Registration is now open! Click here to register or scrolldown to read the full trip/event schedule.

 

Q: What’s new for the 8^th Annual Alabama Coastal BirdFest?

A: New dates, new registration fee (with new benefits!), new free workshops, and new ‘meet the bus’ trips.

 

This year’s BirdFest, Oct. 6-8, is earlier and a day shorter. As many of you have requested, we’re giving you Sunday off to bird on your own, see other area attractions, or travel. Also new this year is a $15 registration fee for all registrants. As a paid registrant, you may attend the pre-BirdFest Orientation, Presentation & Welcome Reception (no reservations required) and you will receive a copy of the 2011 poster, featuring the photography of Sherry Stimpson Frost—in all, a $40 value. We’ve also added a full schedule of workshops at 5 Rivers—all for no extra charge!

         As always, this year’s BirdFest features tours to prime birding spots along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, including Fort Morgan, Dauphin Island, Weeks Bay, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Bayou La Batre, Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna, bayfront parks in Daphne and Fairhope, and more. Knowledgeable and entertaining guides will lead you through some of the best birding spots in North America as we explore our coast on foot and by boat. Bus trips leave from 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, located on the Causeway between Mobile and Spanish Fort. New for this year, you may choose to meet the bus at some trip locations. For example, if you live in Gulf Shores and want to go on the Fort Morgan trip, you can pay less, bring your own lunch and meet the bus. Trips with this option are designated by the letter “A.” See the schedule below and the full field trip descriptions for details

 

The 2011 Alabama Coastal BirdFest Schedule

 

PrE-BirdFEST OriENTATiON, PrESENTATiON & WELCOmE rECEPTiON

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 6-8pm, Delta Hall, 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center

(FREE WitH PAiD REgistRAtiON)

Enjoy beverages and a light meal and meet your fellow birders at the beautiful 5 Rivers

Delta Resource Center. Pick up your registration packet if you wish, and get directions for drive-yourself trips. Browse the exhibit hall, gather around the stacked-stone fireplace, or take in the expansive view of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta from the screened porch and spacious deck. Bring your binoculars!

          Local birder and expert photographer, Kathy Hicks, BirdFest’s 2009 featured artist, will present “Nature Through Our Lenses,” a musical slide show of bird and nature photos taken by some of the area’s finest photographers, including this year’s poster photographer, Sherry Stimpson Frost, and former BirdFest artists, Bill Summerour, Terry Hartley, Lisa Comer, and BirdFest founder John L. Borom, plus outstanding images from members of our local camera clubs, including Mobile’s CameraSouth, the Eastern shore Camera Club, and Pensacola’s Wide Angle Photo Club. Join us for this exquisite photographic journey through the rich natural environment of the Alabama Gulf Coast.

 

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Trip #1: Thursday - 6:30am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $40 - includes lunch

 

Trip #1A: Thursday - Meet bus at Bon Secour (approx 7:30am, Refuge Headquarters)

Fee: $20 - bring your own lunch

More than 370 species of birds have been identified at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge during migratory seasons. Guides include naturalists from BSNWR who are particularly familiar with the refuge’s 7,000 acres of coastal barrier habitat, home to migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. Trip includes walks through maritime forests, coastal marsh, and beaches: essential habitat for an amazing diversity of birds. 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, and possibly migrating Monarch butterflies. This trip includes extensive walking through brush, wooded areas, and on the beach. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

Dauphin Island/Trans Gulf Migration Flyway

Trip #2: Thursday - 6:45am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $40 - includes lunch

 

Trip #2A: Thursday - Meet bus on Dauphin Island (approx 7:45am, Cadillac Square Park)

Fee: $20 - bring your own lunch

WildBird magazine calls Dauphin Island one of the “top four locations in North America for viewing neotropical migrations.” An informal count in April 2008 recorded 203 species, making Dauphin Island the “Birdiest Small City” in the U.S. This heavy walking trip will visit prime birding spots, including the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuaries, the airport marsh, Shell Mound Park, the goat trees, rock jetties at Fort Gaines, and the causeway. On this trip, you might see Clapper Rail, Great Blue Heron, Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Brown Pelican and Black Skimmer. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

Mobile Bay, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Research Vessel Alabama Discovery Cruise

Trip #4: Thursday - 6:45am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $45 - includes lunch

 

Trip #4A: Thursday - Meet the bus on Dauphin Island (approx 7:45am, Estuarium parking lot)

Fee: $30 - bring your own lunch

 

Trip #11: Friday - 7am-3pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $45 - includes lunch

 

Trip #11A: Friday - Meet the bus on Dauphin Island (approx 8am, Estuarium parking lot)

Fee: $30 - bring your own lunch

This trip gives you unique opportunity to view gulls and pelicans up close as they follow Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s research vessel, the Alabama Discovery, a 65-foot, fuel-efficient fiber glass hull boat, on Mobile Bay. You can observe movements of individual feathers as the birds fly just a few feet above and around you. With the aid of marine biologists from DISL and our birding experts, you will learn the Bay’s history, ecology and value, and examine specimens caught in a trawl net. The trip includes a stop at the George F. Crozier 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.

 

 

New! Fairhope Falls and Daphne Bayfront Park

Trip #3: Thursday - 7am-noon. 

Carpool from 5 Rivers or meet at Fairhope Falls (approx 7:30am) Fee: $20

Fairhope Falls is a huge subdivision that was not completed. Homes were not built, but birds moved in and are often in abundance. Habitats include open fields, ponds, and a path through dense woods. You might see Killdeer, various ducks, and many passerines. After Fairhope Falls, we will visit Daphne Bayfront Park to look for shorebirds and wading birds.

 

 

Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Weeks Bay Explorer Cruise

Trip #5: Thursday     •     Trip #8: Friday     •     Trip #16: Saturday

7am–noon. Carpool from 5 Rivers or meet at Weeks Bay dock (approx 7:45am)

Fee: $20

With the aid of biologists from the Reserve and other birding experts, you will learn about the ecology of this beautiful estuary on a comfortable pontoon boat cruise onboard the Weeks Bay Explorer on Weeks Bay, Fish River, and Magnolia River. After the boat trip, you may choose to take easy walks on a boardwalk through a bottomland hardwood swamp and/or rare native pitcher plant bog. Expect to see Brown Pelican, Royal Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Osprey, Bald Eagle and nest, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Clapper Rail—and perhaps American alligator and bottlenose dolphins. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

Bayou La Batre, Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Point aux Pins

Trip #6: Thursday     •     Trip #9: Friday

6:30am-2pm.  Bus leaves from 5 Rivers

Fee: $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 the trip, you might see Marsh and Sedge Wrens, Seaside and Swamp Sparrows, American Oyster-catcher, Black-necked Stilt, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Great Egret and Mottled Duck. This is a moderate walking trip. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

Lower Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Pelican Cruise

Trip #7: Thursday - 4-6pm.  Cruise departs from 5 Rivers dock

Fee: $20

Wind your way through open river, small bays, tidal marshes and mud flats on a comfortable cruise onboard the Pelican in the Lower Mobile-Tensaw Delta, led by a guide from 5 Rivers Delta Safaris. Designated as a National Natural Landmark by Congress, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is home to an abundance of wildlife and vegetation including over 300 bird species. Look for Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, White Ibis, Wilson’s Snipe, Laughing Gull and Willet, as well as frogs, nutria, northern raccoon and American alligators! Bring bug spray.

 

 

Middle Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Pelican Cruise

Trip #12: Friday     •     Trip #18: Saturday

8-11am. Carpool from 5 Rivers or meet at Cloverleaf Landing (approx 8:30am)

Fee: $20

Designated a National Natural Landmark by Congress, the Mobile-Tensaw is home to an abundance of wildlife and vegetation including over 300 bird species. This relaxing Middle- Delta cruise onboard the Pelican, led buy a guide from 5 Rivers Delta Safaris, will explore open river and wetland habitats of fresh water marsh grasses, Cypress/Tupelo Gum forests and man-made Native American spoil banks. Watch for Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, plus Alabama Red-bellied Turtles, and American Alligators! Bring bug spray.

 

 

Blakeley Island Mud Ponds and William Brooks Park

Trip #13: Friday - 6:30am-noon.  Carpool from 5 Rivers

Fee: $20

This area along the Mobile River provides an opportunity to view large numbers of waterfowl and waders. Blakeley Island is best known for large dredge disposal ponds that are the premier shorebirding spots in the state. William Brooks Park, managed by the City of Chickasaw, features a boardwalk and easy walk to a viewing pavilion. Check for waders, waterfowl and Osprey in the open areas over the creek. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

5 Rivers, Meaher State Park, Daphne Bayfront Parks, and Fairhope Bayfront Park

Trip #10: Friday - 8am-noon.  Carpool from 5 Rivers

Fee: $20

A moderate walking tour through a variety of local wood, wetland, and shoreline habitats, including 5 Rivers, Meaher State Park, Daphne Bayfront Park, Jackson’s Oak, and Fairhope Bayfront Park. Expect to see a wide variety of shorebirds and migratory birds including Virginia Rail, Greater Yellowlegs, American Coot, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, American White Pelican, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Boat-tailed Grackle, White Ibis, Wilson’s Snipe and Mallard. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

BirdFest Social with Speaker and Silent Auction

event #14: Friday - 5:30-9pm: St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Fairhope (new location)

Fee: $35 (includes soft drinks, wine, beer & coffee)

Come enjoy true Southern hospitality. Tonight’s event features seafood, barbecue, and tasty sides. Arrive promptly at 5:30pm to enjoy live music and to place your bids at the Silent Auction. You’re sure to find a must-have piece by a talented local artist or photographer, plus nature-related products, and other items.

         After dinner, Eric Soehren, zoologist with the Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: State Lands, President of the Alabama Ornithological Society, and State Coordinator for the USGS Breeding Bird Survey, will speak on the great diversity of birds found on the Alabama Gulf Coast and provide examples of work being done in Alabama to benefit rare and declining bird species.

 

 

Fort Morgan Peninsula/Trans Gulf Migration Flyway

and Hummer/Bird Study Group

Trip #15: Saturday - 6:30am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $40 - includes lunch

 

Trip #15A: Saturday - Meet bus at Fort Morgan banding site (approx 7:30am)

Fee: $20 - bring your own lunch

The American Bird Conservancy calls Fort Morgan one of the top Globally Important Bird Areas in the U.S. This trip will visit the banding site of Bob Sargent and the Hummer/Bird Study Group, which over a two-week period every fall, bands and records the health of 2,000-4,000 birds of 85-90 species. You might get to hold a bird in your hand and release it into the air. The trip also visits the extensive open areas and shoreline of Fort Morgan Historical Park, all part of a vital Trans-Gulf Migration Flyway. On this trip, expect to see Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Palm Warbler, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Broad-winged Hawk, Merlin and American Kestrel. This trip has extensive walking in brush and sand. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring bug spray.

 

 

Backyard Wildscaping

Trip #19: Saturday - 8am-noon. 

Carpool from 5 rivers or meet in Fairhope (approx 8:30am, Bell Bldg, Faulkner campus)

Fee: $20

Join Kent Schwartz, professor of landscape architecture at Faulkner State Community College, for a delightful walking tour of the Fairhope campus, yards of local nature enthusiasts and Fairhope parks that 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.

 

 

Dauphin Island/Pelican Island Shorebirds

Trip #17: Saturday - 6:30am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $40 - includes lunch

 

Trip #17A: Saturday - Meet bus on Dauphin Island (approx 7:30, Cadillac Square Park)

Fee: $20 - bring your own 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 Audubon Bird Sanctuary, a 164-acre protected oasis of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes. This trip also visits Pelican Island, a narrow strip of land (now often connected to the main island) 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, Sanderling, 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 a small boat that will take you the short distance to Pelican Island.

 

 

Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Backcountry Trails

Trip #20: Saturday - 6:30am-2pm.  Ride bus from 5 Rivers

Fee: $40 - includes lunch

 

Trip #20A: Saturday - Meet bus in Gulf Shores (approx 7:30am at Backcountry Trailhead)

Fee: $20 - bring your own lunch

This trip highlights the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, developed cooperatively by the City of Orange Beach and Gulf State Park in one of the last remaining maritime forests in coastal Alabama. This remnant natural area acts as a lifeline for millions of migratory birds, providing essential food and shelter, so there is excellent birding potential. The Branyon Trail is paved, but trip may include unpaved trails through sandy oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, relict dune swales and even a pitcher plant bog. Trip may visit the bridge at Perdido Pass, where the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail begins, and Lake Shelby at Gulf State Park. Wear closed-toe shoes; bring bug spray.

 

 

5 Rivers Canoe/Kayak Paddle

Trip #21: Saturday - 7-11am.  Paddle departs from 5 Rivers dock

Fee: $25 - includes canoe/kayak, paddle & life jacket

This beginner-level paddle will take you through the middle of the river, bayou and marsh grass habitat of the lower Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. There is no better way to experience birds of the Delta than aboard a canoe or kayak, led by experienced guides from 5 Rivers Delta Safaris. You might see Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, American Coot, Belted Kingfisher, Brown Pelican and Clapper Rail.