Registration is now open! Click here to register or scrolldown to read the full trip/event schedule.
Q: What’s new for the 8th 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.