Nature Viewing

The fall bird migration is starting to wind down in most places, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many birds to observe.  If you know where to look, you may find a wider variety of species than you would have guessed would be present.  Come along and see!

Cattle Egrets, ubiquitous in fields and pastures across the southeastern U.S. during the summer months, have mostly made their way south to the Gulf Coast, Florida, Mexico, and Central America.  However, you can still find some stragglers here and there, mainly around large bodies of water.  In the photo below, a small flock of Cattle Egrets congregate in a shrubby cypress tree at Bluff Lake.  In a month or so, they will most likely have departed for warmer territories where insects are abundant.

Cattle Egrets roosting at Noxubee National Wildife Refuge

Anhingas, the long-necked “snakebirds” of southern swamps, seem to be increasingly common on inland bodies of water during the winter months.  This may be due to climate change, but, regardless of the cause, checking for these birds in the field right now is well worth the effort.  Watch for their long, snake-like necks that they hold above the water as they swim, or scan the trees for perched birds that are busy airing out their wet wings.  These seemingly odd habits stem from the fact that Anhingas lack the oily plumage that provides ducks and geese with waterproofing and improved buoyancy.  Instead of bobbing on the surface, they dive for fish under the water.

Anhinga at Noxubee NWR

Another species that you can still find in some numbers on lakes and ponds is the Common Gallinule, a close relative of the abundant American Coot.  Gallinules tend to be slightly more secretive and retiring than coots, generally staying close to the shorelines or swimming among floating vegetation.  Their vividly-colored bills and the white streaks of feathers across their flanks make them easy to identify.  You can also listen for their loud, squawking calls carrying across the marsh.

Common Gallinules swimming at Noxubee NWR

Some birds that are usually common year-round, such as Eastern Phoebes, may still come as pleasant surprises in the field.  The ice storm of February 2021 killed many of the flying insects that phoebes, warblers, and certain other insectivorous bird species rely on for food, so some of these birds starved to death.  Phoebe numbers, in particular, seemed remarkably low this spring and summer.  Recently, though, I’ve noticed phoebes returning to areas from which they had apparently disappeared—an encouraging example of nature’s resilience.

Eastern Phoebe perched in cypress tree

These are all just my observations, though.  If you’re a birder, the most rewarding thing to do is to make your own discoveries in the field.  You never know what you might find!

A Nature Stroll for a Birder's Soul

What’s your favorite cure for the winter doldrums?  I can’t settle on one answer, but, as you might guess, among my top choices would be a trip to Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.  I visited that area on the drab and overcast afternoon of December 30.

The Bluff Lake Boardwalk was the first stop.  Kinglets, wrens, chickadees, and Yellow-rumped Warblers called and flitted about in the thickets and cypress trees.  A surprisingly unperturbed Hermit Thrush watched me from some low branches near a Smilax vine.  Hermit Thrushes are fairly common in these types of habitats, but they generally don’t make themselves as obvious as this bird did.

Hermit Thrush

The boardwalk winds through some of the woods on the north side of Bluff Lake, ending at an observation deck that provides views of the egret rookery.  Most of the egrets have migrated south and won’t be back until spring, so the main attractions right now are the waterfowl and the Bald Eagles.  I saw cormorants, coots, Pied-billed Grebes, and some distant Mallards, but no eagles.  However, an Anhinga swam lazily by, demonstrating why it is also called “snakebird.”  Anhingas lack waterproof feathers and are not particularly buoyant, so their bodies tend to stay submerged.  This one resembled a miniature Loch Ness Monster. 

A swimming Anhinga

From the Bluff Lake Boardwalk, I went to Webster Memorial Grove.  There is a short woodland trail and an observation deck over part of Loakfoma Lake.  Gloomy clouds hung low in the sky, portending rain.  Although this is not always a very productive spot, there were blackbirds and Canada Geese flying overhead, a Barred Owl hooting from the woods, and a Common Yellowthroat darting around in the reeds.

Loakfoma Lake

After spending about twelve minutes at Webster Memorial Grove, I went to Cypress Cove Boardwalk, which is on the west side of Bluff Lake.  There were only a few ducks and coots on the water, but that might have been because a Bald Eagle—an apex predator—surveyed the area from a cypress snag.  The eagle was actually preening when I arrived, and seemed more relaxed than watchful.  Still, I suspect that waterfowl don’t like to take too many chances around eagles.  

Bald Eagle

American alligators were the other apex predators putting in appearances that afternoon.  These two medium-sized ones were basking on logs near the lake edge, adding yet another slight undercurrent of danger to the scene.  Alligators are fascinating animals, but you should never be too complacent around them, especially if you see them in an area where people congregate on a regular basis.  The more accustomed they are to humans, the more dangerous they can be.  Fortunately, the boardwalks at Noxubee NWR are pretty safe spots to watch them.

Alligators basking

As the daylight waned, hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants came in to roost.  In the photo below, you can see one cormorant flying, while the others appear as dark specks in the background trees.  I made one last stop at Goose Overlook, also on the west end of Bluff Lake, to see the Canada Geese, Mallards, blackbirds, and sparrows that are usually present during the winter.  After that, it was too gray and dim to see much of anything, so I headed out, feeling refreshed in the soul. 

Double-crested Cormorants roosting in cypress trees