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| (Sites 39-50) |
Dauphin Island is one of the most popular places on the Gulf Coast for birding during spring migration. The Dauphin Island bird card lists 345 species, about 85 percent of the state list. As a classic migrant trap it can be an overwhelming experience during a spring fall out when a cold front moving southward brings rain and northerly winds causing birds to literally fall from the sky. Birding can be equally good in the fall but seems to linger longer. Motels are conveniently located for birding as are several excellent restaurants. Check with either of the above contacts for further information. The loop begins at the water tower on Dauphin Island, at the southern end of AL 193, covers the forested east portion of the island, then the western portion. The loop then continues across the bridge and causeway to the mainland and ends west of Bayou La Batre.
ACBT 39.
Shell Mound
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| (Sites 39-45) |
From the water tower drive east on Bienville Boulevard to Iberville Street [0.3], turn left and you will see the Shell Mound straight ahead of you, to the north. Park on the shoulder anywhere and explore the mound, an ancient Indian shell midden. The park is managed by the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, whose offices are on the back side (northeast corner) of the park. Check in the office for a tide table, it will be invaluable in birding for shorebirds and waders. The ancient live oaks provide the insects and cover that the neotropical migrants depend on at their first landfall. It is not unusual to see 20 species of warblers here on a good day. Check the information box at the north side of the mound for recent bird sightings and a bird card for the island. Look northward from here across the field to the feeders on the edge of the lawn. Check for Bronzed Cowbird as well as Shiney Cowbird that show up occasionally.
ACBT 40.
Goat Trees
After leaving the Shell Mound turn left (east) at the first road and continue east on Cadillac Avenue to Grant Street [0.4]. Park on the shoulder out of the traffic and bird the trails amongst the large oaks on the left. Migrants frequently feed in these trees.
ACBT 41.
Cadillac Square
Turn right (south) on Grant Street and return to Bienville Boulevard, across the street you will see Cadillac Square, a large park with lots of old live oaks, picnic tables and restrooms. It is also a good place to bird. Black-whiskered Vireo has been seen here in the recent past.
ACBT 42.
Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary
Continue eastward on Bienville Boulevard crossing Audubon Street to the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary [0.9]. Turn right into a small gravel drive and proceed to the parking area [100 yds]. During peak migration in mid-April, you may have to park in the median on Bienville Boulevard when the parking lot is full. Check the information box in the parking lot for brochures and study the map. The sanctuary has 164 acres of largely maritime pine forest with several miles of trails. Passerines prefer the oak grove of the old Banding Area to the extreme east end of the Campground Trail and the south boundary of the swamp along the Dune Edge Trail. Swainson's Warbler is frequently found at the Banding Area and Black-whiskered Vireo may be found there occasionally.
ACBT 43.
Pelican Point
Continue eastward along Bienville Boulevard past the ferry landing. You may want to pause here for the restrooms and/or look at the far shore for waders, shorebirds and seabirds. Ferry landings are always good for gulls and terns. Continue past the Estuarium and on around the east end of Fort Gaines to the parking lot at the end of the road [0.9]. This spot provides an excellent view of the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Pass.
Check the jetties for shorebirds. Ruddy Turnstone and Black-bellied Plover are common. Marbled Godwit and Red Knot are fairly regular in spring along the shore. Bobolinks frequent the field and underbrush between the road and the fort during migration.
ACBT 44.
Airport
Return along Bienville Boulevard back to the water tower. Continue to the next intersection and turn right on Lackland after passing the town hall on the left. Proceed on Lackland two blocks to Chaumont, turn left (west) and continue on Chaumont to Omega Street. Bear to the right on the approach to the airport where there is marsh on both sides of the road. Continue to the end of the road and park. Observe the no trespassing signs for the airport proper. Though this is a small general aviation strip there is frequent helicopter traffic out to the gas wells in the gulf.
Check the marshes carefully for rails. Clapper Rail is common, Virginia and Sora are fairly common though secretive in fall and winter. Yellow Rail is very rare in winter as is Black Rail most of the year. Also check the marshes for Seaside and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Check the ponds and sandbars to the north for Reddish Egret. In winter scan the bay for ducks; Horned and Eared Grebe, scaup, Bufflehead, and mergansers. Long-tailed Duck is an occasional visitor. During spring and fall migration check the brush and trees for passerines, particularly after a front with strong west winds. This is the time and place for possible vagrants.
ACBT 45.
West End
Return to Omega Street, turn right (south) and proceed to Bienville Boulevard. Turn right (west) on Bienville and continue westward after the boulevard turns to two lanes. Access to the western end of the island may be limited. As of this writing, Feb. 2009 the side streets are under repair from recent hurricanes, as are the drainage ditches.
American Kestrel is common on the wires during winter. Common Nighthawk has been known to breed on the extreme West End. The drainage ditches along the western portion of the drive are ephemeral, and may be tidal, depending on recent hurricane history. They may host egrets, herons and ibis. There is one record of White-faced Ibis along here. Return to the water tower.
ACBT 46.
Bayfront Park
From the Dauphin Island water tower proceed north on Le Moyne Drive (AL 193) across the bridge to the mainland, carefully driving and looking at the same time. Do not stop on the bridge, although the sandbars and shoals will be full of birds at low tide. Continue northward to Bayfront Park on the right (east) [7.7]. This is a county park that affords a good view of the open bay with some marsh habitat. There are picnic tables and public restrooms available. Look for seabirds on the pilings in the bay and shorebirds along the shoreline. From the shoreline, walk the boardwalk to an inland marsh. Look closely for Least Bittern and Clapper Rail. During fall and winter, Sora and Virginia Rails are regular, but secretive. Common Yellowthroats, Marsh Wrens and Boat-tailed Grackles are common.
ACBT 47.
Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area
From Bayfront Park, continue north on AL 193 to a 4-way stop [10.2]. Follow AL 193 by turning left (west) and traveling 0.7 miles to the next intersection. Turn right (north) following AL 193 and proceed 0.9 miles to Degussa Road. Turn left (west) on Degussa Road and continue to a stop sign and a railroad track crossing [1.2]. Cross the railroad tracks and turn left onto Industrial Road and travel 0.7 miles to a paved parking lot on the right (north). The Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area consists of 200-acres of restored wetlands and adjacent uplands by the Alabama State Port Authority to mitigate for construction impacts on the Theodore Channel. In cooperation with the Alabama Department of Corrections, restoration actions included clearing rubbish, removing invasive, non-native plants, replanting over 20,000 native trees and shrubs, erecting 80 nest boxes and building an extensive trail system. This national award winning mitigation project features a 2.3 mile easy-to-walk interpretive trail that traverses through several distinctive habitats offering excellent birding opportunity throughout the year. The upland portions are a reliable place to find Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Wood-pewee, Prairie Warbler and Blue Grosbeak. The trail then leads to a long boardwalk over Muddy Creek and adjacent bottomland forest. Scan the Bald Cypresses, hardwoods and wetland shrubs for an assortment of warblers, vireos and resident species. Eventually, the trail winds to a large beaver impoundment along the northern end of the tract where Wood Duck, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Parula are common. This area is open to the public daily during daylight hours and closes at dark. For additional information about the Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area, call the 251/441 7001.
ACBT 48.
Bellingrath Gardens
Leaving the Muddy Creek parking lot, turn right (west) on Industrial Road and proceed to the Bellingrath Road intersection (CR 59) [1.0]. Take a left (south) and continue 5.7 miles and bear left (east) on a cutoff road toward the gardens. At intersection, proceed east to parking lot [1.0]. The entire 900-acre complex is a bird sanctuary and there is an observation tower overlooking the Fowl River and salt marsh. Although good year around, birding potential for neotropical migrants increases during the spring and fall months. Cruises through the waters of the Fowl River aboard the Southern Belle are available March through November. The gardens open at 8 am, closing time is seasonal. Call Bellingrath Gardens at 251/973 2217 for admission costs to the gardens and the river cruise. Return to Bellingrath Road, turn left (south) and continue to AL 188 [4.0].
ACBT 49.
Coden Belt Road
Turn right (west) at AL 188 and proceed to Clark Road [3.7] in Coden, and turn left (south) and follow the road to the water's edge. Continue westward on Coden Belt Road. There will be a few sandbars exposed at low tide which may be good for shorebirds, gulls and terns. Occasionally a large flock of Black Skimmers can be viewed out over the water. Dunlin and Red Knot may be found in winter on the sandbars. If it's a cold winter there may be bay ducks out on the water.
ACBT 50.
Henderson Camp Road – Grand Bay Savanna Forever Wild Tract
Coden Belt Road loops back to AL 188 at the Coden Bayou Bridge. Turn left (west) and continue west on AL 188 through Bayou La Batre. Continue following AL 188 by turning left (west) at the McDonalds [3.4]. Proceed 5.9 miles to Henderson Camp Road and turn left (south). The highlight of this stop is in spring during migration. After 2.5 miles or so, begin scanning the cattle pastures and fallow fields on both sides of the road. In April, look for Swallow-tailed Kites foraging over freshly cut fields and flocks of Whimbrels scattered in the pastures. Whimbrel flock sizes occasionally exceed into the 100s making this one of the premier places in coastal Alabama to observe this species during migration. Loggerhead Shrikes, American Kestrels, Field Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks are regular throughout winter. Painted Buntings are occasional along fence rows in spring.
If time permits, continue south to the gravel parking lot on the left where the pavement ends [3.5] to access the northwestern section of the Grand Bay Savanna Forever Wild Tracts. Four contiguous parcels together make up more than 5,300-acres managed as a nature preserve by the ADCNR State Lands Division and hosts a variety of marsh, bog and lowland forest habitats representative of the northern Gulf coast. From the parking lot, you can either take a hiking trail east along the property boundary or walk the dirt road south of the parking lot. Before you enter the property, be sure to check the sheltered billboard during the hunting season. Along the north boundary trail, knee boots are recommended for the low-lying areas the trail crosses. Red-headed Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher are common here. Alternatively, following the road south allows easy viewing of the pine savanna where residents like Brown-headed Nuthatch are regular year around. Birding opportunity increases along this stretch during spring and fall migration.
This is the end of the Dauphin Island - Bayou La Batre Loop.
Hopefully your tour of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail was a memorable experience and you will return again and again to enjoy the extraordinary birdlife of our area. Return to AL 188 from Henderson Camp Road. To head for I-10 and Mississippi, turn left (north) and take AL 188 to Grand Bay and I-10. To retrace your path, turn right and continue eastward on AL 188 to Alabama Port and the intersection with AL 193. At this point you may turn left (north) and return to I-10 and Mobile. Or, you can turn right (south) and return to Dauphin Island. You may want to stay on the island or take the ferry to Ft. Morgan.
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