Date: 8/31/26 7:59 am From: Greg D. Jackson via groups.io <g_d_jackson...> Subject: [ALbirds] New AOS-partnered bird walk programs
AL Birders:
I'm excited to announce a series of bird walks by AOS leaders this fall in
conjunction with the Alabama Wildlife Center (AWC) and the Land Trust for
North Alabama (LTNA). These short walks (about two hours) will be open to
anyone of all experience levels; likely these will orient more toward
beginning birders but certainly "old hands" are welcome.
For the LTNA partnership, the events this fall will be at three of their
excellent preserves in the Huntsville area and led by Jared Sapp. The first
will be this Saturday morning (Sep. 5), with others later in the fall.
The Alabama Wildlife Center walks this autumn will be held at Oak Mountain
SP and led by me. The first two, Sep. 1 (tomorrow!) and Sep. 29, were
previously posted on AOS and other social media.
AOS looks forward to these and other activities working with these great
organizations. Check out the details of the bird walks, and browse for other
interesting AOS field trips, on the AOS Local Field Trips calendar reached
via <https://www.aosbirds.org/localfieldtrips/> AOS Local Field Trips
Program. New events pop up regularly, so take a peek from time to time at
what is offered!
Date: 8/29/26 6:28 pm From: Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan...> Subject: [ALbirds] Strong tropical influence
Hi all,
This weak low in the Gulf just south of Pensacola has enhanced our birding prospects. Birds present this afternoon in our yard but not around the neighborhood this morning were: Kentucky and Prothonotary Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Eastern Wood Pewee and Olive-sided Flycatcher (on the point).
When a low or tropical storm is in the Gulf with attendant rain squalls and adverse winds, SE or SW, birds moving south can accumulate at our migrant traps, and hesitant to continue flying south. This system is rather weak with not much rain in the Gulf but with SE winds, though not strong. Apparently enough to make some birds put down.
Tomorrow might be good birding at the traps.
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
Date: 8/25/26 5:44 pm From: Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Looking for morning flight along east side of Mobile Bay
Larry-
Thanks for your reply, I had seen your name on some of the eBird lists from that general area.
I scouted out that Village Point Park area last week, walked out to the Bayfront Park pier (and the Village Pt pier). It is beautiful forest!
After deliberations, I decided that skywatching from the pier would require staring back inland into the sun too much, so opted for the Publix position. However, it is true that birds travelling low along the immediate shore would not be visible from the Publix.
After my post, I started thinking it might be better to move upshore a bit to where the shoreline bends eastward, to see if that concentrates the flow. I may try skywatching from Church of the Highlands' parking lot, seems to be on a nice bluff (at least, as viewed in Google Streetview).
Peter H. Yaukey, Ph.D.
Departmental Chair and Professor of Biology
Department of Biological and Physical Sciences
University of Holy Cross
4123 Woodland Drive
New Orleans, LA 70131
504-398-2312 Direct
504-394-7744 Main
[cid:91D4B89B-2D58-4695-9437-0B7014880A72]
________________________________
From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 7:27 PM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Looking for morning flight along east side of Mobile Bay
Glad that you saw so much from Publix. The road is closed, but parts of Bayfront Park remain open, including the pier. Access is from the Village Point parking lot or from the parking lot across from Moe's and then through the woods to the boardwalk though the heart of the preserve.
Early fall is a time when some migrant species move westbound through our area, heading (we presume) ultimately around the Gulf via Texas, including some species that frequently engage in morning flight (continued directional movement for the first 2-3 hours after sunrise). I have been eyeing up the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay, wondering whether birds deflect up the shoreline from the Gulf Coast, reluctant to cross the bay, which could progressively produce a concentrated flow northward along the bayshore.
After some scouting during brief forays into the Daphne area from I-10 in my frequent drives across the area, I decided to try a skywatch at Bayfront Park Drive. The park itself is closed for renovation, but there is a substantial swath of cleared land inland from there (commercial) that allows for skywatching. I stood behind the Publix for 24 minutes this morning, scanning both toward the water and back inland.
In those 24 minutes (7:32 start) there were 106 small passerines that passed heading north. I estimate 75% were gnatcatchers, the rest warblers (Yellow most likely dominant at this date). A couple Red-headed Woodpeckers did likewise. Purple Martins were also in the flow, but I suspect they were departing a roost rather than migrating (?).
To me, this is an encouraging result. About 60% of the birds were inland from my position (so backlit by the sun to my east), so next I will try standing a bit farther inland/east, to get better light on more of the flow. The peak of early-season westward movement is likely to be in the first week of September, when kingbirds have a pretty sharp peak of passage (often one dominant day, though exactly which day is hard to predict).
Date: 8/25/26 5:27 pm From: Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Looking for morning flight along east side of Mobile Bay
Peter,
Glad that you saw so much from Publix. The road is closed, but parts of
Bayfront Park remain open, including the pier. Access is from the Village
Point parking lot or from the parking lot across from Moe's and then
through the woods to the boardwalk though the heart of the preserve.
Larry Gardella
Daphne
On Tue, Aug 25, 2026, 6:27 PM Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey=
<uhcno.edu...> wrote:
> Hello ALBirders:
>
> Early fall is a time when some migrant species move westbound through our
> area, heading (we presume) ultimately around the Gulf via Texas, including
> some species that frequently engage in morning flight (continued
> directional movement for the first 2-3 hours after sunrise). I have been
> eyeing up the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay, wondering whether birds
> deflect up the shoreline from the Gulf Coast, reluctant to cross the bay,
> which could progressively produce a concentrated flow northward along the
> bayshore.
>
> After some scouting during brief forays into the Daphne area from I-10 in
> my frequent drives across the area, I decided to try a skywatch at Bayfront
> Park Drive. The park itself is closed for renovation, but there is a
> substantial swath of cleared land inland from there (commercial) that
> allows for skywatching. I stood behind the Publix for 24 minutes this
> morning, scanning both toward the water and back inland.
>
> In those 24 minutes (7:32 start) there were 106 small passerines that
> passed heading north. I estimate 75% were gnatcatchers, the rest warblers
> (Yellow most likely dominant at this date). A couple Red-headed
> Woodpeckers did likewise. Purple Martins were also in the flow, but I
> suspect they were departing a roost rather than migrating (?).
>
> To me, this is an encouraging result. About 60% of the birds were inland
> from my position (so backlit by the sun to my east), so next I will try
> standing a bit farther inland/east, to get better light on more of the
> flow. The peak of early-season westward movement is likely to be in the
> first week of September, when kingbirds have a pretty sharp peak of passage
> (often one dominant day, though exactly which day is hard to predict).
>
> *Peter H. Yaukey, Ph.D.*
>
>
> *Departmental Chair and Professor of Biology *
>
>
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4123+Woodland+Drive+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+New+Orleans,+LA%C2%A0+70131?entry=gmail&source=g>*Department > of Biological and Physical Sciences*
>
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4123+Woodland+Drive+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+New+Orleans,+LA%C2%A0+70131?entry=gmail&source=g> >
> *University of Holy Cross*
>
> *4123 Woodland Drive
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4123+Woodland+Drive+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+New+Orleans,+LA%C2%A0+70131?entry=gmail&source=g>* >
> *New Orleans, LA 70131
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4123+Woodland+Drive+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+New+Orleans,+LA%C2%A0+70131?entry=gmail&source=g>* >
> *504-398-2312 Direct*
>
> *504-394-7744 Main*
>
>
>
> [image: cid:91D4B89B-2D58-4695-9437-0B7014880A72]
>
>
>
Date: 8/25/26 4:27 pm From: Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: [ALbirds] Looking for morning flight along east side of Mobile Bay
Hello ALBirders:
Early fall is a time when some migrant species move westbound through our area, heading (we presume) ultimately around the Gulf via Texas, including some species that frequently engage in morning flight (continued directional movement for the first 2-3 hours after sunrise). I have been eyeing up the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay, wondering whether birds deflect up the shoreline from the Gulf Coast, reluctant to cross the bay, which could progressively produce a concentrated flow northward along the bayshore.
After some scouting during brief forays into the Daphne area from I-10 in my frequent drives across the area, I decided to try a skywatch at Bayfront Park Drive. The park itself is closed for renovation, but there is a substantial swath of cleared land inland from there (commercial) that allows for skywatching. I stood behind the Publix for 24 minutes this morning, scanning both toward the water and back inland.
In those 24 minutes (7:32 start) there were 106 small passerines that passed heading north. I estimate 75% were gnatcatchers, the rest warblers (Yellow most likely dominant at this date). A couple Red-headed Woodpeckers did likewise. Purple Martins were also in the flow, but I suspect they were departing a roost rather than migrating (?).
To me, this is an encouraging result. About 60% of the birds were inland from my position (so backlit by the sun to my east), so next I will try standing a bit farther inland/east, to get better light on more of the flow. The peak of early-season westward movement is likely to be in the first week of September, when kingbirds have a pretty sharp peak of passage (often one dominant day, though exactly which day is hard to predict).
Date: 8/17/26 11:02 am From: Shirley Farrell via groups.io <shirfarr...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] New DIBS Hotspots
We are visiting these sites during a field trip at the AOS Fall meeting
weakend.
Shirley
On Mon, Aug 17, 2026 at 10:34 AM Ken Hare via groups.io <kmhare46=
<knology.net...> wrote:
> Larry, I’ll put together a post for our Facebook site using your text. If
> anyone has a good photo from either site, please email it to me. Posts with
> your photos draw more attention. - Ken H.
>
> On Aug 16, 2026, at 9:51 AM, Cynthia Freeman via groups.io
> <Cynthiafreeman633...> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for the info Larry. I’m ready for fall migration!
>
> Cynthia
>
>
> Cynthia L Freeman
>
> On Sun, Aug 16, 2026 at 9:28 AM Lawrence Gardella via groups.io
> <lfgardella...> wrote:
>
>> There ate two more hotspots on Dauphin Island, each a part of the DIBS
>> project to obtain land and easements to protect habitat for migrants. One
>> is on Gen. Gorgas and the other at Longfellow Place. At Gorgas you can
>> check our Mt a nice stretch of woods from the street. At Longfellow you
>> can bird from the street and walk a set of trails.
>>
>> When you come to the island, be sure to check them out and make an eBird
>> list for each. You may well have birded one of the sites before. If you
>> created a personal site, you can always go to Manage My Locations and
>> change to the appropriate Hotspot.
>>
>> Good birding,
>>
>> Larry Gardella
>> Daphne
>>
>>
>
>
Date: 8/16/26 6:52 pm From: Damien J. Simbeck via groups.io <tnbarredowl...> Subject: [ALbirds] Wheeler Dam roost
I tried to lead an AOS field trip at Wheeler Dam this past Tuesday. I arrived at 3:30, scanned the towers and island (didn't see the Neotropic Cormorant, but did have a Great Blue x Great Egret hybrid on the rocks at the base of the first tower). I set up my tent just past the inlet and started watching for birds. I had a maximum of 26 Black Terns feeding below the dam. They stayed mostly along the barge channel on the north side, but some did venture closer for decent views. A Common Loon swam by a few times, then came shore in the inlet to roost for the evening (close photos using just my phone). Around 5:30, a group of about 1000 Purple Martins flew around. I thought they might roost on the transmission lines as they have in the past, but they left after about 15 minutes. By 6:00, I had few herons/egrets flying in and no other birders joined me. I decided to head home and come back another time. Regina and I decided to eat dinner there this evening, but we didn't arrive until nearly 7:00. There were a lot of birds already on the island and the Neotropic Cormorant was on his usual perch on the first island. The Great Blue x Great Egret was on the rocks at the inlet. We enjoyed dinner and started counting/estimating birds coming to roost. Here's my totals for about 50 minutes of watching, I only viewed birds flying in from the west, so more birds likely came in from the southeast (Lawrence County) or the northeast (east Lauderdale/Limestone Counties). I still saw good numbers, despite most of the sinkhole ponds are dry this year. I always wonder where all the Little Blue Herons come from.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 6Little Blue Heron 168 (only 6 adults)Snowy Egret 6Western Cattle Egret 704Great Egret 164Great Blue Heron 56Great Blue x Great Egret 1
I may try again Tuesday or Wednesday evening (starting around 6:00). I'll send another email if I do.
Damien Simbeck
Killen AL
Sent from my (non-Apple) phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
Date: 8/16/26 7:51 am From: Cynthia Freeman via groups.io <Cynthiafreeman633...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] New DIBS Hotspots
Thanks for the info Larry. I’m ready for fall migration!
Cynthia
Cynthia L Freeman
On Sun, Aug 16, 2026 at 9:28 AM Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> There ate two more hotspots on Dauphin Island, each a part of the DIBS
> project to obtain land and easements to protect habitat for migrants. One
> is on Gen. Gorgas and the other at Longfellow Place. At Gorgas you can
> check our Mt a nice stretch of woods from the street. At Longfellow you
> can bird from the street and walk a set of trails.
>
> When you come to the island, be sure to check them out and make an eBird
> list for each. You may well have birded one of the sites before. If you
> created a personal site, you can always go to Manage My Locations and
> change to the appropriate Hotspot.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Larry Gardella
> Daphne
>
>
>
Date: 8/16/26 7:28 am From: Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...> Subject: [ALbirds] New DIBS Hotspots
There ate two more hotspots on Dauphin Island, each a part of the DIBS project to obtain land and easements to protect habitat for migrants. One is on Gen. Gorgas and the other at Longfellow Place. At Gorgas you can check our Mt a nice stretch of woods from the street. At Longfellow you can bird from the street and walk a set of trails.
When you come to the island, be sure to check them out and make an eBird list for each. You may well have birded one of the sites before. If you created a personal site, you can always go to Manage My Locations and change to the appropriate Hotspot.
Date: 8/11/26 4:34 am From: Greg D. Jackson via groups.io <g_d_jackson...> Subject: [ALbirds] Special AOS events this week
AL Birders:
Just a heads-up about a couple of special AOS events this week:
Today, Aug. 11, anytime 3:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Heron roost fly-in watch at
Wheeler Dam. Damien Simbeck will host a laid-back watch and tally of large
numbers of herons, egrets, and possibly other large waders on the south bank
of the Tennessee River at Wheeler Dam late this afternoon. He posted about
it in this forum last week, just a reminder.
Saturday, Aug. 15, 7:00 p.m. - dark: Chimney Swift roost watch at Tallassee
High School (Elmore County): Eric Soehren will conduct a Chimney Swift watch
and count as these "flying cigars" return to roost for the evening. This
will be another relaxed event and a good chance to observe a "swiftnado"
while learning about these amazing birds.
Both of these AOS events are open to anyone of all ages. Bring a folding
chair, some drinks, binoculars, and relax while observing these roost
spectacles and learning from two of our most experienced birders. For
further details, go to the AOS Local Field Trips calendar via this link:
Date: 8/6/26 1:29 pm From: Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...> Subject: [ALbirds] Tracking Golden-cheeked Warbler Migration
I sent an email to Jane Kunberger, one of the authors of the article entitled " Miniaturized light-level geolocators provide novel insight into the migration ecology of an endangered songbird" to let her know about Franklin Chalk finding the Golden-cheeked Warbler and several people getting to see it.
She responded:
Thank you so much for sending! It's always exciting when someone spots a golden-cheeked during migration. I'll share the information with the team.
