Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
here, and are good habitat for brown-headed nuthatch, pine warbler, and various woodpeck-
ers. Foraging red-cockaded woodpeckers are possible, but very unlikely. The western trail-
head for this trail is right on the east side of US 49, between the towns of Saucier to the south
and McHenry to the north; look for the rows of live oaks. The trail can also be accessed from
Airey Lake recreation area which is reached by taking SH 67 east from Saucier and then go-
ing north 3 miles on Forest Road 412.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Colony
A very accessible colony of these endangered woodpeckers was set out in Jackson and
Toup's topic on birding coastal Mississippi, and as of 1993, that colony was still active. Three
nesting trees are located directly on a paved road east from SH 15. Take Forest Road 402 (the
Larue Road) east from SH 15; it is not marked, but it is a three-way intersection that is 13.2
miles north of where the two-lane part of SH 15 heads north from the east-west, four-lane
portion of SH 15, just north of its intersection with I-10 and I-110. Go 2.65 miles and the
colony will be on the right (south); park at an old road turnout on the north side of the road
about 0.1 mile further east. The colony trees are marked with two blue bands of paint, and the
colony area is marked by trees with one blue band of paint. Due to their foraging throughout
