Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shell Mounds
This is a small plot of land that hosts an inordinately large amount of bird activity, and
it is the prime spot on Dauphin Island for birding. Managed by the Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, the Shell Mounds are an ancient Native American site
where discarded oyster shells were piled up to such an extent that a series of small hills were
created. To reach the Shell Mounds, turn north off of Bienville Boulevard onto Iberville Drive
0.5 mile east of SH 193; the Shell Mounds are two blocks down Iberville Drive. If there is
nowhere to park near the entrance, the road winds around the eastern side of the mounds, and
additional parking can be found there and on the northern side.
The mounds are covered with brush and trees, some quite large, and the swales between the
mounds are mostly grassy. For such a small area, there are dozens of trails winding through
the trees and the mounds, and one can take a very twisting course through this area. All these
trails are there to alow many birders as much access to the area as possible, because the dens-
ity of birds at this one location can be so high at times that every bush will bring new discov-
eries.
Spring is definitely the hottest birding season at the Shell Mounds. I have stood in one spot
and looked at one tree, and within two minutes I saw the following warblers: northern parula,
yellow-throated, Blackburnian, prothonotary, black-and-white, yellow-rumped, hooded, and
blue-winged. Warblers, vireos, and orioles are some of the biggest prizes to be found at the
Shell Mounds, but concentration on the bushes and trees should not keep you from looking
up beyond the trees occasionally. Peregrine falcon, merlin, Cooper's hawk, red-shouldered
hawk, swallow-tailed kite, Mississippi kite, osprey, American kestrel, and other birds of prey
have often been seen flying over the Shell Mounds, sometimes just above tree level. Once I
saw a Cooper's hawk fly through the trees on the northern end of the mounds. Peregrines can
sometimes be seen flying high overhead during migration, and there are a few of the falcons
that reside along Alabama's Gulf coast.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds will gather in the dozens among the honeysuckle and other
flowers in the field at the southern end of the mounds. Orioles and tanagers can also be found,
sometimes in great abundance, in the same area. Warblers and vireos can be found anywhere
throughout the mounds, and with their interest in feeding after their trans-Gulf flight, many
are often unconcerned about the numerous people around them. During one April trip, I was
able to stand still and watch a half-dozen hooded warblers hunt through the leaves at my feet.
Indigo buntings gather in the dozens, particularly during the later part of spring migration;
watch any flocks of indigoes carefully for the occasional painted bunting that flocks with
them.
