20 Spots Available // $50.00
Description : Join Coastal Programs Manager Cortney Weatherby and Program Coordinator, Andrew Lydeard, on a coastal spring trip to one to Alabama's best locations for shorebirds, the Blakeley Mud Lakes in Mobile!
The Blakeley Mud Lakes is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and Mobile Port Authority and used to store mud and sand refuse from dredging the Mobile Ship Channel as well as formerly used as settling ponds for industrial waste water. The regularly changing habitat along Mobile Bay often creates ideal areas for wading and shorebirds and is among the birdiest locations in South Alabama. As spring approaches, this location is among the birdiest for migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and even songbirds! Tag along for a special trip into the Mud Lakes with Cortney and Mason!
Please Note:
**Permits are REQUIRED by the Mobile Port Authority before entering the property. Please follow the link below to fill out and PRINT your signed forms before the trip. You will not be legally allowed to enter without it! This is an industrial site with working hazards and potential risks, and the Mobile Port Police actively ticket and tow unauthorized vehicles in the area.**
https://alports.com/birding
The event will only be canceled in the event of hazardous conditions. If you need to cancel at the last minute, please email or text your trip leaders.
Possible Species:
American Avocets
Wilson's Phalarope
Black-necked Stilts
Painted and Indigo Buntings
Yellow Warblers
Gull-billed Terns
Snowy Egrets
Mottled Ducks
LOCATION DETAILS: Meeting Time and Place
We will meet in front of the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center promptly at 7:00am to carpool as much as possible to reduce the amount of vehicles parked at the gates. Please grab water, snacks, or a restroom prior to the meetup time at 7:00am. If you leave your vehicle, please be sure to take water, snacks, bug spray, and your birding gear.
Parking Address:
5 Rivers - Alabama's Delta Resource Center
30945 5 Rivers Blvd.
Spanish Fort, AL 36527
TRAVEL INFORMATION : Trip Leader
Your trip leaders will be Cortney Weatherby / cortney@alaudubon.org / 402-297-1775 & Andrew Lydeard / andrew@alaudubon.org / 703-606-8956. Please call or text your leader only on the day of the event.
Accessibility : We will travel about 2 miles total as a group on mostly flat dirt road surfaces. While the terrain is mostly flat, please be aware that tripping hazards such as a debris, holes, or industrial equipment may be present and may not be suitable for all people. There are no benches or restrooms in the facility, so please plan accordingly. As always, remember to bring plenty of water, snacks, insect repellent, sun screen, and wear seasonally appropriate attire; Vortex binoculars can be loaned to participants if needed.
*Please reach out to your leader prior to the event, so that we may accommodate any accessibility needs before the program.