Dauphin Island is living up to its well earned reputation as a great spot for birders.
This weekend they were out in force, binoculars and spotting telescopes in tow, in pursuit of any of the various species of neo-tropical birds who have made their way north over the Gulf of Mexico. The birders I spoke to were having a great time of it spotting warblers and tanagers at the shell mounds; herons and plovers on sand flats on the West End.
Despite stories to the contrary, this spring has been a relatively good one for some birders. Even though it's been a relatively dry spring with fewer rains the birding has been good according to birders on Dauphin Island. When low pressure fronts collide with warm air over the Gulf of Mexico causing rain and storms, migrating birds can become exhausted and might literally fall out of the sky as they reach land. These fallouts are a birders dream because they create opportunities to see so many more birds as they rest and recover before continuing their journeys north.