Birmingham Audubon Society

1.  Trussville area. 2 locations:  Pinchgut Creek swamp behind First Presbyterian Church on US 11.  Exit I-459 (#32) and go east ~ 2.5 miles, on right.  Park and walk across yard to trail leading down into wooded swamp.  Good for Swainson's warblers in late spring.  From church, continue E on US 11 to downtown area, turn R onto Chalkville Rd (CR 10).  Turn R at Queenstown Road and go ~ 2 miles to swamp, which is on either side of the road.  American bitterns have been seen here.  Also wood ducks, herons, yellow warblers.  DeLorme:  p. 31, D7.

2.  Eoline Swamp. Located west on Centreville off US 82.  From AL 5 head W for ~ 4.5 miles to small community of Eoline.  Turn L onto CR 16 and head W a short distance to bridge over Mooney Creek.  Bird from the road and the bridge.  DeLorme:  p. 36, D3.

3.  Potato Patch Creek. This swamp is located a short distance from the Heiberger fish hatchery and Bald eagle nest.  From AL 5, turn at the Heiberger Methodist Church and head E, over the Cahaba River.  Take the R fork and drive past the fish hatchery location (stop to look at eagles!) to a sharp L turn at the next dirt road.  Continue down this road for ~ 1 mile.  Swamp is on both sides of road.  DeLorme:  p. 36, G3.

4.  Perry Lake. This oxbow of the Cahaba River is located behind the Marion State Fish Hatchery, at the northern boundary.  Permission is needed to enter.  An excellent location to see a variety of woodpeckers, warblers and migrants as they pass through in migration.  This location is a nearly annual BAS field trip.  DeLorme:  p. 36, H3.

5. Wheeler NWR. There are a number of wooded swamps located within the boundaries of Wheeler NWR.  Check at the Refuge HQ (AL 67, east of Decatur; I-59, exit #334) about access and specific direction to these locations in particular:  Beaverdam swamp (boardwalk), Dancy Bottoms and Blackwell Swamp.  These areas are the northern breeding limits in Alabama for Swainson's warbler.  DeLorme:  p 18, E5,  F5, G3; p. 19, F6.

6.  Choctaw NWR. Mostly river bottom lands are found at this refuge along the Tombigbee River, W of the town Coffeeville.  This is a good location to see both species of kites, parula warblers and white-eyed vireos.  From the town of Coffeeville take US 84 west, turn right (N) on CR 21 for 4 miles, turn right (E) onto CR 14 to Womack Hill; turn right at Womack Hill and follow the signs to the refuge.  DeLorme:  p. 48, D4.

7.  Jackson/Leroy swamp. The US 43 bridge over the Tombigbee River is another good location to see kites.  Just west of the bridge look for the dirt access roads that circle back around and under the bridge.  A visit to the Leroy Swamp is also in order if you are in the area.  Turn L off US 43 at the high school in Leroy and follow this road (CR 34) to the swamp (follow signs for power plant).   Look for purple gallinules and least bitterns.  DeLorme:  p. 49, H6, p. 56, A1.

8.  Fort Mims area. When asked what areas were the best places to bird in the upper Mobile-Tensaw River delta,  Greg Jackson replied, "The Fort Mims area is one of the top spots, with many unpaved roads providing access to various habitats near the river."  To reach this vicinity, exit I-65 at AL 59 (#34) and go N to Tensaw.  Look for signs to the Fort Mims Historic Site, located west of town off CR 80.  DeLorme:  p. 56, E2.

9.  Hurricane Landing. Another Greg Jackson recommendation, this location is west of Crossroads, AL.  From I-65, take AL 225 (#31) south to the town of Crossroads and head west on CR 86 to the landing.  This area borders the Mobile-Tensaw WMA.

10.  Creola swamp. Continuing S on I-65, take the Creola exit (#22) and head NE.  In a few miles, turn R onto Dead Lake Road at the sign for the campground and airport.  Continue down the road past the small farm pond on the left.  Look here for shorebirds in migration when the water level is low.  The swamp is located further down this road.  This area is good for anhingas and a variety of ducks, woodpeckers, warblers.  DeLorme:  p. 62, A5.