On The Road

Friday morning started out way too early as the alarm rudely interrupted out sleep at 3 am. In the hour We gave ourselves we had to take our showers, make coffee, pack the car, lock up the house and hit the road, for what turned out to be a very , very long day driving. Hattiesburg Mississippi was our ultimate destination after this day of driving, and besides being uneventful, it truly was boring. The landscapes outside of your car windows are constantly changing with Tennessee being the most entertaining, while Alabama, and Mississippi offered the most yawn factor. These states are big pine country and the road goes on and on through such dense pine forests that they warn you that the next exit can be x many miles away. And between these exits, nothing.

And as many good birder will tell you, despite the danger, we still bird while driving. You just can’t help but notice the kettle of Black Vultures, or the Pigeons as you drive along. So as I drive along I’ll tick off birds and add them to my total vacation list.
After arriving in Hattiesburg, and eating some dinner, I crashed and burned.

After breakfast the following day I had some free time go birding. So I was off to Johnson State Park just outside of town.This is the same park I birded in when I was visiting a few years back. They have a nature trail that’s really nice. Well marked trails with thick under growth, with towering pine trees shading the entire area. My window of opportunity was limited, so I had to take advantage of this time before lunch.
Despite my short time here I did see some quality birds.

Today is my last full day in Mississippi before heading off to Florida, and the weather outlook doesn’t look too promising. Rain is in the forecast, however that shouldn’t deter me from going out. I just don’t know how this will effect the birds. We”ll see I guess.

Vacation List
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Crow
Northern Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Pigeon
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Pine Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
White-eyed Vireo
Brown Thrasher
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Canada Geese
Gray Catbird
Eastern Towhee