EVENT CAPACITY: 45
EVENT COST: $125
Join us this January for another bus trip, this time to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in North Alabama!
Wheeler NWR is among the most popular birding destinations in all of the southeastern United States as thousands of ducks, geese, and especially cranes descend on the area during the cooler months of the year. The Tennessee River Valley is an important stopover and wintering area for many of these waterbirds, and the views and sounds are unlike any spectacle elsewhere in the state! We will see thousands of Sandhill Cranes, endangered Whooping Cranes, and hundreds of waterfowl including Snow Geese, Gadwall, American Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal. The area is also a great place to find Eastern Meadowlarks, American Pipits, and sometimes, even Lapland Longspurs!
We will depart from Birmingham at 7:30 and stop at the Visitor Center of the refuge. Here, we will have the chance to explore the new visitor center and enjoy the birds from photo blinds, at the feeders, or in the observation building nearby. From there, we'll head to Decatur for lunch before traveling to Limestone Bay to search for more waterfowl and woodland songbirds along the river bottoms.
We will arrive back in Birmingham around 5:30PM.
Special Guest! This January trip will also feature a special guest, Damion Bankhead! Damion is based out of Birmingham, Alabama and specializes in capturing authentic wildlife and nature portraits. His diverse background also includes endeavours in music production, art design and sketching, law enforcement, and the U.S. Army. Damion's work has been featured in Amateur Photographer and Alabama the Beautiful, and he continues to capture the beauty of Alabama, its people, and its wildlife.
LOCATION DETAILS: TBA will update closer to timeline.
TRAVEL INFORMATION: REMEMBER, as always, remember to bring plenty of water and wear seasonally appropriate attire, shoes in particular. Be prepared for cold or wet weather, as we will be walking through unpaved paths on nature trails.
DETAILS: There will be a restroom on the bus. Lunch will be in Huntsville and is included in the price - vegetarian options are available.
Accessibility : This trip was designed with minimal travel when we get off of the bus. We will make a stops at Wheeler NWR's Visitor Center and Observation Deck, for lunch, and at Limestone Bay. Most of the traveling off of the bus will be minimal as we travel as a group from some of the areas near where we park. The Visitor Center is fully ADA accessible and has ramps, photo blinds, and ample seating. We will travel no more than a mile throughout the day, but all travel off the bus is optional. You will still see, hear, and enjoy the day in close proximity to the bus!
Picture by Andrew Lydeard // Whooping Cranes