April 2016 Bird List (continued) Audubon Dauphin Island

I Wanted to wait until April 1st to continue  the list of species on Dauphin Island.  But I just can't wait.

We had 100 yesterday with the hooded warbler.

Last evening we had a typical nasty rain and thunderstorm over the Mississippi Sound. The kids from N. California thought it was great!  They rarely get a thunderstorm.  Wind driven rain raised our marsh noticiably in three hours. That was when Jason saw the Clapper Rail.

Evidently it also drove in the birds coming across the Gulf.

This AM birds started to be seen everywhere.  

First at the Oyster Mounds (ancient) we met some serious birders.  The word was that a worm-eating warbler was there and an Orange-crowned Warbler was also  there.   Both birds NOT on our life list.

I had to remind Ed we only see our children several times a year and we needed to move as they wanted to see our campground, the Audubon Trail and get to the beach for one last afternoon.

For Ed a serious sacrifice, which  he indeed made.

Then as soon as the kids headed for the beach, he was out the door....

LIFER  Yellow-Throated Warbler

#100

Prothonotary Warbler

Hundreds of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds

Palm Wabler

Hooded Warbler

104

All of these birds were within 2 blocks of our rental and within 1 block of each other.

Simply amazing.  Ed got great shots!

Hooded Warbler

Northern Parula

LIFER   Worm-eating Warbler 

Blue-Headed Vireo

Black and White Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Prothonotary Warbler

Yellow Throated Warbler

#110  Species on Dauphin Island since Feb. 

8th

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

#111
Oven Bird
Orchard Oriole
Indigo Bunting

#114


LIFER:   Vermilion Flycatcher

This bird has only been to the Island
a couple of times...ever....Texas migration.
A really really special list bird for us.


LIFER:  Pine Siskin
This bird is seen often in Ohio, but never
has made our list.  Glad to get it here!


#116

We never found the Orange Crowned Warbler

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pine Siskin

Wood Thrush
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Yellow-Crowned  Night Heron
White Throated Sparrow

#121

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Northern Parula

Not the best picture of the Worm-Eater Warbler
We will do better....he moves fast!

Be Warned: Children and Granddaughters at Blue Fish....unless you are related.....

Blue Fish Beach House on Dauphin Island

Crabbing

A Tween !!

Beach Babies

Feeding the Gulls

Sea Museum on Island

Lifer Kind of a Day! 3/17/2016 St. Pat's Day White - Winged Doves

White-Winged Doves

Located at Audubon Marsh Observation Platform

Mated Pair of Mottled Ducks
Ed captured these on the Marsh today also

Bellingrath Gardens and Home

March 15, 2016

Bellingrath Gardens and Home:  located just west of Dauphin Island on the mainland and just east of  Bayou Le Batre.  Which is next to nowhere.... Seems an original Coke bottler in Mobile bought an old fish camp in the Batre and built himself one large country home and planted azaleas like they were going out of style.   The great lawn reminded us all of "The Masters" in April.

We had the delightful company of Mike and Claire Bellamy from London, Ont.  They are friends of our other friends from London, that we met last year here in Camp Dauphin.  If you are following, we know have 4 friends from London, Ont.  :)

We spent an afternoon walking the gardens.  Beautiful plantings and an exceptional Asian garden.

Enjoy some pictures of our "day trip".

Claire wants Mike to built her this bridge in her garden at home!

Azaleas  amid  Bamboo

Acres of Gardens, ponds and Lakes and don't forget Marsh!

Veggies in the Spring Garden

Azaleas:  Don't you love them!

Mike and Claire

Spring is here in the Bayou

Mr. Ed spotted a Northern Parula Warbler: of course he did......

"The Masters"  Right around the corner

What is this??????  Love the colors

Glamping Mornings

February 15, 2016

I love mornings in the Lark….especially if  we are in Alabama in February.  Winter seems to be Jan. and Feb. here.  But midway through February spring mornings begin to make their appearance.  

This morning, I awoke to the birds singing and the window open an inch, as the night temps did not fall much.  Spring air wafting across your face is a very delightful way to open your eyes.  Of course Eze was also curled up next to my head to have his nose on the open screen.  So we both enjoyed the breeze together.

I could see fog over the dock and knew the ferry was not running as the blast of the horn and turn of the big power houses had not begun.  Humid and soft air: the sun just striking a few clouds on the early morning horizon. 

Even Eze who is always more in tune with eating breakfast than enjoying the moment, sat with me purring.  Ed was in the galley preparing fresh coffee and the aroma was overtaking me.  Grabbing a  cuddly wrap and boiled wool slip ons, this was going to be a great day.

I wanted to blog and the idea of getting up in the morning “camping” vs “glamping” came to mind.  

Oh those camping mornings.  If it was a good morning, it wouldn’t have rained over night.  The tarp would have keep all the moisture from coming in even on a dry night.  Of course the tarp also covered up all the beautiful skylights and screened windows of the tent. A balmy night becomes a suffocating night.  

Sleeping 6 inches or less from the ground, getting up is a trick.  So is getting out of ones sleep clothes into the nearest appropriate  camp wear.  You always feel you have to crouch down in a tent even if the center is adult high.  And there is no place to lean, as the first  foot needs to go into your jeans.

Next delight is how to get to the bathhouse.  Do you wear something smokey from the last evening fire pit…or do you choice something fresh, but you still smell like smoke from the fire pit?  Doesn’t really matter, you begin to smell like fire pit by breakfast anyway.

Sweaters on your teeth and the thought of brushing in public….well, just not good.

So know my readers, mornings in an RV are always much better.  Fresh linens and cozy bed, a private bath and you get to choose if you want a fire in the fire pit.  Coffee and breakfast just like at home.  Same beach, same woods, same wonderful camp experience but none of the “camping” just “glamping” comforts.

March 2016 Bird List Audubon Dauphin Island

March 2016 Dauphin Island Bird List (Cont from Feb. 2016 list)

Dunlin

Solitary Sandpiper
Pied Billed Grebe
Blue Winged Teal
Red Shouldered Hawk
Black Skimmer
Downy Woodpecker
Red-cocaded Woodpecker
American Goldfinch

Red-Cocaded Woodpecker

Piping Plover
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Song Sparrow

Green Heron
Little Blue Heron
Hermit Thrush
House Finch

White Winged Doves  LIFER

Great White Egret
Mottled Duck
White Pelican
White Winged Dove LIFER

Pouring rain all day 3/19/2016
Louisiana Waterthrush in our camp site!

 migration on!

Western End of Dauphin Island... Blue Fish Beach House on Mississippi Sound.


 Ruby Throated Hummer in Mobile...3/21/2016


Lark Sparrow LIFER. Off deck Blue Dolphin Beach House. 3/22/201

Tri-Colored Heron
Barn Swallow
Ruddy Duck

Clapper Rail  -  heard in the marsh but not seen!  LIFER  Jason finds Clapper from top deck of beach  house with scope.  He is king Birder for the day!






Hooded Warbler... migration is starting...how exciting.





#99  Hooded Warbler

Common Loon

Scissor-Tailed Kite

Many Faces of the Green Heron

February 2016 Audubon Bird List Dauphin Island

February 2016 Dauphin Island Bird List

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Northern Gannet

Brown Pelican

Double Crest   Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Pine Warbler

Snowy Egret

Reddish Egret

Mallard Duck

Red Headed Duck

Pine Warbler

Bufflehead

Greater Scaup

Red-Breasted

 Merganser

Osprey

Swallow- Tailed Kite

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Black Bellied Plover

Snowy Plover

Semipalmated Plover

American Oystercatcher

Willet

Whimbrel

Osprey

Ruddy Turnstone

Sanderling

Short  Billed Dowitcher

Laughing Gull

Boneparte’s Gull

Ring Billed Gull

Herring Gull

Caspian Tern

Royal Tern

Foresters Tern

Morning Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Great Horned Owl

Snowy Plover

Belted Kingfisher

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Red Cockaded Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

American crow

Fish Crow

Carolina Chickadee

Brown Headed Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

House Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-grey gnatcatcher

American Robin

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Blue Bird

Grey Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

Brown Thrasher

European Starling

Blue-headed Vireo

Yellow-Dumped Warbler

Pine Warbler

Northern Cardinal

House Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Eastern Towhee

American Tree Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed cowbird

Black Skimmer

73