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AUDUBON OUTING

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AUDUBON OUTING

AUDUBON OUTING

RED CROSSBILLS, RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS, & BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS

REGISTRATION CLOSES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28 @ 12AM
$35 / SPACE IS LIMITED

Tag along on this special weekday outing to with our Program Coordinator, Andrew Lydeard, as we embark on an excursion to search for Alabama's only known breeding population of Red Crossbills within Talladega National Forest. Of course, we could not visit this area without searching the impressive tracts of Longleaf Pine savannah for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers that also call this forest home. On the way back toward Birmingham, we will stop for lunch in Jacksonville, AL before ending our adventure at Neely Henry Dam looking for Black-crowned Night-herons, American White Pelicans, and wintering waterfowl.

We will be meeting at the McDonald's off the Heflin exit (Exit 199 on I-20) and leaving promptly by 7:00 AM to arrive by about 7:30 to the first site. Please be sure to arrive a bit early if you need to use the restrooms or purchase breakfast/coffee before our departure time. Our chances of finding moving crossbills and chattery woodpeckers increase if we arrive to the location as early as possible to catch the morning flight when they are most vocal as they leave their roosts.

We will caravan from McDonald's into Talladega National Forest to the Pinhoti Trailhead for one of the most reliable places to hear and see both Red Crossbills and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. We will walk up to a mile total between the trail and the road, searching the pines for our target species. This location is also ideal for locating Fox and White-throated Sparrows, Brown Creepers, and both Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Next, we will drive just down the road to Coleman Lake to scan the water for waterfowl like Hooded Mergansers and explore the shoreline searching for specialty winter birds such as Purple Finch and Pine Siskins; Red Crossbills have also been seen along the lake historically.

After these locations, we will make our way to Jacksonville, AL for restrooms and lunch before driving about 30 minutes to Neely Henry Dam to search for our last few targets of the day, including wintering Black-crowned Night-herons that congregate here in winter. The remaining time of our outing will be spent here scoping for American White Pelicans, diving ducks, gulls, and other waterfowl that should be present along the dam and in the reservoir.

RED CROSSBILLS Sean McElaney / Audubon Photography Awards

TRIP LEADERS

The leaders for this trip are Andrew Lydeard / 703-606-8956. Please contact by phone on the day of the trip only.

NEED-TO-KNOW

  • REMEMBER This is a FULL DAY, SELF-DRIVING trip, so be sure to bring plenty of snacks, water, bug spray, and sunscreen.

  • DETAILS & ACCESSIBILITY Most of our walking will be in the Coleman Lake/Pinhoti Trailhead areas consisting of dirt roads and uneven terrain with moderate changes in elevation. Many of these forest roads are dirt/gravel but are easily accessible in all vehicles. We will walk up to 1.5 miles between these two locations. There are bathhouses at the Coleman Lake Campground that close seasonally, but should be available for this trip.

    Our sites at Neely Henry Dam are mostly flat and paved. Ample parking and restrooms are available, and we will mostly be stationary at this location. We will start by scanning the rocks and structures below the dam, looking for night-herons, other waders, and pelicans.

    Shortly after, we will drive to the end of the road to Ten Islands Historic Park where will end our day scanning for waterbirds on the reservoir. A spotting scope is recommended for this part of the trip; your trip leader will have an extra one to borrow.

  • REQUIRED Participants must complete the mandatory online waiver when registering. Please do not request registration for others when submitting your request.

  • CANCELLATION The event will only be cancelled in the event of heavy rain or dangerous conditions. Please prepare to dress for any weather occasion that may be expected this time of year. In the event of inclement weather, or if you need to cancel at the last minute, please text your trip leaders, as the main office will be closed.

WHERE TO MEET & WHEN

MEETING PLACE I
McDonald's
1816 Almon St, Heflin, AL 36264
I-20 (Exit 199)
We will be caravanning promptly at 7am. Please arrive early if you need to use the facilities or grab breakfast or coffee.

MEETING PLACE II
Chick-fil-A - Jacksonville, AL
500 Pelham Rd S, Jacksonville, AL 36265

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & 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. This same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable and inclusive 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 everyone to participate in our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events welcome, inclusive, and accessible to all.

Earlier Event: November 29
INFO SESSION / CUBA 2024
Later Event: December 2
WHEELER NWR