September
Mississippi Coast Audubon Society Fall Banding Station
Leader: Dr. Abby Darrah, Abby.darrah@audubon.org, (479) 445-3488
Join Mississippi Coast Audubon Society for our annual fall songbird banding station. You will see birds up close and personal as experienced bird banders capture and band songbirds for science. All activities performed are done under proper state and federal permits. NOTE: Participants MUST register beforehand to attend any of these events. Due to parking limitations and concerns for human health and bird safety, participation is limited to four persons on any given day. This event occurs on private property. To register, please contact Abby Darrah at abby.darrah@audubon.org, or at (479) 445-3488.
Place and time: Saturday mornings from Sept. 9 – Nov. 4, excluding Sept. 16 and Oct. 14. Additional dates are subject to closure, pending inclement weather and bander availability. Greenwood Island is property of Bollinger Mississippi Shipyards, LLC and World Marine, LLC in Pascagoula. Plan to arrive 30 minutes after sunrise. Contact Dr. Darrah for additional details.
Conditions: The banding station is set up right where we park, where participants can sit and view the banding activities. Biting insects may be present on warmer days. Entry into the netting area may be granted at the discretion of the banding team if conditions permit; the 1-mile trail runs through thick grass and brush and may be wet and muddy after periods of rain. Ticks and venomous snakes are regularly encountered.
9/16 Pascagoula River Audubon Center Hummingbird Festival
The annual hummingbird festival at PRAC coincides with peak hummingbird migration. This event includes a variety of outdoor and family-friendly activities, including Adventures with Audubon performances by Brian “Fox” Ellis, hummingbird and songbird banding, activity tables, and a native plant sale. More information is available here.
9/23 Birding 101: Beginning Birder Walk
Leader: Gary Herritz and others – gherritz@gmail.com, (228) 369-4683
No experience needed! All are welcome to attend this event, but we will specifically tailor this field trip toward brand new, aspiring birders. Join experienced birders for a morning at Gulfport’s Jones Park, one of the coast’s premier shorebird destinations. We will assist people with learning to use binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides, as well as any other questions you might have. We will cover basic bird id, and we will practice our skills on the beach birds of Jones Park. Come prepared with whatever birding equipment you might have – binoculars, field guides, and even spotting scopes – and get a great introduction to the world of birding.
Place and time: Saturday, September 23, 07:30 am, at Jones Park, south of Highway 90 in Gulfport. Parking: Turn into the Jones Park entrance, just a bit east of the Mississippi Aquarium. Continue straight (south) at the traffic circle, and look for the parking spots running north and south along the beach, immediately east of the Barksdale Pavilion.
Conditions: Expect easy-moderate conditions, with a maximum of about 1-mile of walking across sand. Hopefully we will have some cooler temperatures, but come prepared with water and sunscreen.
October
10/7 Pascagoula Wildlife Management Area, Jackson County
- Leader: Lisa Price (lisavollmer@bellsouth.net; cell: 228-238-4648)
- Ms. Price will be leading a MCAS-sponsored field trip to look for later migrants and resident birds and wildlife in and around the Pascagoula River in the Wade-Vancleave area. The field trip will be on Saturday and will run from 07:30-11:00, depending on how birdy the area is that morning. A beautiful and scenic area!
- *Note: A Pascagoula Wildlife management Area permit (available at Walmart Sporting Goods desk for $15.00 for a calendar year) is required. Since there are no restrooms accessible at this site plan accordingly. The site may be muddy so wear appropriate footwear; it may be buggy depending on rainfall, so be prepared. Don’t forget your binoculars and a spotting scope can be helpful if you have one. Brush up on your bird calls, particularly warblers, vireos & flycatchers!
- Contact Lisa directly (via cell phone or email) if you have any questions or have trouble finding the Ranger’s station.
- Place and time: We will meet at the Ranger’s station on Wade-Vancleave Road (turn right off Highway 57 @ 12 miles north of the interstate or turn left off Highway 63 at the Waffle House/Wade intersection at the traffic light, then travel a few miles to find the Station by the boat ramp at the river on the south side of the road) by 7:30 a.m. to register before starting out and car-pooling.
November
11/11 Seaman Road Sewage Lagoons, Jackson County
Leader: Sharon Milligan, 2sharon123@gmail.com, (228) 861-1622
One of our most popular field trip venues, not otherwise open to birders – always a great variety of birds, with good opportunities for photos. Bring your binoculars, scope, refreshments, etc.
Place and time: Meet at the park and ride at I-10 exit 50, Ocean Springs next to Denny’s (MAP), between 7:15 and 7:30 am.
Conditions: Slow driving with stops; some groups will walk a lot. Important: This is a working facility. You must stay with leaders while on site. Call Sharon (above) if you have questions about policy.
December
12/9 Grand Bay NERR/NWR Birding Trip, Jackson County
Leader: If you have any questions, contact Mark Woodrey via mark.woodrey@msstate.edu.
Place and Time: Our field trip for Grand Bay NERR/NWR will be Saturday, 09 December 2023 from 0730-1200 (noonish). We will be meeting the boat launch at the Bayou Heron boat ramp at the south end of the road – this is the same road the Grand Bay NERR office is located on.
The focus of this trip is finding waterfowl, shore, wading and marsh birds and we will be getting out of the boats and walking through some small sections of marsh and on sand flats. Thus, rubber knee boots or other footwear you can get wet and muddy are highly recommended.
Registration: This trip is LIMITED to 15 participants and requires pre-registration. The register for the trip, please send me an email with your name, # of people in your group, your email, and your mobile phone number. Spots on the trip will be filled first come-first served based on the date and time I receive an email. NOTE: There will be a $35/person fee for this trip. Details about payment will be made once you are officially signed up for the trip.
