Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bufflehead
Bufflehead, ring-necked duck, mallard, pied-billed grebe, American coot, Canada goose,
wood duck, great blue heron, and other species can be seen here. Sometimes, the geese will
be out in the lake, where double-crested cormorant and common loon can also occasionally
be seen during winter. This refuge is directly on the north side of SH 43 on the western shore
of Ross Barnett Reservoir, just a short distance from where SH 43 intersects with the Natchez
Trace.
VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Situated on the northern and eastern edges of Vicksburg, this unit of the National Park
System presents good birding opportunities with a full dose of American history. The beau-
tiful 1,700-acre park sits on the rolling loess hills overlooking the Mississippi River. Loess
is windblown dust that was deposited in a long line through the state of Mississippi several
thousand years ago, and enough accumulated to form a series of hills through the state. Part
of the southern end of this loess deposit is in Vicksburg, and these hills are where the Union
forces under General Grant laid siege to the Confederate forces on the hills and in the city.
The park is beautifully maintained and has virtually endless amounts of edge habitat
between grassy fields and hardwood forests and brush. A long, interpretive drive through the
park gives one access to the entire area. A number of sparrows are winter residents here, in-
