On Jan 22nd, a few of the Lebanon Bird Club members had a wonderful day
birding.
Wheeler NWR near Decatur, Alabama.
We did not go to Limestone Bay because we really just didn't want to deal
with the mud.
Some of our trails we frequent also closed and didn't venture far from the
visitor center.
Highlights include:
Four Golden-crowned kinglets and four Ruby-crowned Kinglets, along with two
Winter Wrens, entertained us while feeding on a thin film of ice in cypress
swamp or at base of the trees. We spent quite a lengthy time enjoying these
small energetic birds.
Sandhill Cranes were in great viewing numbers and noisily either in the air
or feeding.
Whooping Cranes walked from the area behind the VC to the far end from the
glass enclosed blind distance. We watched most of this journey along its
way.
White pelicans we're in the distance but nicely seen with a scope.
Swamp Sparrow gave us a nice view in Cypress swamp but in the more open
section at end of Atkeson Cypress Trail.
White fronted Geese gave us great views from glass enclosed blind and
behind VC.
The sun made the Green-winged Teal look stunning.
Waterfowl to view from the glass-enclosed blind was very low in numbers
overall. The ride on Point Mallard Parkway/ Hwy 67 had the coots and a few
others species ( mostly silhouettes) but it just was not teeming as in
years past with ducks. No noise at all and the area in view from bleachers
was almost blank as we left the blind. We were there in the morning before
10 at the blind.
We ended with a total of 39 species at the refuge near VC. I took note of
birds enroute and our trip total was 59 for the day.
It was nice to visit one of our favorite spots that we had not seen since
2019. We were so busy in winter of 2020, we missed going, I think.
Melissa Turrentine
Normandy
Bedford County TN
Lebanon Bird Club
