovation to reestablish native species.
17. Lower Mobile-Tensaw Cruise
5pm - 7pm
Cruise departs from 5 Rivers
$20
See trip #5 on Thursday for description. Note time change!
Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008
18. Bayou La Batre, Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Point aux Pins
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
See trip #7 on Friday for description.
19. Blakeley Island Ponds, Mud Lakes, and Polecat Bay
6:30am to noon. Carpool from 5 Rivers
$20
This area along the Mobile River provides an opportunity to view large numbers of waterfowl and waders. Blakeley Island is near the west end of the Mobile Causeway and is best known for its large dredge disposal ponds. Large waders are abundant and Pied-billed Grebe is common. Other commonly seen birds are Black-necked Stilts, Wilson's Phalarope, gulls, terns and swallows. When conditions are good, Blakeley Island is the best shorebird spot in Alabama This tour includes walking through brush and scrub. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.
20. Dauphin Island Trans Gulf Migration Flyway
6:30am - 2pm. Bus leaves from 5 Rivers
$40 - includes lunch
See trip #2 on Thursday for description.
21. Lower Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Cruise
7am to 9am
Cruise departs from 5 Rivers
$20
See trip #5 on Thursday for description. Note time change! |
