Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dangered bird, and with a great deal of luck, you might see one. The trail itself goes through
a number of pine areas, which alternate with cutover areas, swamps, and bottom hardwoods;
some large, old pine trees do remain.
In some of these hardwood and swampy areas, particularly on the trail west of SH 186,
nesting warblers can be found in spring and early summer. Look for prothonotary warbler,
hooded warbler, American redstart, yellow-throated warbler, and Louisiana waterthrush.
There are a number of short, side trails that lead down to Choctafaula Creek, which is a pleas-
ant stream that winds between sandy banks that make good picnic spots. Along these stream
banks and the surrounding woods, watch for yellow warbler.
At the far western end of the national forest, on US 80, just before it goes into the town of
Tuskegee, is the Tsinia Wildlife Viewing Area. The parking lot for Tsinia is on Forest Road
937, just south of that road's juncture with US 80. This area has been designed with trails,
fields, and an observation blind in the middle of a lake, and it is an easily accessible place for
watching birds. The lake will have ducks such as mallards in the winter and wood ducks year-
round. Watch for belted kingfishers and eastern phoebes. With a great deal of edge habitat,
Tsinia is a good spot for birds such as migrating warblers; in winter, ruby-crowned kinglet is
common, and orange-crowned warbler, hermit thrush, winter wren, and house wren can be
sighted. In summer, there are prairie warblers. I have regularly seen a red-shouldered hawk
patrolling the sky over Tsinia.
While in the area, spend some time in Tuskegee, for it is a very historic town. Here is the
home of Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington, and it is one of the premier
African-American universities in the country.
For information, a map of the national forest, and a map of the Bartram Trail, write to:
U.S. Forest Service, Route 1, Box 457, Tuskegee, AL 36083, or Forest Supervisor, National
Forests in Alabama, 2946 Chestnut Street, Montgomery, AL 36107.
MONTGOMERY
The capital of Alabama, Montgomery is centrally located in the state. Although it offers
some fair birding to local residents who have the time to become intimately familiar with the
town, Montgomery does not provide much birding for the traveler or short-term visitor. La-
goon Park on the northeastern portion of the city's bypass does offer the largest amount of
open land that is readily accessible to the public. This park has a great deal of space devoted
to softball parks, tennis courts, and a golf course, but there is still plenty of land left in wood-
lands, ponds, and open fields. The northern part of Lagoon Park is more productive for bird-
ing, providing hardwoods, pine forests, fields, and marshy, pondside areas. Here can be found
great blue heron, eastern meadowlark, eastern phoebe, kingfisher, American kestrel, various
woodpeckers, field sparrow, killdeer, pine warbler, and loggerhead shrike. In winter, white-
