Date: 3/31/26 8:41 am From: Eric Soehren via groups.io <esoehren...> Subject: [ALbirds] Vacant Breeding Bird Survey Routes - Volunteers Needed (2026)!
AL Birders--
It’s that time of year again when I put the call out for volunteers to adopt a vacant Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route for the upcoming breeding season in Alabama.
As an overview, the USGS BBS is a long-term, standardized monitoring program run by volunteers (over 2,000 people) throughout North America. Since its inception in 1966, the BBS is one of the most important bird monitoring programs in existence as it provides population trend estimates for the continent’s breeding birds at different temporal and spatial scales. The data is used in many ways and enables researchers and wildlife agencies to better evaluate the current statuses of species in terms of conservation need. Observers must be able to identify birds by sight and song, although most detections are made by ear. Essentially, the survey entails conducting 50, 3-minute point counts at stops placed at 0.5-mile increments along an established road route. It typically takes 4 hours to complete. Start times are 30 minutes before local sunrise. Routes are surveyed only once a year and the observer can select the day to run them usually between mid-May to 30 June, although some start dates may be a week later in the northern part of the state. Weekends are the best days to survey routes (especially Sundays) with much lower traffic volume.
I am looking for dedicated birders who possess the necessary skills to readily identify all breeding birds by sight and song to step up and participate. There have been a number of retirements from their routes, so I'm seeking to fill 21 vacancies in the state, which currently represents 25% of all 85 active routes! Most of the vacancies are weighted toward the western side of the state, but don't let that sway your consideration...
Current vacant routes (and county starting point) include the following:
Trade (02004) – Cullman
Liberty (02019) – Pickens
Riderwood (02020) – Choctaw
Linden (02021) – Marengo
Grangeburg (02031) – Houston
Brundidge (02032) – Pike
Beatrice (02036) – Monroe
Millry (02039) – Washington
Blocton (02043) – Bibb
Epes (02048) – Sumter
Escatawpa (02052) – Washington
Grove Hill (02053) – Clarke
Holt (02060) – Tuscaloosa
Courtland (02102) – Lawrence
Vina (02201) – Marion
Carter Grove (02203) – Madison
Vernon (02205) – Lamar
Wedowee (02209) – Randolph
Gastonburg (02210) – Houston
Seale (02212) – Lee
Claiborne (02214) – Clarke
So, if you are concerned about the welfare of our breeding birds and possess the necessary skills to identify them, please consider taking one or more of the vacant routes listed above. Participation requires dedicating a day to scout the route for familiarity and then a single morning beginning at the designated start time to survey a route of 50 stops, which contributes substantially to our present-day knowledge of breeding bird statuses on many levels! If you currently have an assigned route(s) or have participated in the past, a big thank you for your dedicated service.
If you are unfamiliar with the BBS and have questions about it or want to request a route, please contact me (contact information below). I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Thank you for your consideration and good birding!
Eric Soehren, Alabama BBS Coordinator
<eric.soehren...>
Date: 3/29/26 6:02 pm From: Damien J. Simbeck via groups.io <tnbarredowl...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Birding Prospects
Migration has been slow at this end of the state too. We’ve had a lot of strong southerly winds, giving migrants free rides to breeding grounds further north. Lack of rain has also left sinkhole ponds minimal to dry, so shorebird migration has also been slow (no Golden Plovers yet, to my knowledge). A few southern US wintering birds are arriving early, with Caspian Terns and Little Blue Herons already here. Usual early migrant breeders (La. Waterthrush, N. Parula, Yt Warbler, Bg Gnatcatcher, etc. have been right on time.
Damien Simbeck
Killen AL
Sent from my (non-Apple) phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 6:46 PM, <ekroston...> via groups.io<ekroston...> wrote: Thanks, Bob!
On Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 04:59:34 PM CDT, Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <robertaduncan...> wrote:
Hi all,
Birding has been really disappointing the last couple of days just as migration should be picking up. West Indian migrants should have been seen in better numbers than have been reported. This is not surprising given the weather situation. The controlling factor is weather, especially wind. Yesterday brisk NE & E winds extended into the southern Gulf and northern West Indies, not good for bringing birds up this way. Today, brisk E winds prevail in that area and even if birds were flying, they would be vectored to our west, especially trans-Gulf migrants if any were aloft. This is also reflected in Bird Cast forecasts for tonight and the next two nights
Winds are forecast to veer to the SE tomorrow, so migration may resume. But rain, the key ingredient for bringing birds down at our migrant traps, will be limited at best and probably be confined to the mainland if it occurs Wednesday as predicted. Maybe we will get lucky and the weak upper level trough passing across the lower South will strengthen and give us a better chance of rain. Rain chances diminish after that and the 20 - 30% predicted for the following days would probably be in the interior. Fingers crossed!
Good birding,
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
Thanks, Bob!
On Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 04:59:34 PM CDT, Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <robertaduncan...> wrote:
Hi all,
Birding has been really disappointing the last couple of days just as migration should be picking up. West Indian migrants should have been seen in better numbers than have been reported. This is not surprising given the weather situation. The controlling factor is weather, especially wind. Yesterday brisk NE & E winds extended into the southern Gulf and northern West Indies, not good for bringing birds up this way. Today, brisk E winds prevail in that area and even if birds were flying, they would be vectored to our west, especially trans-Gulf migrants if any were aloft. This is also reflected in Bird Cast forecasts for tonight and the next two nights
Winds are forecast to veer to the SE tomorrow, so migration may resume. But rain, the key ingredient for bringing birds down at our migrant traps, will be limited at best and probably be confined to the mainland if it occurs Wednesday as predicted. Maybe we will get lucky and the weak upper level trough passing across the lower South will strengthen and give us a better chance of rain. Rain chances diminish after that and the 20 - 30% predicted for the following days would probably be in the interior. Fingers crossed!
Good birding,
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
Date: 3/29/26 2:59 pm From: Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan...> Subject: [ALbirds] Birding Prospects
Hi all,
Birding has been really disappointing the last couple of days just as migration should be picking up. West Indian migrants should have been seen in better numbers than have been reported. This is not surprising given the weather situation. The controlling factor is weather, especially wind. Yesterday brisk NE & E winds extended into the southern Gulf and northern West Indies, not good for bringing birds up this way. Today, brisk E winds prevail in that area and even if birds were flying, they would be vectored to our west, especially trans-Gulf migrants if any were aloft. This is also reflected in Bird Cast forecasts for tonight and the next two nights
Winds are forecast to veer to the SE tomorrow, so migration may resume. But rain, the key ingredient for bringing birds down at our migrant traps, will be limited at best and probably be confined to the mainland if it occurs Wednesday as predicted. Maybe we will get lucky and the weak upper level trough passing across the lower South will strengthen and give us a better chance of rain. Rain chances diminish after that and the 20 - 30% predicted for the following days would probably be in the interior. Fingers crossed!
Good birding,
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
Date: 3/12/26 4:23 am From: Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Red-footed Booby in Tallapoosa County?!!!
By the time she posted it, the bird had already left the tower
(apparently, during the morning of March 8). I know that Leif Milliron
won't to Lake Martin on March 9, presumably looking for the booby
unsuccessfully. Aside from the few people whi saw it on the 7th (of whom
Julia Thomas was the only "avid birder"; and I believe she saw iit the next
morning), I don't think anyone else hot to see it.
I am trying to get the names of the tower climbers who took the photos.
Larry Gardella
Daphne
On Wed, Mar 11, 2026, 9:51 PM <swmavocet...> via groups.io <swmavocet=
<aol.com...> wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I just saw this eBird report from March 7. I hope it stayed long enough
> to be refound by some AL-Birders. Did you see it?
>
> Bird well,
>
> Steve McConnell
> Hartselle, AL
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S308055741 >
>
Date: 3/11/26 7:51 pm From: <swmavocet...> via groups.io <swmavocet...> Subject: [ALbirds] Red-footed Booby in Tallapoosa County?!!!
Folks,
I just saw this eBird report from March 7. I hope it stayed long enough to be refound by some AL-Birders. Did you see it?
Bird well,
Steve McConnellHartselle, AL
https://ebird.org/checklist/S308055741
