Gold Star Park
This small park in the city of Wetumpka features an excellently designed and executed walking trail with very good birding. The trail encompasses a surprising variety of habitats – forest, riverbank, and more. Directions: From Montgomery, follow the Northern Boulevard to US 231N toward Wetumpka. Go approximately 9 miles on US 231N and turn left [...]
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Corn Creek Wilderness Park
Great birding opportunities, though the area may be crowded on pretty days and weekends. The best times to visit are weekdays and/or early mornings on weekends and holidays. Scan the skies for birds of prey and walk the overgrown trails for woodland birds. Directions: From Montgomery, take US 231N through Wetumpka. 1 mile after passing [...]
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Lanark Nature Center
Lanark Nature Center is a former private home and the extensive acreage surrounding the homesite offers a number of trails with easy access to the surrounding woodlands. An occasional stream on the entrance road (note the small bridge) is an excellent place to seek out Louisiana Waterthrushes and Acadian Flycatchers in the warmer months. The [...]
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Fort Toulouse/Ft. Jackson
After turning off US 231, check the fields for meadowlarks, swallows, bobwhites, and Red-tailed Hawks – and harriers and kestrels in winter. Open swamp on the right of the entrance road has Anhingas and Prothonotary Warblers. Search for Swainson’s Warbler in the wet area on the left. The trails in the arboretum boast large numbers of Parulas and Yellow-throated warblers. The entire area is rich with birdlife; look for woodpeckers, particularly Red-headed, owls, especially Barred, and swallows over the river.
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Cooter’s Pond
The park is full of songbirds – Prothonotary and Parula warblers, redstarts, cuckoos, and even Painted Buntings are here in the warm months. There are always Eastern Bluebirds and Brown-headed Nuthatches; watch the water for Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and waterfowl, the latter primarily in winter. Excellent year-round, this site can be phenomenal during spring and fall migration.
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