Alabama Audubon will be hosting their fall migratory banding station Monday, October 13-Saturday, October 18 at the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary. (You can find full details about our fall bird banding station here.) If you are looking to get some birding in before heading to the banding station, come join Coastal Outreach Manager Cortney Weatherby at Shell Mound Park!
You never know what this hotspot will hold during migration, but we will be on the lookout for yellow-billed cuckoo, vireo (Philadelphia, blue-headed, and yellow-throated), hermit thrush, rose-breasted grosbeak, and warblers (black-and-white, Tennessee, magnolia, and more!) passing through as we walk the wooded portion of the trail. We will make a stop at the back side of this site to visit the small pond and seawall, which may have green herons, spotted sandpipers, swallows, and terns. We will walk the property edge along the road back to the parking lot, picking up any birds scouring the edge habitat in search of food to fuel their trip south.
If the Shell Mounds are quite and the group desires, we may make a stop at the Goat Tree to walk the trails and see if many of the same birds mentioned above are there that morning instead. We will caravan to the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary parking lot, which should (hopefully) have plenty of parking on a weekday morning and walk together down to the banding station. Your trip leader will be in contact with the banding station throughout the morning and if the nets are active, we may cut the birding short and head to the banding station early. This trip will be considered finished once we reach the banding station and individuals can decide how much time they would like to spend there. Binoculars will be available to borrow.
You can view the Dauphin Island Shell Mounds eBird hotspot here to see what’s been recently spotted at this location!
This event is free but registration is required. This program is limited to 15 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Trip Leader: Your trip leader will be Cortney Weatherby (cortney@alaudubon.org / 402-297-1775). Please reach out to the trip leaders if you have any questions, concerns, or require special accessibility accommodations so that we can assist you. Please call or text your leader on the day of the event only.
LOCATION DETAILS: There is no parking fee at the Shell Mounds, but parking is limited. Please respect the property and be considerate of other vehicles if you have to park on the side of the road. There are no restrooms at this location (or at the banding station) so you may want to stop by the gas station or public restrooms at Cadillac Square if you need them.
Parking at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary is also free but space is limited. Vehicles may be towed if considered in the right-of-way at this location. Please remember to wear seasonally appropriate attire and bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray as necessary.
TRAVEL INFORMATION : We will be meeting at the kiosk at the front entrance of Shell Mound Park at 7:30 am.
Address: 830 Iberville Dr, Dauphin Island, AL 36528.
Time spent at this location will depend on bird activity but will be no longer than 1.5 hours and no less than 30 minutes. It is about a 3-minute drive to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary and Cadillac Square restrooms are along the way.
Audubon Bird Sanctuary address: 211 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528. It is about an 8-minute walk from the parking lot to the banding station. This trip will be considered finished once we reach the banding station and individuals can decide how much time they would like to spend there.
Accessibility : We expect to cover less than a mile between all 3 possible locations, .25 miles at Shell Mounds, .25 miles at Goat Tree (if visited), and approx .5 mile walk at the Audubon Sanctuary from the parking lot to the banding station.
The trails at the Shell Mound are mostly dirt and shell hash but well-maintained. There are some slight inclines/declines throughout the trail system at this location and tree roots do run across the trails frequently. Two small portions of the boardwalk require a step up/down to cross. The trails at Goat Tree are dirt and shell hash but well-maintained. This site is mostly flat but tree roots do run across the trails frequently. The trails at the Audubon Sanctuary are mostly flat dirt trails with a few sandier spots.
Please reach out to Cortney Weatherby (cortney@alaudubon.org) if you have specific questions or require any special accommodations, have questions, or cannot attend, so that we can better assist you on the day of the event.
Cancellation: This event will only be canceled by Alabama Audubon in the event of unforeseen circumstances or threatening weather/hazardous conditions. Refunds (if applicable) will only be issued at the discretion of Alabama Audubon. *If you need to cancel at the last minute prior to the trip, please email or text your trip leaders to let them know!*
Thank you for your support of Alabama Audubon. Please consider becoming an Alabama Audubon member or donor to help us continue to offer programs and events across the state. Your generosity enables us to advance research, education, and advocacy efforts to protect birds in Alabama and beyond!