Join Coastal Outreach Manager Cortney Weatherby and Program Coordinator Andrew Lydeard as they lead you through a morning tour of the Clearwater Tract in the Upper Delta Wildlife Management Area. The Mobile–Tensaw River Delta is one of coastal Alabama’s best open access secrets for birding spectacles in the entire state. It encompasses over 200,000 acres of cypress and tupelo bottomland hardwoods, marshes, rivers, and ponds and is home to some of the most biodiverse populations of freshwater plant and animal species in the United States.
The area is often considered the gateway to America’s Amazon and is one of the most important wetlands for animals and humans alike within the entire country, especially for staging songbirds during the fall before they make their journeys further south. We will be caravanning for a few miles into the swamp, stopping occasionally to search for flocks of birds. Binoculars will be available to borrow.
You can view the eBird checklist from last year’s trip here!
Cost: Alabama Audubon Members $35 // Non-members $50. This program is limited to 15 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Trip Leaders: Your trip leaders will be Program Coordinator Andrew Lydeard (andrew@alaudubon.org / 703-606-8956) and Cortney Weatherby (cortney@alaudubon.org/ 402-297-1775). Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or require special accessibility accomodations, so that we can better assist you.
Target Species:
Tennessee, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, and American Redstarts
Least and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers
Swainson's, Wood, and Hermit Thrushes
Yellow-billed Cuckoos (maybe even Black-billed!)
Lincoln's, Swamp, Song, and Field Sparrows
Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawks
Location Details: This is a caravan trip and there will be minimal travel away from vehicles. There is no parking or entrance fee for this location and ample parking is available. There are no restrooms at the site, so please plan accordingly. This site can be prone to bugs/mosquitoes depending on recent rainfall. While the roads at this site are typically dry during the fall, higher clearance vehicles are recommended. Those with low clearance vehicles will have the opportunity to carpool with others once we leave the parking area. Please remember to wear seasonally appropriate attire and bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray as necessary. Cell phone service may be limited in the area.
Travel Information: We will meet promptly at 7am in the parking lot of the shooting range for the management area at before caravanning as a group (consolidating cars as much as possible) into the bottomlands of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.
Address: *Please note there is no street address for the shooting range. Type in "Upper Delta WMA Shooting Range" into your maps app or enter the exact coordinates from below.
Upper Delta WMA Shooting Range
Stockton, AL 36579
Exact Coordinates: (31.130596, -87.847946)
Accessibility : This is a caravan trip, and there will be minimal travel away from vehicles. At most, participants will stopping frequently and getting into and out of their vehicles as we look for birds at each location. We will travel less than 0.5 miles total away from our cars for the duration of the whole trip. While we will not be traveling far from our vehicles, please note that the roads are dirt/gravel with uneven terrain that may include sticks, rocks, and other debris not suitable for all people.
Please reach out to Andrew Lydeard (andrew@alaudubon.org) if you 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 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!