Migration & Our Visit Winding Down on Dauphin Island

 

Magnolia Bud

Our month visit here has been memorable; amazing birds, crazy weather, and special visit from our good friends Rae & Paul Tyriver from Neenah, WI.  

Magnolia Blossom opens

Yellow-billed Cuckoo finds a caterpillar

Yellow-billed Cuckoos came through in big numbers

Kentucky Warbler, hard to get a photo of as they are always hiding.

Brown Thrashers are actively nesting on the island.

Veery, one of the five species of thrushes seen.

And speaking of weather, we had several storms of 60 mph winds, hail and downpours totaling 15 inches of rain turning nature trails into rushing streams.  This Great Blue Heron found good hunting right in the middle of the trail feeding on small fish and frogs.

Likewise, this Yellow-crowned Night-heron found trail hunting good.

Cattle Egret in breeding plumage

We found 152 species of birds on Dauphin Island including 30 species of warblers.
This Ovenbird was even starting to sing it's Spring song.

Black-throated Green Wabler

Cape-May Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Some of the best areas to find warblers are near these massive hundreds of years old Oak trees,  one of many found at Shell Mound Park and the Audubon Sanctuary.

Solitary Sandpiper

Green Heron on the flooded boardwalk, not transfixed on himself but looking for fish.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

                                                                    Summer Tanager

Painted Bunting visiting feeder

Scarlet Tanager resting on the ground after arduous journey

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Yellow-headed Blackbird in the marsh areas of Fort Morgen near Gulf Shores
We took the Ferry across Mobile Bay and spent four hours walking the fort for new birds with new birding friends.  We were walk-ons on the car ferry, thankfully a calm ride.

A Great Blue Heron was ripping vines from the ground and taking them high in the pine tree to it's rookery nest.

Coming in!

The nest is looking good, here's something to add.

This is historic Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island taken from the Ferry.

The grounds around the fort provides good birding habitat which we have checked daily.
Loggerhead Shrike

Bobolink

Blue-winged Warbler

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Pine Warbler

Summer Tanager tosses a dewberry into it's mouth.  Many birds were feeding on these by the fort.

This Prothonotary Warbler displays red pollen stained head feathers.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks eating Poison Ivy berries.

Bird Migration is amazing!  In the Autumn, young birds fly south to somewhere they have never been in Central and South America.  Then return in Spring to the area where they were hatched in the U.S. and Canada.  How anyone can look at this and not believe in God, in His marvelous creation is beyond belief. God cares about all His Creation, including you!  He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sin, and raised Him from the dead to give you hope for eternal life.  He only asks you to believe and follow Him.  Particularly in light of what is taking place in our nation and world.  Do it today!
Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann

Birding migration on Dauphin Island, Alabama

 

We have been enjoying the month of April camped next to the Audubon Sanctuary on Dauphin Island at the campground.  We were hoping for as good a migration as we had three years ago, and we have not been disappointed.  We have 127 species of birds including 27 species of warblers.  Hope you enjoy the birds with us like this gem in the woods, Indigo Bunting.

Hooded Warbler

Wood Thrush

Cattle Egret

Rain brings mushrooms and we have had plenty of storms along the coast.

Hail, wind and downpours have inundated the area.

This is Lake Gaillard at the Audubon Sanctuary

Yellow-throated Vireo

Louisiana Waterthrush

Peregrine Falcon perched high in the pines above the lake

Worm-eating Warbler

White-eyed Vireo

Green Heron, who named this bird?  Hard to find the green.

Now here is green!  Green Anole with pink dewlap extended 

Very active nest building by pair of Ospreys

 Carefully placing each stick

What?  You don't like where I put it.

Swainson's Warbler, a real treat!

Dauphin Island east end beach is beautiful and offers new species of birds.

Ruddy Turnstone

Laughing Gulls

Sanderlings

Indigo Buntings love the Bottle Brush

Wait! this isn't a bird!  5 inch long Millipede.

Prothonotary Warbler

Summer Tanager

Young Summer Tanager in transition to adult plumage.l

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Adult male Orchard Oriole

Juvenile male Orchard Oriole

Blue-winged Warbler

Great-crested Flycatcher

Eastern Bluebird nesting in the cmpground near us.

Scarlet Tanager 

Blue Grosbeak males, adult and juvenile

Looking forward to the rest of migration and then following the birds to Wisconsin.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann