Bald Eagle by John Fulkerson

The late fall season at Walker County Public Lake offers a wonderful opportunity to experience late migrants and arriving winter birds in a scenic, quiet North-Central Alabama setting. The draw of birding this 163-acre reservoir in mid-November is the rich diversity of habitats packed into a compact footprint: expansive open water, mature pine and oak-hickory canopy, brushy second-growth, and sheltered coves.

We can hope to see early wintering waterfowl such as Buffleheads and Pied-billed Grebes resting in the sheltered arms of the lake. We’ll also scan the skies and tall pine snags for the resident Bald Eagle pair that nests on-site, alongside Belted Kingfishers, Great Blue Herons, and wintering Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

We will gather at the main parking area before heading out onto the unpaved, wooded nature trails that wind along the lake perimeter. As we walk through the brushy edges, we’ll keep an eye out for mixed sparrow flocks—including White-throated, Song, Field, and Dark-eyed Juncos—along with active Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Deep in the pine canopy, we’ll listen for the squeaky-toy calls of Brown-headed Nuthatches, Pine Warblers, and both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets moving through the mid-story.

Meeting Time & Location: We will meet directly in the main parking lot at Walker County Public Lake (4227 Whitson Road, Jasper, AL 35501) at 7:30 a.m. to begin our walk.

ADDRESS: Walker County Public Lake (4227 Whitson Rd, Jasper, AL, 35501)

Trip leaders: John Fulkerson // (205) 300-5408 *Please only contact your field trip leader on the day of the event.

Accessibility: This event will cover up to 2 miles of walking on unpaved dirt trails, forest path with roots and packed gravel.

Registration is free but required.

Cancellation: This event will only be canceled by Alabama Audubon in the event of unforeseen circumstances. If you have questions about the program, please contact Andrew Lydeard (andrew@alaudubon.org).