26 March Clower-Thornton
Clower-Thornton contains a mix of urban and natural habitats and is a go-to spot for coastal birders looking for migrants. Although bird numbers have waxed and waned over the years, as hurricanes and humans continue to change the landscape, this park continues to be a stopover site for many species. On this trip we hope to find a variety of early neotropical migrants, such as Prothonotary Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler, and Broad-winged Hawk.
Leader: Nancy Madden, birdloverms@gmail.com
Place and time: Meet at the Clower-Thornton parking lot 7:30am.
Conditions: Generally easy walking around a paved trail.
9 April Dauphin Island
One of the premier birding destinations in the entire country, Dauphin Island is a must-see sight during peak migration. This trip will focus on finding neotropical migrants, such as a variety of warblers, vireos, tanagers, and orioles.
Leader: Collin Stempien, Collin.stempien@audubon.org
Place and time: Meet at Cadillac Square, 661 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL (MAP), 7:30am.
Conditions: Easy-moderate walking, some moderately steep hills and slopes, some muddy sections are possible. Mosquitoes are likely.
16 April Seaman Road Sewage Lagoons
This field trip is always one of our most popular; the sewage lagoons are not otherwise open to the public. The lagoons provide foraging grounds for a number of shorebird species, including Black-necked Stilt, Pectoral Sandpiper, and American Golden-Plover.
Leader: Sharon Milligan 2sharon123@gmail.com (228) 861-1622
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: This trip is primarily done by car, some walking over generally easy terrain, but not required.
30 April Ship Island Excursions – see details from Mississippi Ornithological Society
30 April Second trip option: Clower-Thornton + Least Tern colonies + Jones Park shorebirds
Join Audubon Delta’s Dr. Abby Darrah across a variety of habitats, in search of a wide array of birds. This trip will start at Clower-Thornton, a semi-urban park, in search of neotropical migrants. We will then head over to Jones Park in search of shorebirds and beach birds. We will wrap up at an active Least Tern colony, exact location TBD once they arrive.
Leader: Dr. Abby Darrah, Abby.Darrah@Audubon.org
Place and time: Clower-Thornton parking lot, 7:00am
Conditions: Moderate walking, potentially well over one mile. Walking through loose sand is likely, some stairs possible.
**7 May Boneyard Lake Rookery
Leader:Dr. Abby Darrah, Abby.Darrah@Audubon.org, 479-445-3488
Place and time: Meet at the Chevron Station in Wade at the corner of Hwy 63 and 614 (MAP) at 5:45am (early hour to give time to launch and see the rookery at its best).
Special instructions: Bring your own kayak or small boat*, life vest, bug repellent, water, snacks, etc. You must also have a Wildlife Management Area User permit. Season and day permits are sold at WalMart (see WMA User Permit here, or ask about a day permit or a Senior Exempt License) or online at https://www.ms.gov/mdwfp/hunting_fishing/ [the website is confusing, but fill out the application and you’ll get a choice].
*Due to the low number of reservations, kayak rental through Eco-Tours is no longer available for this trip. However, Abby will be able to transport up to 6 kayaks from the Pascagoula River Audubon Center for participants at no charge. These are available on a first come, first served basis, and must be reserved by contacting Abby no later than the evening of Thursday, April 5.
*REGISTRATION REQUIRED* Please register for the trip in advance by contacting Abby Darrah at abby.darrah@audubon.org to provide your name, contact information, number of accompanying participants, and whether or not you will be bringing your own boat.
Conditions: Kayaking through Boneyard Lake. Mosquitoes and alligators likely.
14 May Least Tern Banding Demo and Band Resight Workshop
This trip will start off with Least Tern banding, led by Dr. Abby Darrah of Audubon Delta. We will then look for banded birds in the Least Tern colony and learn about Least Tern and Black Skimmer breeding behavior. Learn what to look for, how to digiscope, how to record and report band resights, and learn the history of individual banded terns and skimmers. We might caravan to additional colonies to the east in Gulfport/Biloxi.
Leader: Dr. Abby Darrah, Abby.Darrah@Audubon.org, 479-445-3488
Place and time: Across from Great Southern Gulf Club on Highway 90 along the beach at 7:00 am
Conditions: Moderate walking through loose sand likely.
