A DAY CROSSING ALABAMA

Feb 3,4, 2007

I went across the river and tried the Alabama side of the refuge, and then found a state park nearby. Lots of RVs and not too pricey technical sites, but they were the only choices. Just a big parking lot it seemed. But there were showers and I got into body maintenance. Incredible water supply, I guess from the lake near the park, steaming hot water like a waterfall, sybaritic, lingering, sleep inducing.

One of my goals besides birding is visiting National Park Service installations, and there are two in Tuskegee, one at the famous Institute and the other focused on the Air Corps training site that attracted Black fliers. The Institute was collegiate with grass and nice buildings, and the airfield was really interesting. It was around noon when I got out of there headed for Mississippi again, following a bird-finder for MS/AL combined. I forgot my bigger newer one, which may account for not much found. I did manage to find the Brown-headed Nuthatch that had eluded me on the coast. Mostly I was just getting in position for the next morning. For Alabama I started at 95 species and ended at 112 mostly from the coast.