Above: Reddish Egret by Melissa Rowell/Audubon Photography Awards
SPRING MIGRATION on DAUPHIN ISLAND
April 8 to April 11, 2021
This event is now full. You can place yourself on the waitlist by following the registration link below. We will contact you if a spot opens.
Georgia Audubon Guides: Adam Betuel and Michelle Hamner
Group Size: Maximum 16 participants
Registration:
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
Guests are responsible for their own food, travel, and lodging. Georgia Audubon will reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel for those who are interested in reserving a room at a group rate (see Lodging Information below).
Group Size: Maximum 16 participants
Registration:
- $365 - Georgia Audubon Master Birder in good standing
- $390 - Georgia Audubon Member
- $425 - Non-member (includes a one-year Georgia Audubon membership)
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
Guests are responsible for their own food, travel, and lodging. Georgia Audubon will reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel for those who are interested in reserving a room at a group rate (see Lodging Information below).
Few places in the United States offer the birdwatching excitement that can be found along the Gulf Coast in the spring. Songbirds adorned with the brightest of plumages pour into the region after safely traversing miles and miles of open water. In addition to these feathered jewels, northbound shorebirds and dancing waders cover the beach, skulking rails and sparrows fill the marshes, and year-round residents sing alongside their temporary neighbors. If this sounds like a birdwatching experience you would like to be a part of, then join Georgia Audubon as we visit the hotspots of Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the Mobile Bay.
From April 8 to April 11, Georgia Audubon staff will lead a group of birdwatchers to songbird havens, productive coasts and marshes, and on a chartered boat trip throughout the Dauphin Island area. On this trip, we hope to find 15-20 species of warblers, 20+ species of shorebirds, almost if not all of the wading birds of the eastern US, and numerous other highlights like Painted Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, and Magnificent Frigatebirds. Two of the three days will have us birding on the island, seeing what the northward winds have brought in. Our other full day will be spent exploring other hotspots around the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Come and join us as we take in the splendor of spring migration and the unpredictable excitement it can bring.
ITINERARY
From April 8 to April 11, Georgia Audubon staff will lead a group of birdwatchers to songbird havens, productive coasts and marshes, and on a chartered boat trip throughout the Dauphin Island area. On this trip, we hope to find 15-20 species of warblers, 20+ species of shorebirds, almost if not all of the wading birds of the eastern US, and numerous other highlights like Painted Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, and Magnificent Frigatebirds. Two of the three days will have us birding on the island, seeing what the northward winds have brought in. Our other full day will be spent exploring other hotspots around the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Come and join us as we take in the splendor of spring migration and the unpredictable excitement it can bring.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - thursday, april 8 - arrival
Participants will need to arrive by the evening of April 8. Those who arrive in time can meet the Georgia Audubon guides for a casual dinner or drinks as we discuss our most wanted targets and enjoy the salty air.
day 2 - friday, april 9 - dauphin island hotspots
Our entire first day will be spent bouncing around the best birding sites on the island. Hooded, Worm-eating, Prothonotary, and many other warblers are expected. Tanagers, buntings, orioles, and a handful of swallow species can all be found. Some likely destinations in the morning include Shell Mound Park, Audubon Bird Sanctuary, and Goat Tree Reserve. Depending on the success of the morning, we will spend the afternoon either visiting more songbird traps or spending time at the West End where we can expect to spot Piping and Snowy Plovers, Least and Caspian Terns, Reddish Egrets, and many more.
day 3 - saturday, april 10 - mobile bay & fort morgan
Depending on recent sightings, we will start this day at the Blakeley Island Mud Lakes or Meaher State Park. In this area we could find multiple duck species including Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Mottled Ducks. After some morning birding, we will take a chartered boat trip with WildNative Tours through Mobile Bay. On the boat trip, we will learn about the history and ecology of the bay in addition to looking for aquatic species. Double-crested Cormorants, Osprey, Brown Pelicans, and other open water or marsh birds may be spotted. After the boat trip, the rest of the day will be spent at Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is known for its impressive number of migratory species and here we will look for birds not detected at Dauphin Island or any wayward vagrants that may have been found. We will take the ferry from Fort Morgan back to Dauphin Island, completing our clockwise loop for the day.
day 4 - sunday, april 11 - another crack at dauphin island & departure
Our final morning will have us once again birding on the amazing Dauphin Island. We will look to fill in any gaps on our species list and try to find migratory songbird flocks. If we have had fantastic luck and are lacking in targets, we may head off the island and bird more of the upland habitat. The birdwatching will end around lunchtime, ensuring that everyone can begin their journey home at a reasonable time.
additional information
Price Includes:
Price does not include:
Lodging Information:
Guests are responsible for their own lodging and meals. We have set up a room block at the only hotel on Dauphin Island, the Gulf Breeze Motel, for the nights of April 8, 9, and 10. The room rate for a non-smoking double queen room is $124/night + tax. This rate is based on double occupancy. Guests who wish to reserve a room in the Georgia Audubon room block should contact the hotel directly at (251) 861-7344 by March 1, 2021. Please ask for a room with the "Georgia Audubon" group. You are not required to stay at the Gulf Breeze Motel, but this will be where we start and end each day's activities.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by February 8, 2021, a refund of all payments made will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). If notice of cancellation is received between February 9 and March 8, 2021, a 50% refund of the tour fee will be given unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a 100% refund will be given, less any expenses incurred by the tour operator.
- Two full days and one half-day of guided birding with Georgia Audubon staff
- Chartered boat tour of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta
- Admission to Fort Morgan, Meaher State Park, and Dauphin Island public beach access points
- Ferry ticket (Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island)
Price does not include:
- Transportation and travel fees not specified above
- Lodging
- Meals
- Travel insurance, recommended
- Medical costs
- Souvenirs
- Other incidentals participants may wish to purchase
Lodging Information:
Guests are responsible for their own lodging and meals. We have set up a room block at the only hotel on Dauphin Island, the Gulf Breeze Motel, for the nights of April 8, 9, and 10. The room rate for a non-smoking double queen room is $124/night + tax. This rate is based on double occupancy. Guests who wish to reserve a room in the Georgia Audubon room block should contact the hotel directly at (251) 861-7344 by March 1, 2021. Please ask for a room with the "Georgia Audubon" group. You are not required to stay at the Gulf Breeze Motel, but this will be where we start and end each day's activities.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by February 8, 2021, a refund of all payments made will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). If notice of cancellation is received between February 9 and March 8, 2021, a 50% refund of the tour fee will be given unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a 10% administrative fee). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a 100% refund will be given, less any expenses incurred by the tour operator.
