Returned to Michigan last night and someone turned the heat off!

Waking up to 30°F is a little bit of a system shocker compared to 70°F in Florida. So while I put on an extra layer of clothes and watch a freshly filled bird feeder come to life with Blue Jays and Cardinals, here is a synopsis of the last part of our vacation.

Wednesday was a rainy day. It was also a bit chilly for Florida standards so we decided it would be a chill day. While my son stayed at the boat with our dog Freckles, my wife and daughter and I went for a couple of hikes in-between raindrops. The smell of the green foliage permeated the nature walks and the early sounds of bird migration were evident with Northern Parula and Yellow-Rumped Warblers singing their sweet spring songs on their journey north.

We picked up the other two passengers in our group we then headed east toward Fort Morgan in Alabama. After realizing that it wasn’t as promising as it sounded and time constraints for the ferry to Dauphin Island, we headed back to our room with a stop at Bon Secur National Wildlife Refuge where I saw an amazing 10 Little Blue Herons and heard a Great Horned Owl hooting close but couldn’t get enough eye on.

Thursday had the promise of the sun shining and the temperatures is the 70s so it was one last day for the beach and it did not disappoint!

After an impromptu stop to visit the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center where we saw a Loggerhead Sea Turtle named Sweet Pea, we headed to the white powdered beaches of Destin, FL that brought fun in the sand one last time. We were graced with a wild sea turtle sighting near the giant rocks of the jetty along with Sandwich Terns, Ruddy Turnstone, and Osprey hanging around.

We took one last beach hop to Henderson Beach before we were treated to a picturesque sunset and having dinner on an outdoor deck in Destin.

Friday we reluctantly headed for home.

We made our way with other homeward-bound spring breakers which gnarled the freeways and stopped in Montgomery, Alabama to visit several sites for the Civil Rights movement: The NPS Montgomery Interpretive Center for the Selma to Montgomery Historic Trial and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Somber reminders of the evils that slavery in America brought; The bus stop where Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks stood, which started to turn the wheels to put off segregation that permeated the country by not relinquishing her seat on a bus in the section to be used for “whites only”; and the homes of music icon Nat King Cole and Dr. Ralph Abernathy who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was a minister and major civil rights activist.

Saturday we visited Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Mr. Green taught Jack Daniels his technique for distilling whiskey before the American Civil War who in turn hired Mr. Green to become the first black master distiller on record in the United States after the war. We then visited two Kentucky bourbon distilleries, Four Roses and the infamous Jim Beam.

Six hours later we pulled into our dark driveway and after searching the house for our two cats, settled in for a good night’s sleep in our own beds.

I ended the trip seeing 86 species of birds. Not a huge number of sightings but family vacations aren’t the time for major birding. I did hit my targets of lifers Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatch which brings my total to 473 which makes it a successful bird trip!

Most importantly it was a successful family vacation experience that I and hopefully the family will cherish for years to come!

My ebird list trip report link:

https://ebird.org/tripreport/116657

1. 

   Thanks Jackie! It was a good day for sure!

2. 

   A lot better than sitting in the house for sure. Thanks for the compliment!

3. 

   Sounds like a worthwhile way to spend a rainy day! Those photos are great!!

4. 

   Great article and pictures! So glad you had a wonderful day!

5. 

   That’s awesome John!!