Fox Creek at Lake Wedowee
Expect to see swallows and Purple Martins in spring and summer, and Belted Kingfishers, wading birds, and Wood Ducks throughout the year. During the winter months, additional waterfowl, gulls, and terns appear. Keep your eyes peeled for Ospreys and Bald Eagles.
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West Point Dam
The woods surrounding the lake are rather open, mostly mature pine and mixed oak, and contain a good variety of songbirds and raptors. The major attraction here is panoramic views of the lake, notable for winter gulls and terns. Look for loons and other waterfowl in colder months, swallows and Purple Martins in the warmer ones. Bald Eagles and Ospreys nest in the vicinity. This is a spot for rarities, including Great Cormorants. Watch the easy-to-see gulls carefully, as numerous unusual gulls can be present along with more common varieties.
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Turnipseed Camp
An excellent addition to birding in Cheaha State Park, this site is easily reached via the Talladega Scenic Byway. The mature, mixed pine-oak forest provides a nice stop for woodland songbirds. Good location for breeding Scarlet Tanagers, Black-throated Green Warblers, and Ovenbirds. Watch for Blue-headed Vireos. Directions: Leave Lake Chinnabee and go to stop sign. [...]
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Swift Creek Park
This secluded site features an extensive all-age forest and water. Rough trails lead through the bottomland site covered with towering white oaks and an understory boasting numerous turkeys and Pileated Woodpeckers. Directions: From intersection of US 82 and AL 14, travel east 9 miles to the sign for Swift Creek. Turn left onto CR 21 [...]
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Opelika Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park
With entrances at the old home-site or one at the roadway, this area provides ideal birding paths throughout the nutrient-rich intentional wetland. The home-site trail follows a heavily wooded site and stream, terminating at the preserve’s observation blind. The roadway site has an adjoining trail. This is a particularly bird-dense site, and one to be [...]
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Maplesville City Park
The open habitat along the nature trail is home to a good selection of suburban birds (Blue Jays, cardinals, Brown Thrashers, and mockingbirds) along with canopy-dwelling birds such as White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-bellied and Downy woodpeckers, and Pine Warblers. Directions: From east Alabama, travel AL 22W into Clanton and follow further to Maplesville. At caution light, go [...]
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Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area
This interesting lakeside habitat is biologically diverse and has excellent plant life. It is one of the premier birding sites in central Alabama. Directions: Leave Cheaha State Park and turn right. At 1.4 miles, turn right. See signs that you are leaving Cheaha State Park and entering Talladega National Forest. Go 5 miles, and turn [...]
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Jones Bluff Powerhouse/Robert F. Henry Dam
Surprisingly good birding here owing in no small part to the varied palette of habitats — one of the best places in the region to see wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and terns in the wetland areas. There is excellent second-growth habitat housing Prairie Warblers, chats, sparrows, and wrens. This area provides an excellent opportunity to [...]
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Jones Bluff Park
This is an extremely productive and diverse area. Everything from gulls to sparrows can be found here, owing in large part to the highly diverse habitats. The trail bordering the Alabama River is replete with riparian birds, from hummingbirds to Louisiana Waterthrushes, Prothonotary Warblers, swallows, Ospreys, and cormorants. Directions: From the intersection of US 82 [...]
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Holly Hills Trail at D.A.R.E. Power Park
Very much in its “natural” state, this trail includes wonderful plant and habitat diversity. The area should boast an impressive complement of birds throughout the year. The trails traverse a number of excellent birding areas, so they are well worth the time and effort. Directions: From the intersection of US 280 at AL 49, turn [...]
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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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Crooked Creek Watershed Site #3 Nature Trail
A densely-forested tract of hardwood forest. The area is remote and has limited access, but the potential for finding good birds here is quite high. This site lacks amenities of any kind but is worth the extra effort. Directions: From I-20, take AL 77S to Ashland. Take AL 9N approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto [...]
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