Black Belt Field Trip: Greensboro and environs

The second of two great summer trips exploring Alabama’s Black Belt takes us to a broad stretch of coastal plain between the Black Warrior and Alabama Rivers. Participants on both trips regularly report Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites, wood storks, and scissor-tailed flycatchers, as well as numerous other southern summer specialities—each one a bird worth traveling for.

This trip in particular focuses on the “catfish country” of Hale and Perry Counties, an extensive system of agricultural ponds that draw in wading birds and a sporadic population of post-breeding wood storks.

The details: Meetup is once again at theMcDonald’s on US 31 in Hoover, located at 1731 Montgomery Highway (US 31) across from the Galleria. Plan to depart at 7:00 a.m., at which time we’ll caravan west on I-59/20 to Exit #97, then head south on AL Hwy 5 to Centerville/Brent. We’ll make a brief rest stop there before continuing on to Red Bamberg Road, and the many catfish ponds south of Greensboro. A late afternoon stop at the Marion Fish Hatchery and/or Perry Lakes Park will also provide plenty of opportunities to see egrets and herons (including little blues) returning to their roosts, backlit by a western summer sun. All of our Black Belt trips can be long and hot, so be sure to plan accordingly, with plenty of drinks and snacks, as well as a full tank of gas, insect repellent, rain gear, and appropriate summer attire and sunblock.

The food: Lunch will be at either Faunsdale Bar & Grill or Greensboro’s Pie Lab, depending on the size of our group.

Trip leader: Greg Harber (205-807-8055, day of field trip only)