2020 Jan 6, Outing to Decatur, Alabama Birds of Prey, Waterfowl

Owl 

Today, Hubby and I rode to Decatur, where we ate breakfast at IHOP and then went to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, where we saw Whooping and Sandhill Cranes. 

We saw a small group of schoolchildren and several adults with cameras. We watched a 12-minute movie about the Refuge and walked among the Cypress Trees.

Sandhill Cranes

On the Atkeson Cypress Boardwalk, we saw these gorgeous Cypresses submerged deep in the swamp. 

 We stopped at Ingalls Harbor and Rhodes Ferry Park.

Tern Perched on a pole at Ingalls Harbor. 

We ate lunch at Jack's, hamburgers and fried pies.
 We stopped at Wheeler Dam, where we saw hundreds of Terns diving for fish. We also saw hundreds of Terns perched along the entrance to the locks and hundreds of Cormorants perched below the dam. It was a beautiful day for an outing.

At Rhodes Ferry Park, we saw the train lift bridge that once bridged Lauderdale to Colbert County, Alabama. 

At Wheeler Dam, we saw Terns diving into the Swift Tennessee River. 

The Tuscumbia, Courtland, and Decatur Railroad was the only railway line in the country used to transport the Cherokee people during forced removal. 

Linking Decatur to the Cherokee Indian Removal during the Trail of Tears. 
On this river in front of you, 2,300 Cherokee people arrived in waves, forced from their Tennessee Valley homeland from 1837 to 1838. The steamer Knoxville towed flatboats loaded with Cherokee families. Heavy rains soaked their clothes. The cold wind whipped off the water. They survived on cornmeal and flour fried in bacon grease. Once docked here at Decatur Landing, the Cherokee boarded cramped train cars. Their journey west continued along the rails.

Wheeler National Wild Life Refuge at Visitor Center

• National Wildlife Refuge System

  The National Wildlife Refuge System is a network of United States lands and waters managed specifically for wildlife. 

  Units of the system stretch across the continent from the icy north shores of Alaska to the balmy Florida Keys and beyond to tropical islands in the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

  
  

  
  

  "Born of Necessity...Managed with Care"

  
  

  U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for protecting and conserving our country's wild birds, mammals, and fish for the enjoyment of all people. Cooperating with states and other countries, the Fish and Wildlife Service carries out several programs to preserve our priceless wildlife heritage.
  
  
  Refuges
  Migratory Birds
  Fisheries 
  Federal Aid 
  Law Enforcement
  Ecological Services
  
  U. S. Department of the Interior

  
  

  Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge 
  Established in 1938, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge protects and manages 35,000 acres of wetlands and forests for wildlife and provides various recreational opportunities for visitors.
  
  Waterfowl and wildlife
  Thousands of migratory waterfowl each fall, including 26 species of ducks and four species of geese, arrive at the refuge to overwinter. Sandhill cranes are numbering in the thousands, and it is also winter here.
  
  More than 500 wildlife species, including songbirds, wading birds, hawks, deer, turtles, and snakes, inhabit the refuge. Twelve of these species are federally listed as threatened or endangered.
  
  Habitat
  Wheeler Wildlife Refuge comprises diverse habitat types, including bottomland hardwoods, wetlands, pine uplands, shoreline or riparian woodlands, agricultural fields, and backwater embayments. These habitats provide excellent feeding, resting, and roosting sites for wintering waterfowl and Sandhill cranes, as well as nesting sites for migratory songbirds and many species of resident wildlife.
  
  Wildlife Management
  Local farmers cultivate several thousand acres of cropland on a share agreement. During harvest, a portion of the crop is left in the field as a food source for waterfowl and other wildlife. Each fall, the refuge plants wheat to provide green browse for wintering geese.
  
  Water control structures are used in wet areas to control water levels. This type of management provides food for waterfowl by encouraging the growth of native plants in moist areas.
  
  Refuge Lands Within Redstone Arsenal
  Highways
  Secondary Roads
  Refuge Boundary
  Visitor Center
  Wildlife Observation
  Boating
  Flint Creek Environmental Area & Universally Accessible Fishing Pier
  
  Recreational Opportunity
  The Visitor Center offers wildlife exhibits, a gift shop, a large auditorium, two walking trails, special events, and refuge information.
  
  The Wildlife Observation Building, located a short walk from the Visitor Center, offers a unique setting for viewing wildlife. December through February, when large concentrations of waterfowl and Sandhill cranes are in the area, is a good time for viewing, especially just before sunset.
  
  Fishing is a very popular activity on the refuge. Six improved boat launch areas provide access to miles of water in Wheeler Reservoir and adjacent creeks where bass, crappie, bream, and catfish are often caught.
  
  Hunting for deer, squirrel, rabbit, opossum, raccoon, feral hog, and quail is allowed on Wheeler NWR. Special regulations apply, and a refuge hunting permit is required. Waterfowl hunting is not permitted on the refuge.
  
  Wildlife Photography is encouraged on the refuge. One fully enclosed, permanent bend near the observation pond may be reserved for a special use permit.
  
  Environmental Education/Interpretation is an essential program at Wheeler NWR. Organized groups may reserve dates for presentations, wildlife tours, and outdoor classroom activities.
  
  Nature Trails, ranging in length from 200 yards to 3 miles, provide opportunities to observe birds and other wildlife. The Visitor Center has maps and additional information.
  
  The Visitor Center is open daily. The hours are from March through September 9–4 P.M., Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday
  Phone:256-350-6639
  Website: www.fws.gov/wheeler

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Complex

Boating 
There are six improved and several unimproved boat launching facilities located on the
Refuge. Improved facilities are those with pad-ed parking and concrete launch ramps. Unimproved facilities are those with dirt or graveled small parking areas and dirt or gravel launch ramps. 

Improved Ramps 
Arrowhead Landing: Located in Limestone County on the west central portion of Limestone Bay. 

Triana: Located south of the town of Triana in Madison County, where Indian Creek flows into the Tennessee River. This is the easternmost boat ramp. 

Hickory Hills: Located in Morgan County on the northern portion of Flint Creek. 
Bluff City: Located in Morgan County on the southern bank of the Tennessee River, approximately nine miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Sharp’s Ford/Cotaco Creek: Located in Morgan County on the western bank of Cotaco Creek at Sharp’s Ford Road. 

Tallulah/Sunnyside Landing: Located in Morgan County on the southern bank of the Tennessee River, approximately twelve miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 


Unimproved Ramps
Arrowhead Landing:# 1 & #2 
Located in Limestone County on the west central portion of Limestone Bay.

Rockhouse: Located in Limestone County on the north bank of the Tennessee River, approximately six miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Flint Creek: Located in Morgan County on Flint Creek near Alabama Highway 67. 
Duncan Hill: 
Located in Morgan County at the Flint Creek/Garth Slough confluence. 

Susie Hole: Located in Morgan County on the south side of Garth Slough. 
Cave Springs Mussel Camp: Located in Morgan County on the south bank of the Tennessee River, approximately five miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Madden Branch: Located in Morgan County at the Madden Branch/Cataco Creek confluences S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Hunting 
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 500 national wildlife refugees. The primary objective of a national wildlife refuge is to provide a habitat for the conservation and protection of all species of wildlife.
Carefully managed hunts are one tool used to manage wildlife 
populations.

Small and large game hunting with bows and flintlocks provides high-quality recreation for many people. Wheeler NWR offers public hunting on approximately 18,000 acres, and hunting regulations are published each year
in the WNWR hunting permit brochure. Hunters are allowed to hunt white-tailed deer, feral hogs, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and quail. 
Waterfowl hunting is not permitted on the refuge.

500+ acres between HGH Road and the Tennessee River are designated as a special access hunting area for disabled hunters. 
Special access permits are available at Refuge Headquarters.

Fishing is a very popular activity at Wheeler NWR, with an estimated 274,000 anglers trying their luck each year in the 18,000 acres of refuge waters.
Many creeks and sloughs adjoin the main channel of the Tennessee River throughout the refuge. Old river channels, open blackwater embayments, and
miles of tree-lined creeks and streams provide excellent fishing opportunities for largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, stripped, and hybrid bass, bluegill and redear sunfish, crappie, sauger, several species of catfish, and a few yellow perch. 

A universally accessible fishing pier is available on Flint Creek across Highway 67 from the Visitor Center. 

A three-acre catfish pond is available for organized events. 
Each year, groups ranging from special needs children and adults to summer
day campers and cub scouts enjoy fishing at the pond. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Water Level Management
Wheeler NWR staff manages impoundment water levels on the refuge to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Impoundments are enclosed bodies of water such as a reservoir. The management of these areas creates moist soil and flooded cropland conditions that produce natural, desirable vegetation and high-calorie food for waterfowl. Impoundments last benefit colonial water birds, marsh birds, and shorebirds. 

To grow moist soil plants, water levels in the impoundments must be lowered in the spring for the germination of wetland plants. The areas are then flooded in the fall just before waterfowl begin to arrive. A lack of water management limits food and plant options for the birds. This management objective is difficult to accomplish when TVA raises and lowers Wheeler Reservoir with a schedule that is opposite to what is needed for sustaining waterfowl. 

Farming 
3.500 - 4,000 acres are cooperatively farmed on the refuge. Cooperative farming is a mutually beneficial arrangement where the farmer is allowed to farm refuge land under certain guidelines and restrictions, including that a certain share of the crop (18-20%) be left for waterfowl and wildlife. It provides food, browses, cover, and nesting areas for waterfowl and other wildlife species. 

Crops grown include soybeans, corn, winter wheat, milo, and millet. Various waterfowl, such as Canada geese, Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and Mallards, feed in the fields during fall and winter. Deer enjoy feeding on corn, soybeans, and winter wheat, while raccoons and squirrels drag ears of corn into the woods and feed on it there. Various species of songbirds feed on these crops also.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge at Flint Creek

National Wildlife Refuge
Wheeler 
How Can You Help?

1. Dispose of fishing lines, hooks, and trash in the bins and containers provided. 

2. Pick up any trash you see. 

3. If you pack it in, you can pack it out.

4. Volunteer with the Wildlife Refuge for clean-up events. 

Reminder: artifact collecting is not permitted.

Contact Information 
Refuge Headquarters
256-353-7243
Visitor Center - 256-350-6639
In case of an emergency, call 911

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Refuge Lands Within Redstone Arsenal
Highways
Roads
Refuge Boundary
Visitor Center
Wildlife Observation
Boating
Flint Creek Environmental 
Area & Universally Accessible Fishing PierU. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Our History 
1838
Trail of Tears: The discovery of gold in Georgia and thirst for land expansion prompted the U.S. Government and white communities to force the Cherokee nation from their ancestral lands. During the summer and winter of 1838, the first three detachments driven west traveled by water on the Tennessee River from Ross's Landing near present-day Chattanooga. They followed the river through Alabama and West Tennessee before merging with other rivers and eventually arriving in Oklahoma.

1933
TVA ACT: In May of 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act creating the TVA. The Tennessee Valley Authority was designed to modernize the region, using experts and electricity to combat problems in the area. A primary part of the plan was to produce electricity and provide flood relief by constructing a series of dams along the Tennessee River and its tributaries.

1934
TVA COMES TO Town TVA acquired land in the middle third of the valley in 1934-35 to serve as a bed for and buffer around Wheeler Reservoir. Interested individuals and organizations urged that the government take advantage of the newly constructed reservoir to replace the waterfowl habitat.

1938 
AN EXPERIMENT: On July 7, 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside the middle third of the new reservoir as an experimental national wildlife refuge to see if multi-purpose reservoirs could be made attractive to waterfowl. The reservoir and new refuge were named for General Joseph Wheeler, who lived near Decatur.

1950 
POLLUTION: Rachel Carson's 1962 classic, Silent Spring, documented the serious environmental problems caused by pesticide pollution, including those in the Flint Creek Watershed. In the late summer of 1950, farmers experiencing a very wet season reapplied pesticides to their crops multiple times because they kept washing off in the frequent rains. These high volumes of pesticides washed into Flint Creek, killing most of the fish.

Present 
HERE AND NOW, Impacted greatly by its controversial history, this section of the Tennessee River and Flint Creek is vastly different from what they were over 170 years ago when the Cherokee traveled west. Industries have sprung up, dams have been built, commercial water traffic is considerable, and recreational boating facilities have developed. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is one of the few areas remaining along the river that is dedicated to conserving the character of our wild and natural heritage.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Flint Creek 
Flint Creek is a slow-flowing, meandering stream influenced by the fluctuating water levels of Wheeler Reservoir. The creek and its tributaries are comprised of 150 miles of streams that drain over 291,000 acres of land in Morgan, Lawrence, and Cullman counties. Its headwaters are in northern Cullman County, and the creek flows into Morgan County, where it converges with West Flint Creek near US Highway 31. As it confluence with the Tennessee River at mile 308.5

Fishing and Land 
the Flint Creek shoreline offers a wide variety of hardwoods, bluffs, farms, and wildlife, while the stream itself is home to crappie, bream, bass, catfish, and a few yellow perch. Much of the land surrounding the creek is within the TVA Reservation and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, making it accessible to the public. Improved boat launching areas are available at Hickory Hills and Hwy 31 South. There is an improved launch area suitable for small boats and canoes located south of US Highway 67. This universally accessible pier was built so everyone can enjoy what the watershed has to offer.

Watershed Project 
The Flint Creek Watershed Project is a multiagency cooperative led by local leaders and watershed residents. In 1996, a Watershed Conservatory District was established, and plans were developed with the assistance of two federal agencies, five Alabama state agencies, and three local soil and water conservation districts. A variety of projects, including agricultural demonstrations, well sampling programs, on-site wastewater demonstrations, and riparian zone management efforts, have been implemented by this project. Public outreach activities include household hazardous waste days and pesticides.

Dauphin Island Environment Marine

Energy from the Sands of Time

ExxonMobil, one of many oil companies operating in Alabama waters, operates the platform east of Dauphin Island. These platforms extract natural gas (methane), a clean-burning petroleum product. The platform lies in 11 feet of water, dripping operations to depths of over 20,000 feet. Once natural gas is found and brought to the surface, it is transferred via an underwater pipeline to processing plants on the mainland. 

These photographs demonstrate the porous quality of millions of-year-old sandstone. Ten percent of the sandstone's volume is natural gas compressed within it. 

Pores to a pressure between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds per square inch. 

The natural gas field found within Mobile Bay and the Alabama Water is the largest field discovered in the continental United States. Concerned citizens, scientists, and state regulators worked with the oil companies to implement an environmentally safe, clean operation with a zero-discharge policy. This policy prohibits the discharge of drilling fluids, petroleum products, and treated sewage from the platform into state waters. Instead, these materials are offloaded and taken to the mainland for proper disposal. 

Mr. Sand and his friends Part II

The grains collect and grow into dunes. Even as they grow, they move as the wind blows them. 

Shifting and growing, the dunes stabilize once dune grasses, like sea oats, start sprouting. The plant's roots help anchor them, encouraging further dune growth. And the more due growth, the more plant growth —- a friendly relationship.

These stabilized dunes attract even more plants, like wax myrtle, yucca, and, eventually, the majestic live oak. 

These rooting plants add moisture and shelter and promote even more plant colonization. 

More and more animals are attracted to plant growth, from plant-eating insects to insect-eating beach mice to owls, hawks, and raccoons.

Thriving with plant life, a dune will continue to grow. 

But the bigger it gets, the more exposed it becomes to aeolian (wind) and marine (water) forces, like erosion. 

Mr. Sand and his friends, Park III

During autumn and winter storms, sand is blown offshore. Someday, it will be carried back onshore to build new dunes. 

So, as the seasons change, do the dunes. With gentle wind and waves, sand heaps onshore in the spring, forming new dunes. In the summer, sea oats and plants help them grow. In the stormy winter, the dunes erode (wear down).

Susceptible to strong onshore winds, Mr. Sand and his friends tend to move inland, covering everything in their path. 

We must help Mr. Sand and his friends by not walking or driving on the dunes. Many places have boardwalks built over the dunes and plants to protect them. 

Sand fences, like boardwalks, are another way of protecting dunes. They serve as obstructions so the grains can collect and form new dunes. Planting grasses like sea oats can also help in exposed areas and along pathways. 

These conservation practices can only help if we cooperate. Mr. Sand and his friends, along with the forces of nature, form dunes and beaches for you to enjoy. 

Let's take care of them in the future. 

Mr. Sand and his friends Part I

Come let Mr. Sand guide you through the life of a dune. Learn how to protect the sand dunes, Mr. Sand, and his friends who live with him. 

Once upon a time, about 250 million years ago, bedrock was formed. The hot molten rock formed granite and emerged as the Appalachian Mountains. As the granite and other rocks eroded from the mountains, they formed grains of sand. This sand washed down to the Gulf of Mexico and was deposited onto beaches and dunes now underwater. 

Waves and currents washed Mr. Sand away from these old deposits, and he and his friends moved onto the beaches we see now. 

The more Mr. Sand and his friends wash along the beach, the more they wear down. They become rounder and more uniform in size and texture. 

Away from the mainland, underwater mountains of sand grow grain by grain, becoming "offshore bars." Some can grow so much they emerge above sea level and become "barrier islands." 

Dry grains of sand are susceptible to wind, drifting until the wind speed drops.

Once Mr. Sand and his friends land, they collect on the "lee," or sheltered side of obstacles along their flight path.

Marine Debris: A Silent Killer

Marine debris Timeline

What is marine debris?

Marine debris is the name for trash that litter our coasts and oceans.

It includes all the objects found in marine and coastal environments that do not naturally occur there. Marine debris is not only a hazard to ships, divers, and beachgoers but also creates a serious threat to our precious marine life. 

Marine debris consists of articles made by people and deliberately discarded or accidentally lost. In most cases, it results from careless handling or disposal of solid waste items, including liquid waste containers; it can also be materials lost at sea in bad weather, like fishing gear and cargo.

Marine debris consists mostly of snowy, degradable waste made of persistent materials such as plastic, polystyrene, metals, and glass from a wide variety of different sources.

(thrown or lost into the sea): brought indirectly to the sea with rivers, sewage, stormwater, or winds, which are left by people on beaches and shores. 

Where is marine debris found:

. Marine debris is found everywhere worldwide, in marine and coastal environments.

.Marine debris can be blown around and is found floating on the water's surface. Almost 90% of floating marine debris is plastic. 

. Marine debris is mixed in the water column, from the surface to the bottom of the ocean.

.Marine debris is found on the seabed. As much as 70% of all marine debris sinks to the bottom of the seabed, both in shallow coastal areas and deeper parts of the ocean. 

.Marine debris is found lying on beaches and shores. 

How does marine debris harm wildlife?

. Entanglement 

Common items like fishing lines, strapping bands, and six-pack rings can hamper marine animals' movement. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing, or swimming, all of which can have fatal results. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down and may continue to trap and kill animals year after year. Smaller marine creatures get stuck inside plastic and glass containers to die slowly. 

Ingestion

Birds, fish, and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. Due to its durability, buoyancy, and ability to absorb and concentrate toxins present in the ocean, plastic is especially harmful to marine life. 

Other threats to wildlife 

The seabed is smothered, toxic substances accumulate and disperse, environmental changes are caused by invasive species, and habitat disturbances are caused by mechanical cleaning of marine debris. 

How does marine debris harm people?

.Contamination of the beaches and harbors creates health hazards to people

.Marine debris also endangers the safety and livelihood of fishermen and recreational boaters. Nets and monofilament fishing lines obstruct propellers, and plastic sheeting and bags block cooling intakes. 

Where am I?

Dauphin Island is at the junction of Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the easternmost in a series of changing barrier islands that form the southern boundary of Mississippi Sound. 

Mobile Bay is 53 kilometers (35 mi) long, 16 kilometers (10 mi) wide, and averages 3 meters (10ft) deep. It is a drowned river valley that was once deeper and extended farther north. About 6,000 years ago, the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta formed as Mobile Bay became broader and shallower. Mobile Bay has the seventh-largest river discharge in North America (219 to 13,977 cubic meters per second or 5 to 322 billion gallons per day) and is the third-largest in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Most ocean waters that enter the Gulf of Mexico come through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. 

These waters form circling currents that move across the continental shelf and mix with the freshwater from the land. The water exits the Gulf of Mexico through the Straits of Florida between Florida and Cuba. 

Life in a Salt Marsh

A real partnership 

Black needle rush and smooth cordgrass areCordgrasst grasslike plants of Coastal Alabama salt marshes. They provide oxygen to organisms that live below the salt marsh surface and refuge for many animals. 

Decomposing plant matter in an environment without oxygen produces the "rotten egg" odor familiar to marshes. However, Cordgrass and Needlerush root systems are spongy and porous, allowing oxygen into the waterlogged soil. This will enable organisms below the surface of the marsh to survive. 

Fiddler Crab (Uca  spp) 

Fiddler Crabs and other small mud crabs burrow into the marsh surface, feeding on the plant matter. Their aquatic larval stages contribute significantly to the food chain.

Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)

Smooth Cordgrass forCordgrasser along the edge of the open water, below the average high tide line. Cordgrass has flattened leaves and a light green color. 

Black Needlerush (Juncus roemerianus)

The Black Needlerush comprises the largest vegetated zone of Alabama's salt marshes and is near and above the average high tide line. 

Needlerush leaves are round with pointed tips. 

Marsh Periwinkle (Littorina irrorata)

The Marsh Periwinkle is a small snail that inhabits shallow bays, ponds, and tidal marshes. It is often seen climbing Spartina stalks to feed on algae and avoid predators. 

Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa)

The Ribbed Mussel attaches to mature plants at the mud surface and hardens the marsh, helping it resist erosion. These mussels filter a gallon of seawater an hour for food, fertilize the marsh with their waste, and are food for crabs, birds, and mammals.