- This event has passed.
Black Belt Field Trip: Autaugaville
July 2, 2022 , 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pre-registration is required by 12 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 1st, and space is limited.
Registration is now closed. Check out our upcoming events here.
Participants must complete the mandatory online waiver. Please do not request registration for others when submitting your request.
Leading up to our Black Belt Birding Festival at the end of July, we’ll have a full day of birding by vehicle around the Autaugaville area where we’ll hope to see Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites, various long-legged waders and with luck, painted buntings and wood storks. Grassland species we might encounter include Eastern meadowlarks, loggerhead shrikes, and Eastern bluebirds.
We’ll plan to start on the north side of the Alabama River east of Autaugaville, and then after lunch we’ll visit sites on the south side of the river, north and west of Lowndesboro. This trip will be one where a full tank of gas will be particularly helpful.
The details: Meetup is at 7 a.m. at the Galleria McDonald’s (1731 Montgomery Hwy, Hoover, AL 35244 at Riverchase Promenade). From there, we’ll caravan to the Prattville McDonald’s (2573 Cobbs Ford Rd, Prattville, AL 36066). If you’re coming from somewhere else in the state, you can always meet us in Prattville at 8:15 a.m. before beginning our day of birding.
Be sure to bring the usual supplies: binoculars, rehydrating drinks, snacks, a full tank of gas, sunscreen, insect repellant, rain gear, and comfortable layers for staying cool. In the case of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled. You may contact the trip leader the morning of the event if the weather is questionable.
Registration: To register, click on the button above. If you’re not an Alabama Audubon member and don’t yet have a username and password, simply click the “X” on the pop up and fill out the basic form. If you do have a login, please use it as this helps us tremendously on our end! You should receive an automated email upon registering.
Accessibility: We will mostly be doing roadside birding with not much walking involved. There will be periods of standing and walking short distances around where we park.
The food: Food options include McDonald’s at both the Galleria meetup location or in Prattville. We’ll plan to stop for lunch at a local BBQ restaurant in the area—possibly Fat Boys.
The birds: Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites, painted buntings, wood storks, eastern meadowlarks, loggerhead shrikes, and eastern bluebirds are all possible or likely to be seen on this trip.
Trip leaders: Greg Harber (205-807-8055), Matt Hunter (205-460-9546), and Linda Neighbors (205-568-5554) will lead this trip. Please contact on the day of the trip only.
Questions? Email the Programs Assistant.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, Alabama Audubon has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. We believe that the same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, Alabama Audubon welcomes the whole of our community to our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events open and accessible to all.
