Please join us for a West Alabama Birding Launch at Lake Lurleen State Park – Pavilion One

Park Admission is FREE for this special event!
13226 Lake Lurleen Road Coker, Alabama 35452

Friday, April 26, 2013
9:30 am – 1:00 pm

BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS! Join us for a hands-on educational birding experience and birding walk! Bring your picnic lunch and join us for a Birding Launch on the West Alabama Birding Trail at Lake Lurleen State Park – Pavilion One on Friday, April 26, 2013. The fun begins at 9:30 am. You don’t want to miss out on seeing a live eagle, falcon, owl and other exciting birds, a Raptor Trek presentation by Becky Collier of the 4-H Program of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System!

Because it provides great birding opportunities for beginning birders as well as for experts, Lake Lurleen State Park has been named a Gateway Site’ on the West Alabama Birding Trail, one of eight Alabama Birding Trails www.alabamabirdingtrails.com/trails/west-alabama.

The project is an initiative led by the Alabama Department of Tourism, in partnership with the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Birmingham Audubon Society, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Cahaba Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Moundville Archaeological Park, the U.S. Forest Service and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

Bring your own chair if seating is needed! Join us for an educational birding walk geared for all! Participants will also receive a FREE “Day-Use Pass” to Lake Lurleen to be used at your leisure. Light refreshments will be provided.

Directions From Tuscaloosa, AL
-Travel McFarland Boulevard NW for 9.5 mi
-Turn right (north) on CR 21 (Upper Columbus Road) travel 2.3 mi
-Turn right on Lake Lurleen Road
-Park entrance is on the left where the road makes a “Y”

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Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge will hold its first Festival of the Cranes, a one-day event filled with refuge tours, up-close viewings, workshops, live raptors, and nature walks, January 12, 2013, kicking off a year-long celebration of Wheeler’s 75th anniversary. The celebration of Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes will bring together experienced birders and those who would like to learn more about birding while providing opportunities to learn about the cranes and other wildlife that calls the Refuge home.

Over 11,000 Sandhill Cranes along with several pairs of Whooping Cranes spend the winter each year at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Hosted by the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Association, the Festival of the Cranes kicks off at 6 a.m. with a Sunrise Breakfast in the Visitor Center classroom. Following breakfast, Refuge Manager Dwight Cooley will lead an early morning birding walk to see cranes and other waterfowl arrive in the fields to begin their day of feeding and loafing. A $5 donation is suggested and participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring binoculars and a camera.

Throughout the day, the enclosed Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Observation Building, complete with bleachers and spotting scopes, will offer views of thousands of Sandhill Cranes, along with Whooping Cranes, ducks, geese, raptors, and maybe a bald eagle. Volunteers and staff members will be on hand to answer questions.

Acclaimed author, storyteller, and naturalist Brian “Fox” Ellis will be the special guest and featured speaker and will be presenting his Adventures with Audubon. His portrayal of Audubon will enchant participants with stories from some of the wildest places on Earth. At 9 a.m., he will host Bird is the Word writing workshop. In this participatory workshop, participants will learn tips for effective journaling, how to use poetry to help write clearer and more exciting essays, and how to turn field notes into publishable articles. At 11:30 a.m., he presents Bird Tales: Stories and Songs from Many Cultures, a blend of his lifelong love for birds and traditional folktales from different cultures. Through poetry and song, legends and facts, a celebration of all things crane is planned for 2:15 p.m. when Ellis presents Crane Tales Around the World. At 4 p.m., Ellis (as John James Audubon) concludes the day-long event with a recap of his tales from his travels and travails.

Additional activities include a showing of Hope Takes Wing, a film by and about Operation Migration chronicling the history of the Whooping crane; Raptor Trek! Alabama’s Premier Live Bird of Prey Experience featuring owls, hawks, falcons, and a Bald Eagle presented by Becky Collier of the Alabama 4-H Center; and children’s activities centering around the importance of cranes in Japanese culture. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association will sponsor a pizza lunch. A $5 donation to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association is suggested. The day-long event concludes at 5 p.m.

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located at 3121 Visitor Center Road in Decatur. For more information on the Festival of the Cranes, visit www.friendsofwheelerrefuge.org or call Teresa Adams, supervisory ranger for Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, at 256.350.6639.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established on July 7, 1938 by Executive Order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the first National Wildlife Refuge placed on a multi-purpose reservoir to provide habitat for wintering and migrating birds. Covering 35,000 acres, it attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl each year and is home to Alabama’s largest wintering duck population. The Refuge also supports the state’s largest concentration of Sandhill Cranes. The 75th Anniversary Celebration featuring live raptors and wildlife, children’s activities, and special guest and master of ceremonies “T.R. Roosevelt” as portrayed by Joe Wiegand, is set for October 5, 2013. For more information on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, visit www.fws.gov/wheeler.

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Appalachian Highland Birding Trail Launch
CHEAHA STATE PARK
Bald Rock Lodge
Saturday DECEMBER 15, 2012
10 AM—2 PM

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Celebrate the Cleburne County gateway launch at the Mountain Center Appalachian Highland Birding Trail Visitor Center on December 1, 2012. The newly developed trail is the sixth of eight organized trails that will ultimately cover the state as birding becomes an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Alabama.

The official gateway opening will take place at 1:30 p.m. Central Time at The Mountain Center.  The Mountain Center is located  in Cleburne County Alabama (6751 Hwy 78 Heflin, AL). This event will be led by Jacksonville State University, Cleburne County representatives, as well as local officials and civic leaders. Events and vending are scheduled throughout the day:

• 10:30 am   Bird Watching for Beginners -USFS (Meet Woodsy Owl)
• 12:00 pm   Beaks, Feathers & Eggs– Renee Morrison, JSU Field Schools
• 12:50 -1:20   Music for the Birds- Joshua Turner, Guitarist
• 1:30 pm   Gateway CEREMONY – Pete Conroy, Director JSU EPIC; Emily Brown, Director Cleburne County Chamber of Commerce, et.al.
• NBM Snack Corner Lunch & Snack Vending available all day on site.

On-going Learning Stations & Exhibits:

• JSU Field Schools Wild about Birds Station (Migration Game)
• Alabama Ornithology Society How Big Are Birds Station
• Audubon Society All About Birds Station
• USDA Forest Service Exhibit
• Cleburne County Chamber of Commerce
• Heflin PARD Activities & Programs
• Friends of the TNF Birding Arts & Crafts
• Cleburne County High School Bird House Sale
• Cheaha State Park Exhibit and Activities
• USFW Mountain Longleaf Wildlife Refuge Exhibit
• Self-guided Tours

This is a collaborative project:
The Alabama Tourism Department has provided much of the funding for this project; The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development is providing the leadership role of facilitation; The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Non Game Wildlife Program, Jacksonville State University Field Schools and The Birmingham Audubon Society have provided institutional knowledge. The Alabama Cooperative Extensions System and Chambers of Commerce across the state have led the way in promoting and providing educational resources. Federal partners include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others. The eight Alabama Birding Trails unify existing and potential birding sites into a series of cohesive trails that are part of a state-wide system.

The nine counties that make up the trail are Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, St Clair, Shelby, and Talladega. Three years in development, the Appalachian Highlands trail now features 38 approved sites covering an area of over four million acres. The trail website, www.alabamabirdingtrails.com, when completed, will offer detailed information about the sites and sounds of all of Alabama’s birding trails.
As a form of tourism, birding has seen significant growth both nationally and certainly in Alabama over the past several years. Statistics show that the typical birding enthusiast is older and well-educated with disposable income – just the type tourist that we welcome to this area.
Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast, with a tremendous range of birds that can be seen in the state and certainly on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail.

The trail will be marked with directional signs and there will be interpretative signs at many sites, featuring an overall trail map and information on the types of birds most commonly spotted at that site. There will be “gateway” sites (visitor centers) in several counties with trail maps and information pertinent to that county. In addition to birding sites, the trail map and other marketing material will feature “sidebar sites” – additional local attractions for visitors to explore while in the area.

This birding trail is not only a valuable means of attracting more visitors to Alabama; it’s also a great educational resource for our students and an opportunity for inexpensive family outings. Schools can use the trail sites for field trips and families can visit on a Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. With the signs and the available printed material, there will be plenty of information.

The birding trails project is funded by the Alabama Tourism Department, with technical assistance from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Birmingham Audubon Society, The Alabama Ornithological Society, and local leaders within each region. The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) is providing project management and oversight.

For more information, contact Renee Morrison at 256-782-5697 or email rmorrison@jsu.edu

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Set for Noon, November 2, 2012 at the Yohollo Mico Walking Trail in Eufaula, Alabama (Barbour County)

Dateline (Barbour County, AL; November 2012) – Ten Wiregrass Counties come together this November to launch the Wiregrass Birding Trail.  The newly developed trail of 20 sites is the last of eight organized trails, and 250 sites, covering Alabama. The ten counties that make up the Wiregrass Birding Trail are Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Crenshaw, Covington, Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston.  Eufaula has 4 of the sites out of the total of 20 sites in the region.  An ongoing project for over 5 years, trail development has coincided with birding becoming an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Alabama.

The sites in Barbour County are the Eufaula Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State Park, Old Creektown Park, and Yohollo Mico Walking Trail.

The official Ribbon Cutting Launch will be held November 2, 2012 at Noon at the trail head of the Yohollo Mico trail in the heart of downtown Eufaula.   Activities include the ribbon cutting, an adult bird walk, Children’s activities led by Amber Dunn, Regional Extension Agent for 4-H for Barbour County, and a hummingbird expo given by Fred Bassett. Birding Art will be on display at the James S. Clark Center by the “Art Scene”, Coloring Contest for grades 3 to 5 in Eufaula City Schools, Barbour County Schools, Lakeside School and the TEACH program for Home school, drawings and many more surprises.  All free of charge.

In addition to the Eufaula festivities, the Wehle Center in Midway provides excellent birding opportunities in nearby Bullock County.  Eufaula will celebrate the regional nature of the trail by including the Wehle Center in the launch with a group Birding Tour, available at 3:00 p.m. on Friday November 2nd starting at the main gate of the Wehle Center.  Free of charge.

As a form of tourism, birding has seen significant growth both nationally and certainly in Alabama over the past several years.  Statistics show that the typical birding enthusiast is older and well-educated with disposable income – just the type tourist that we welcome to this area!

The birding trail is not only a valuable means of attracting more visitors to Alabama, it’s also a great educational resource for our students and opportunity for inexpensive family outings.  Schools can use the trail sites for field trips and families can visit on a Saturday, Sunday or holidays.  With the signage and soon to be available printed material, there will be plenty of information.

Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast, with a tremendous range of birds that can be seen in the state and certainly on the Wiregrass Birding Trail.

The birding trails project is funded by the Alabama Tourism Department, with technical assistance from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Birmingham Audubon Society, The Alabama Ornithological Society and local leaders within each region.  The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) is providing project management and oversight.  The Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce is the lead project manager for the Eufaula Birding Trail sites.

Contact: Ann Sparks, Director of Tourism, 333 E. Broad Street, Eufaula, AL  36027, 334-687-6664

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Contact: Ralph Antonelli, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, 662-327-2142

Set for September 21, 2012 at the Tom Bevill Visitor’s Center Pickensville, Alabama (Pickens County)

Dateline (Pickens County, AL; September 2012) – The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development is providing project management and oversight for a statewide birding trails project funded by the Alabama Tourism Department. Eight Alabama counties will come together on September 21 to launch the West Alabama Birding Trail. This trail, one of eight trails covering the state, provides easy access to Alabama’s natural wealth as bird-watching tourists become an increasingly important source of revenue for Alabama.

The official trail launch begins at 9:30 a.m. (central) on September 21 at The Tom Bevill Visitor’s Center, 1382 Lock and Dam Road, Pickensville, AL  35447 (Pickens County), bringing together local officials, civic leaders, school children and birding enthusiasts throughout the eight counties and beyond.

Highlights of the event include a Raptor Trek presentation by 4-H Program Coordinator Becky Collier that includes several raptors, including a Bald Eagle.  An expert birder will guide an adult bird walk and Lauren Chapman, Regional Extension Agent for 4-H for Hale, Pickens and Tuscaloosa Counties will lead a bird walk and scavenger hunt for children.  A Sun Safety Program will also be presented by Patti Presley-Fuller and Denise Shirley with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

The eight counties that make up the West Alabama Birding Trail include Bibb, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Walker. Key partners in the West Alabama Birding Trail include Birmingham Audubon Society, The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Cahaba Wildlife Refuge, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Moundville Archaeological Park, State Parks, the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, and U.S. Forest Service.  The Alabama Birding Trail website, www.alabamabirdingtrails.com, offers detailed information about the sites and sounds of Alabama’s birding trails.

As a form of tourism, birding has seen significant growth both nationally and certainly in Alabama over the past several years. A typical birding enthusiast is older and well-educated with disposable income – just the type of tourist that we welcome to this area.  Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast, with over 400 species of birds.

Additional trail launches in the West Alabama Birding Trail include Moundville Archaeological Park in Hale County on November 3, with other events planned later in the fall at Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park in Bibb County, Lake Lurleen State Park in Tuscaloosa County, and Talladega National Forest – Payne Lake Recreation Area in Bibb County.

The eight Alabama Birding Trails are an effective way to bring economic benefits to rural Alabama and provide a fun and educational resource for schools, churches, Scout troops, families, and birders of all ages. The Alabama Birding Trails offer the public a chain of eight geographic regions, Alabama Coastal, Alabama Blackbelt, Appalachian Highlands, North Alabama, Piedmont Plateau, Pineywoods, West Alabama, and Wiregrass.

The birding trails project is funded by the Alabama Tourism Department and managed by The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development.  Other agencies offering technical support include the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Birmingham Audubon Society, The Alabama Ornithological Society, and local leaders within each region.

Directions to the Tom Bevill Visitor Center From Tuscaloosa, AL

-Travel West on US-82 for 18.0 mi

-Turn left (Southwest) on AL-86. Travel 24.4 mi

-Turn left on AL-14. Travel 0.4 mi

-Turn Right on lock and Dam Rd. Travel 0.3 mi

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The Birmingham Audubon Society will offer a field trip to Limestone Park on Saturday, August 11.  Everyone is invited to meet BAS trip leader Ken Wills at 7 a.m. at the McDonald’s on Highway 31 at the Galleria.  Participants will carpool to various locations around Limestone Park Swamp in Alabaster looking for a rare Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Storks, as well as Anhingas, Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets, all of which have been observed recently in the swamp.

The highlight of the trip will be a chance to use the new birding observation deck at Alabaster’s Limestone Park, which has recently been selected as a site on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail.  The BAS field trip will join Mayor David Frings and other civic leaders at 9 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new birding observation deck, which was funded and constructed through a partnership between the City of Alabaster and the Birmingham Audubon Society. The elevated deck is handicapped accessible, and provides opportunities for local birders and tourists from all over the US to observe the rich birdlife of Limestone Park.

Because of its combination of open meadows, tupelo gum swamps, and adjacent woodlands, Limestone Park is rated by local birders as one of the most exciting locations for viewing a broad range of bird species, including unusual visitors like the Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Storks, and Anhingas, which are rarely seen in Central Alabama.  After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, BAS trip leader Ken Wills will lead the group to another site on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail, Ebeneezer Swamp in Montevallo.  For more information about the BAS Field Trip to Limestone Park on August 11, please go to www.birminghamaudubon.org.

Because it provides great birding opportunities for beginning birders as well as for experts, Limestone Park has been named a ‘Magnet Site’ on the new Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail, an initiative led by the Alabama Dept. of Tourism, in partnership with the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Birmingham Audubon Society, and the State Non-Game Wildlife Program.

Three years in development, the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail now features 38 approved sites in Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, St Clair, Shelby, and Talladega counties, covering an area of over four million acres. The new birding trail is not only a valuable means of attracting more visitors to Alabama, it’s also a great educational resource for our students and an opportunity for inexpensive family outings.   Schools can use the trail sites for field trips and families can visit on a Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. The newly developed trail is the sixth of eight organized birding trails that will ultimately cover the state as birding becomes an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Alabama.

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If I were pressed to name my 10 favorite birds, one of the birds on that list would be the Scissor-tailed flycatcher. But they are very, very scarce here in Alabama. Although they have been nesting here for several years, the summer birds are few and far between — probably fewer than a dozen pairs in the entire state. It’s long been the plan to travel to the Gulf Coast in October and November to see the species in Alabama; they are almost a sure thing at Fort Morgan or Fort Gaines in fall.

So it was a rare and special treat to catch an adult Scissor-tailed flycatcher feeding dependent young at Sledge, just recently. The parent bird repeatedly flew out for large flying insects from over the nearby farm pond, then returned to feed the hungry fledglings perched on the power wires.

This birding trip was part of a “pilgrimage” that I make often in the late spring and summer — to drive down to and through the Black Belt — following the blue highways that pass by the extensive farms and fields, the catfish and cattle ponds, the small swamps, streams, and marshes. Searching for the “summer specialties” that appear in the open country in this, hottest part of the year. This day Eva and I saw not only the Scissor-tails, but also Wood storks, White pelicans, a Fulvous whistling-duck, Mississippi kites…I could go on, but it sounds like bragging.

Do this, though: get in the car. Bring water, snacks, a sun protection, and drive to that part of the state near Greensboro, Eutaw, Demopolis, Uniontown..Use state highways 69,25, and 61, and the county roads that criss-cross and connect them. Now keep your eyes open; this is magnificent summer birding!

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Nine east-central Alabama counties will come together on May 12 to launch the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail. The newly developed trail is the sixth of eight organized trails that will ultimately cover the state as birding becomes an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Alabama.The official trail launch will take place at 10:30 a.m. Central Time at The Canyon Center at Little River National Preserve, bringing together national and state legislators and other state representatives, as well as local officials and civic leaders from the nine counties.Invited speakers include: Chris Kuykendall, Commissioner, Dekalb County Commission; Bill Jordan, Mayor, Fort Payne; John Dersham, Director of Tourism, Dekalb County; Thereasa Hulgan, Director of Tourism, Cherokee County; Richard Lindsey, Legislator, Alabama House of Representatives; Anne Miller, Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail Coordinator and Birmingham Audubon Society representative; Pete Conroy, JSU EPIC Director; Nisa Miranda, Birding Trail Project Director and Director of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development; Keith Hudson, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

There will be Bird Watching for Beginners, Nature Observation Hike, Make & Take Hummingbird Feeders Children’s Craft, Bird of Prey Show, and other on-going learning stations.

The nine counties that make up the trail are Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, St Clair, Shelby, and Talladega. Three years in development, the Appalachian Highlands trail now features 38 approved sites covering an area of over four million acres.

As a form of tourism, birding has seen significant growth both nationally and certainly in Alabama over the past several years. Statistics show that the typical birding enthusiast is older and well-educated with disposable income – just the type tourist that we welcome to this area.

Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast, with a tremendous range of birds that can be seen in the state and certainly on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail.

Additional trail launches include Anniston Museum of Natural History on September 8; Ruffner Mountain Nature Center on September 28; Oak Mountain Interpretive Center later this summer; Talladega Mountains Natural Resource Center in October; Cheaha State Park in late fall.

The trail will be marked with directional signs and there will be interpretative signs at many sites, featuring an overall trail map and information on the types of birds most commonly spotted at that site. There will also be “gateway” sites in several counties with trail maps and information pertinent to that county.  In addition to birding sites, the trail map and other marketing material will feature “sidebar sites” – additional local attractions for visitors to explore while in the area.

This birding trail is not only a valuable means of attracting more visitors to Alabama, it’s also a great educational resource for our students and an opportunity for inexpensive family outings.   Schools can use the trail sites for field trips and families can visit on a Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. With the signs and the available printed material, there will be plenty of information.

The birding trails project is funded by the Alabama Tourism Department, with technical assistance from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Birmingham Audubon Society, The Alabama Ornithological Society, and local leaders within each region. The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) is providing project management and oversight.

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I had the opportunity spend a day at beautiful Weiss Lake, near Centre and Leesburg in NE Alabama. What a lovely place — with an abundance of good songbird habitat on the way up, and the extensive lake gave me the opportunity to commune with a  reasonably good number of winter visitants still present at this, the tail end of the state’s  second-warmest winter on record.

I chanced to see an American white pelican — the first time I’ve seen that species on this lake — as it flew by, no more than 20 yards away. Which reminded me…those are huge birds!

But I found myself spending time gull-watching. In fact, I gull-watched for the longest time imaginable. This is only significant because I don’t really care much for gulls. Yes, it’s true; for the most part I just don’t find gulls to be that interesting. There are exceptions, chief among them — Bonaparte’s gull. These little guys are a bit larger than a pigeon, and fly quickly and directly, often dipping into the water for food. They are are the most tern-like of gulls, and I could watch them for hours. So I did. A hundred or more zipped and sailed back and forth in front of me, occasionally dropping to the lake’s surface to feed.

Beautiful little things, I thought. The small dark bill contrasting with the white head, the dark eye and black ear patch, pinkish legs and feet, the gray mantle, and especially the showy white triangle on the leading edge of the wing and the thin black stripe on the trailing edge.

Anyway, the point is that it’s not too late to visit the larger bodies of water in North Alabama to see wintering birds. To get to Weiss Lake, Take exit I-59 to exit 205  (Collinsville) and follow east on AL 68. You’ll pass through Leesburg, then Centre, and after leaving Centre, you’ll cross the main body of the lake. There is a paved parking lot/boat launch area on the left a bit more than halfway across the lake.

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For the past twenty-five years, it seems that the number-one form of mid-winter birding in Alabama for most observers has been Bald Eagle-watching. It began with the discovery of a substantial winter roost of the birds at Lake Guntersville and soon spread from there. Before long, several of the state parks were hosting eagle-themed weekends, and crowds thronged to see the national bird. As the species’ population rebounded, more and more of Bald Eagles wintered in Alabama. In the ’90′s, a breeding population of Bald eagles was established. The state proved to be fertile ground for the birds, and the number of nesting pairs of Bald Eagles has increased geometrically across the state in recent years, to the point that, although they remain most common in the dead of winter, Bald eagles may be seen any day of the year in any part of the state.

So have we become “bored” with Bald Eagles? I certainly hope not. The birds are always magnificent to see, and they are especially majestic in flight. But perhaps we don’t look at individual birds quite as intently now that they are more numerous, more widespread, and present throughout the year.

A worthwhile suggestion, though: pay close attention to those large, dark soaring birds. They may not ALL be Bald eagles. This has been the best year in memory for wintering Golden Eagles, with several of the birds seen in different parts of the state in the past month. Currently, there are individual Golden Eagles at Eufaula NWR in Barbour County, at the “hawk farm” near Guntersville Dam off US 431 in Marshall County (14+ miles west of Guntersville on 431, and 2.3 miles south on Guntersville Dam Rd., where the bird has been seen soaring over the road itself and over the open fields to the west), and another in the Shoal Creek division of the Talladega National Forest.

To tell the eagle species apart, note that Bald Eagles soar on long, narrow, “plank-like” wings. Golden Eagles’ wings are broad and have a curve on the trailing edge. Bald Eagles have massive yellow bills and give the overall impression of a huge head and neck with a relatively short tail. Golden Eagles have smaller, darker bills; the sense is one of a small head-and-neck projection with a very long tail. Young Bald Eagles have widespread and random bits and flecks of white on the body and wings. Young Golden Eagles have very localized white — only at the base of the tail and at the “wrist” on the wings. And adult Bald Eagle should be unmistakeable, with its gleaming white head and tail, while the adult Golden Eagle is almost equally distinctive for its huge size and golden nape.

While Bald Eagles are primarily fish-eaters, only occasionally taking waterfowl, and even more seldom, terrestrial prey; Golden Eagles who winter in the east subsist primarily on deer carcasses — especially road-killed deer. So Bald Eagles are mostly found near large bodies or water, and Golden Eagles should be expected where there is open country (for soaring) with large deer populations and county roads or “blue highways” nearby.

Keep your eyes peeled for Golden Eagles this winter –  I have a feeling there may be additional birds around that have not yet been seen or reported.

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It’s a chilly, bright January day; I’m standing below the Logan-Martin Dam with my wife Eva, and we’re enjoying the great looks we’re getting at the eagles, the Osprey, the gulls, the herons…what a great place!

Among the birds present here are Black-crowned night-herons – adult Black-crowned night-herons, sub-adult Black-crowned night-herons, first-year Black-crowned night-herons…lots and lots of Black-crowned night-herons.  And then it struck me: The rocks and rip-rap below the Logan-Martin Dam constitute the best and most reliable place in Alabama to see Black-crowned Night-Herons. It is unusual to be able to make such a statement as this with confidence and conviction, but I believe it to be true: This is Black-crowned Night-heron central for Alabama.

And that is an unusual situation, because Black-crowned night-herons are one of Alabama’s least common wading birds. Although they are known to nest in the state, and despite the fact that they are present throughout the year, BCNH’s are highly uncommon in the state. Even for a night-heron, they are relatively rare: they are probably outnumbered by their close relative, the Yellow-crowned night-heron, by a ratio that must be close to 50:1.

Not only are these birds present in only small numbers in the state, their habits make it hard on us: they are largely nocturnal, and they typically spend much of their free time ensconced in deep camouflage amongst cattails and marsh grasses, where they can be amazingly difficult to spot. Sure, they occur in other places in the state – I could suggest the swamp on the south side of the road across the Hwy 69 bridge in Guntersville, or the Dauphin Island Airport marsh (at night), or East Lake Park in Birmingham, or Swan Creek Management Area near Decatur…but the numbers are low, visibility is tough, the birds are most active in the dead of night, or they may or may not be present.  So Logan-Martin Dam is the place. Here the birds are present – in the open — in good numbers all day long, every day of the year.

Black-crowned night-herons are relatively easy to identify. They are about 2’ tall. Adults sport a pointed black bill, a black cap, nape, and back, with powder-grey neck and upper breast, slate grey wings and tail, and white underparts. Note the bright red eye. First-year birds are grey-brown with white teardrop-shaped spots over the entire body. The young birds’ bills are yellow to horn-colored. Subadult birds are intermediate, with the marking of the adult birds and the greyish-brown coloration of the younger birds. All BCNH’s have yellow legs. The call (a nasal “squok”) gives the birds their nickname – Squok. Young birds can be difficult to distinguish from young Yellow-crowned night-herons. There are a few features that should help: 1) BCNH’s have a thinner bill, with a slight downward curve. 2) BCNH’s have shorter legs above the knee. And 3) In flight, only the toes of a BCNH extend beyond the tail. A YCNH has the entire foot and a tiny bit of leg  trailing beyond the tail. All this and one more thing – baby BCNH’s are more grey than YCNH’s , which are really warm brown.

Got some time to look for birds in Central Alabama this month? Try Logan-Martin Dam. From I-20 at Pell City in St Clair County, take exit 158 and follow US 231 south for 10 miles. Take a left turn onto Hwy 54 (where there is a sign for the dam) and follow 4.5 miles until you see Kelly Creek Rd. Turn right onto Kelly Creek Rd, which dead-ends at a public parking area below the dam. Your GPS headings are: N 33.426069  W -86.33884.

Check out the jetties and rip-rap for night-herons.

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