Dauphin Island Alabama

 

We are on Dauphin Island in Alabama for Spring Migration.

This is where the birds from the tropics land as they make their long journey north.

There are great places to bird such as the Audubon Bird Sanctuary trails.

Water Lilies grace the lake in the middle of this beautiful nature area.

Lake Gaillard provides wildlife with fresh water on the island surrounded by salt water.

Soft-shelled Turtle

The Pine forest and decidous trees provide shelter for migrating birds

Also for wildlife such as Raccoons

Wood Thrush

Brown Thrasher 

Fish Crow carrying nesting material

Prothonotary Warbler

Hooded Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blue-headed Vireo singing

Red-eyed Vireo

Many birder's flock to Shell Mound Park to watch the migratory birds arrive.

Bell's Vireo, rare treat for the island.  Ida helped many birders hear and find this bird.

Summer Tanager, young male 

Female Summer Tanager

Adult male Summer Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Worm-eating Warbler actually eating a worm

Worm-eating Warbler

Kentucky Warbler & Prothonotary Warbler

Black & White Warbler

Many trails to take at Shell Mound

Green Anole

Cattle Egrets feed in the swamp at the Audubon Sanctuary

Solitary Sandpiper in swamp habitat

Gulf Coast Box Turtle

Box Turtle feeding on large Millipede

This 6" millipede has so far avoided the turtle menu

Something to beware of when in swamp enviroment is the Cottonmouth Snake

Green Heron eating a Central Newt

Great Crested Flycatcher

Gray Kingbird and an Eastern Kingbird

Birder's sought out this exotic Gray Kingbird and we helped them find it.

Eastern Bluebird

Abundant Yellow-billed Cuckoos

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Pine Warbler

Orchard Oriole on Bottlebrush which is a magnet for birds

Indigo Bunting

Blue Grosbeak

Female & male Blue Grosbeaks

We went with friends on the Ferry to Fort Morgan in persuit of new birds

Common Loon

Brown Pelican in breeding plumage

We drove to Alabama Point and Least Tern fenced nesting area.

Black-Bellied Plover roams the dunes

Least Terns

Sandwich Terns

Sanderling defending his food

One of three Swallow-tailed Kites headed to Florida

American Oystercatcher rock hopping 

Oystercatcher spots oysters

Oystercatcher eating oyster.

Our time here is coming to an end this week.  

We love seeing God's amazing creation every where we go.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏 

Ty & Ida Baumann

Traveling northeast along the Gulf Coast

 

First stop on our way north was at Corpus Christi for this rare Cattle Tyrant.

We enjoyed this life bird as it was enjoying Oyster Bar dumpster insects.

Scissor-tailed Flycaytchers were arriving in big numbers and we saw them perched along the highway.

First two nights were at Goose Island State Park and this is the centuries old "Big Tree" that has survived several hurricanes.

Things are looking up.  Roseate Spoonbill and Great Blue Heron 

There are feeder stations throughout the campground.  Clay-colored Sparrow takes the plunge.

Carolina Wren visits drip.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Inca Doves courting

Loggerhead Shrike

Gray Catbird

Along the Goose Island pier were a pair of Am. Oystercatchers

American Oystercatcher feeding on oysters

Pipevine Swallowtail laying eggs

Propeller Flower

Marsh Fleabane

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush

Slender Dayflower

Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed Grass

Goose Island Sunrise, we head northeast

We looked forward to revisiting High Island Rookery, it did not disappoint

Great Egret carrying nesting material

Great Egret bowing display over nest with eggs

Great Egret incubating

Great Egret lift-off

Great Egret - bonding display

Roseate Spoonbill colony

Roseate Spoonbill full breeding plumage

Spoonbill landing

Tricolored Heron in nuptial plumage

Snowy Egret squabbles for nesting space

This is my branch!

Purple Gallinule just arrived to the rookery

Majestic colors on full display

Bolivar Flats is a renowned Shorebird migration stop - American Avocet

Willets look so different in their breeding plumage

Long-billed Curlew

One of our target birds - Wilson's Plover

Wilson's Plovers like to blend in on the beach

Snowy Plover

Semipalmated Plover

American Golden Plover

Sunset on 1,000+ Avocets and thousands of other shorebirds

Laughing Gull adult in full Spring plumage

Dolphin pod escorts large ship going down the canal on our third ferry crossing

Dolphins seem to love to play

We made it across Louisiana and into Mississippi, staying at Buccaneer State Park.

We started adding first of the year Eastern birds.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

Brown Thrasher pair

Next stop - Dauphin Island Campground, AL and three weeks of migrant birding.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann