Field Trip: Alabama A&M Farm

Pre-registration is required by 12 p.m. CST on Friday, November 18th.

Registration is now closed. Check out our upcoming events here.

Participants must complete the mandatory online waiver. Please do not request registration for others when submitting your request.

Alabama A&M’s Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station consists of 900 acres of grasslands and agricultural fields, providing a rare area of open country filled with native birds. This trip will be primarily car birding. We will caravan and carpool to various sites to find our target birds—certainly seeing hawks soaring above us (Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and northern harriers), as well as grassland birds (loggerhead shrikes, eastern meadowlarks, and wintering sparrows such as white-throated, Savannah, and vesper sparrows). There is also a pond on the property, so we have the possibility of seeing various ducks. This outing is open to all levels of birders.

Other stops might be included based on how the day goes.

The details: Meetup is at 6:30 a.m. at the Fultondale Chick-fil-A (215 Howell Street), located off I-65 (Exit 267) on Walker Chapel Road. Together, we’ll caravan up the interstate toward Decatur and the Priceville exit (Exit 334) to reconvene around 7:30 a.m. at the Hardee’s located at 3241 Point Mallard Parkway SE. We’re meeting earlier than usual because from there we’ll still have a forty-five minute drive to get to our final destination. A full tank of gas will be a must for this trip.

As always, remember to bring your binoculars, plenty of water and snacks, insect repellent, rain gear, sunblock, and seasonally appropriate attire.

In the case of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled. You may contact the trip leader the morning of the event if the weather is questionable.

Registration: To register, click on the button above. If you’re new to our online system and don’t yet have a username and password, simply click the “X” on the pop up and fill out the basic form. If you do have a login, please use it as this helps us tremendously on our end! You should receive an automated email upon registering.

Accessibility: This trip is considered fully accessible as it will be primarily car birding.

Questions about accessibility? Email us for more information about how we can meet your needs.

The food: Plan to bring a picnic lunch with you. There are fast food restaurants in the area, however, if you would like to leave the group for lunch.

The birds: Birds of prey such as Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and northern harriers; grassland birds such as loggerhead shrikes and eastern meadowlarks, as well as wintering sparrows such as white-throated, Savannah, and vesper sparrows. Visit the Alabama Birding Trails site here. And the eBird site here.

Trip leaders: Matt Hunter (205-460-9546) and Susan Barrow (205-253-8667) will lead this trip. Please contact on the day of the trip only.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, Alabama Audubon has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. We believe that the same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, Alabama Audubon welcomes the whole of our community to our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events open and accessible to all.