2008 Watchable Wildlife Conference
Orange Beach, Alabama
October 7-9, 2008

Conference Birding Trips

Wednesday, October 8
Depart 6:30am
Weeks Bay Reserve

Weeks Bay is a small estuarine embayment, off of Mobile Bay, approximately three square miles of open shallow water, averaging 4.5 ft. deep.

Weeks Bay is fringed with marsh (Spartina and Juncus) and swamp (pine, oak, maple, cypress and others). Forested wetlands form an extensive strip between floodplain swamps and upland pine-oak forest and is diverse and rich with species. Weeks Bay is a critical nursery for fish, crustaceans and shellfish. Visit nerrs.noaa.gov/WeeksBay for more information.

 

Thursday, October 9
Depart 6:30am
Bon Secour NWR

The Bon Secour NWR contains 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.

The name Bon Secour comes from the French meaning "safe harbor," very appropriate considering the sanctuary for native flora and fauna that the refuge provides. The refuge serves the additional benefit of comprising one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the Alabama coast. Its dunes are a reminder of the Gulf Coast, as it once existed. As a consequence, the refuge has been named as one of the 10 natural wonders of Alabama.  Visit fws.gov/bonsecour for more information.