*Special Event* Baker & Able Swift Watch – 14 August, 2025 (THURSDAY) 7:15 PM
We will be observing chimney swifts using a nearby chimney roost from the rooftop bar, Baker and Able, on the top of the 106 Jefferson Street Hotel. This is a relatively short event (~30-60 minutes) and can be a great introduction for non-birders birders or anyone just looking to have a drink while watching birds. Enter the 106 Jefferson Hotel lobby. Ride the elevator to top floor. – Jared Sapp, Leader (609-457-0850; jared.sapp@gmail.com)
- Leighton Area Shorebird Trip (tentative), Wheeler Dam (NABT #2, 4, 5) – 23 August, 2025 (SATURDAY) 7:00 am
We will explore the Leighton area and swing by Wheeler (and possibly Wilson) Dams on this trip. We’ll be looking primarily for shorebird migrants, whose movement through our area should be peaking. We should pick up some neo-tropical songbird migrants as well. Our success will depend largely on water levels; for this reason this trip is listed as tentative and may be cancelled if water levels are low in late August. We’ll meet at the Ingalls Boat Harbor Pavilion in Decatur. From the direction of Huntsville, cross the river bridge and take the first right onto Alt 72/20 (Wilson St.). Go about a mile and turn right on Neher St., follow to pavilion parking lot. – Harry Dean, Leader (256-541-0842; hdean@hiwaay.net)
2. Indian Creek Greenway, Creekwood Park (NABT) – 13 September, 2025 (SATURDAY) 7:00 am
Indian Creek Greenway has been an interesting migration spot for NABS since the mid-2000s It can be productive, yielding a variety of songbird migrants, not to mention being a pretty place to bird and take pics. It’s worth mentioning, if you’re relatively new to birding, that fall migration is an especially challenging time of year for song-birding. This is mainly because the birds passing through are in their non-breeding plumage, which may not closely resemble breeding plumages in spring and early summer. Additionally, most of our songbird migrants don’t sing this time of year, although their call notes might be useful for ID. If you’re not very experienced with fall birding I’d recommend you check out the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and review their ‘confusing fall warblers’ pages. We’ll access the greenway via Creekwood Park in Madison (360 Harvestwood Ct., Madison, AL 35758). From University Dr., take Slaughter Road south, turn left at Maple Valley Drive (there will be a sign to Creekwood before the turn) and follow signs through the subdivision to the parking lot. This is a walking trip, likely around 2-3 miles round trip; getting back to your car is easy if you need to leave early. – Jared Sapp, Leader (609-457-0850; jared.sapp@gmail.com)
*Special Event* Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment Swift Watch – 19 September, 2025 (FRIDAY) 6:30 PM
We will be observing the chimney swifts using a chimney roost at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment. Numbers vary by month but up to 4200 chimney swifts have been counted forming a “swiftnado” before descending into the chimney for the night. This is a relatively short event (~30-60 minutes) and can be a great introduction for non-birders and children. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. We will meet by the water tower in the east parking lot (34.715364, -86.596339) and take a short walk to the roost chimney. There may be a $10 parking fee for the Concerts on the Dock music series. – Jared Sapp, Leader (609-457-0850; jared.sapp@gmail.com)
3. Monte Sano State Park (NABT #29) – 20 September, 2025 (SATURDAY) 7:00 am
We will be looking again for fall migrants, especially warblers; Monte Sano is one of the better birding spots in the state during migration. As many or more migrants pass through our area in fall than in spring, but the migration period is longer, and a defined peak is harder to pinpoint. Even so, mid- to late-September seems to be a prime time for MSSP. Take Monte Sano Boulevard off Governors Drive at the top of the mountain and follow the signs to the park (please note that day-use fees may be collected at the park entrance: $5 per person, discounts for children, military, etc.). Once there, go in the direction of headquarters and park at the Camp Store, in the gravel, if possible. (34.745325 -86.511672). – Milton Harris, Leader (256-679-7501; miltonh70@gmail.com)
4. Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve (NABT) – 27 September, 2025 (SATURDAY) 7:00 (? Later meeting time?)
This area is a property of the Land Trust of North Alabama and is on the North Alabama Birding Trail (NABT). It’s become the hottest birding/photography spot in the area, in large part because of the photo blind/water feature in the woods near the pavilion. Tired, hungry migrants frequent the water feature, which offers fresh running water year-round (the sound of which attracts the birds). The blind makes it possible to get close-up views/photos without scaring the birds. Additionally, the Preserve is full of trails, mostly winding through diverse forest habitat; excellent birding there too. To get to Chapman, take I-565 east; you’ll see Chapman Mtn to your left. Proceed past the Chapman entrance gate to the Moore’s Mill traffic light (no left turn into the preserve from the west) at the bottom of the hill, make a u-turn back up the hill. The gate will be just past the metal guardrail on the right (there’s a sign there but it’s hard to see until you’re near it).– Ken Ward, Leader (256-679-8332)
5. Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (NABT #21) – 4 October, 2025 (SATURDAY) 7:00 am
This trip targets neotropical songbird migrants and shorebirds (depending on water levels), either breeding residents heading south or transients passing through from the north, mostly on their way to Central and South America. We will meet at the southernmost parking lot of Calhoun Community College. From Huntsville, take I-565 W/Hwy 20 toward Decatur. Just before the river, take the Hwy 31 exit north, then turn right at the first traffic light past the Subway. – Milton Harris, Leader (256-679-7501; miltonh70@gmail.com)
EVENT OF INTEREST: Alabama Ornithological Society Fall Meeting, Dauphin Island, AL – 10-12 October, 2025
6. (AR) Wheeler NWR – Limestone Bay/Arrowhead Landing/White Springs Dike (NABT #20, 23, 24) – 1 November, 2025 (SATURDAY) 8:00 am (NOTE LATER MEETING TIME)
We’ll start from Mooresville and travel a short distance to Arrowhead Landing Road, as usual, and bird our way down by car, stopping at several places to look out over the bay, including the boat ramp area. We’ll then go behind a refuge gate into the White Springs Dike area, birding along the dike to the gate on the southern end, near Decatur. We’ll see some waterfowl (still a bit early for them), perhaps some Sandhill Cranes, hopefully a good number of White Pelicans, potentially several raptor species and a variety of songbirds, many of which are returning winter residents. To get to the meeting place, take the Mooresville exit off I-565, go south towards Mooresville and meet at the parking area near where it intersects with old Highway 20 (34.627442 -86.880186). – Ken Ward, Leader (256-679-8332; kenphin1990@gmail.com)
7. Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (NABT #21) – 15 November, 2025 (SATURDAY) 8:00 am (NOTE LATER MEETING TIME)
This trip will give us a chance to visit one of the most productive segments of the Wheeler NWR Christmas Count circle. There is active duck hunting at Swan Creek this time of year, which will drive away most of the waterfowl. However, the area has lots of other birds. One area of interest is the set of fields on the north edge of the management area (behind the old warehouse), which can be good for sparrows; White-Crowned Sparrow is a possibility here. Unless it rains heavily, we can expect to have some exposed mud flats where we could pick up some shorebirds, American Pipits and Lapland Longspurs. Over the past few years, LeConte’s sparrow has been found a couple of times near the boat ramp within the management area compound (but uncertain as to whether we’ll have access to this area). Other species we might encounter include Marsh Wren, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Palm Warbler and Common Yellowthroat, all uncommon to rare species this time of year in our area. We will meet at the southernmost parking lot of Calhoun Community College. From Huntsville, take I-565 W/Hwy 20 toward Decatur. Just before the river, take the Hwy 31 exit north, then turn right at the first traffic light past the Subway.- Milton Harris, Leader (256-679-7501; miltonh70@gmail.com)
8. (AR) Wheeler NWR – Beaverdam Peninsula /Penny Bottoms/Blackwell Swamp/Rockhouse/Buckeye (NABT #26) – 22 November, 2025 (SATURDAY) 8:00 am (NOTE LATER MEETING TIME)
Attendees will get to see another interesting part of the refuge on this trip. This area runs parallel to Limestone Bay and the Tennessee River and should yield a nice variety of songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and other species. Take the Mooresville exit off I-565, go south on Mooresville Road and meet at the parking area near where it intersects with old Highway 20 (34.627442, -86.880186). – Dwight Cooley, Leader (256-565-6239; cdcooley5050@gmail.com)
9. (AR) Wheeler NWR – Limestone Bay/Arrowhead Landing/White Springs Dike (NABT #20, 23, 24) – 6 December, 2025 (SATURDAY) 8:00 am (NOTE LATER MEETING TIME)
This traditional NABS route is one of the best we have for productive late fall/winter birding and among the best places in the state to get great looks at a variety of waterfowl, which should be present in numbers, especially the Tennessee River backwaters and marsh near the Decatur end of the dike. Birding with a group like NABS provides an opportunity to drive behind locked gates (provided we have at least eight people!), thus gaining access to the best areas to see lots of ducks and geese. We’ll be birding by car to cover the necessary area, but there will be plenty of stops and opportunities to walk around and enjoy the refuge. In addition to waterfowl, we’ll be looking for Sandhill Cranes, White Pelicans, late shorebird migrants, raptors and returning winter-resident songbirds. We’ll be behind locked gates for 2-3 hours and should be done around lunchtime. Take the Mooresville exit off I-565, go south towards Mooresville and meet at the parking area near where it intersects with old Highway 20 (34.627442 -86.880186)- Dwight Cooley, Leader (256-565-6239; cdcooley5050@gmail.com)
North Alabama Birdwatcher's Society 