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There are many fantastic spots for birding in the southeastern United States in spring, so I'll try and point out a few of the highlights. Spring birding is focused on migration and arriving nesting species, of course, so most of the excitement surrounds the passerines or songbirds and shorebirds that pour into the country every spring from their South and Central American and Caribbean wintering grounds.

The coast of the Gulf of Mexico has some great birding spots where native vegetation has been preserved in large enough tracts. Many migrant songbirds and even the predator hawks and falcons that follow them, have to cross the Gulf in one flight to reach the U.S. mainland. When they arrive, these small birds are exhausted and starving, so they need a place to rest and feed, to restore their body fat for continued migration and nesting. Although anywhere from south Florida to east Texas can be excellent, a few standout locations are:

1. The Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas;

2. Fort de Soto Park, St. Petersburg, Florida;

3. Any of the parks and wooded barrier islands along the northern Gulf Coast in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and east Texas, especially St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Florida; Dauphin Island, Alabama; High Island, Texas.

Inland, there are thousands of state and national parks, national wildlife refuges and other excellent areas for spring birding. It's hard to even begin to recommend one over another without knowing what you are looking for. I would suggest obtaining The Birder's Catalog for Spring 2001 from the American Birding Association at ABA Sales, P.O. Box 6599, Colorado Springs, CO 80934, 1-800-634-7736 or abasales@abasales.com. This comprehensive resource will provide you with the names of books on birding all of the southeastern states and just about anywhere else in the world. Good luck!

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