Birdfest 2009 includes more than twenty guided tours throughout Baldwin County, dinners, speakers and a free birding Expo.

So, whether you’re a casual birder or an old hand, dust off your binoculars and get ready to view some spectacular migratory species.

Registration opens July 20, 2009. Visit www.AlabamaCoastalBirdFest.com for details.

And remember, Hotel Magnolia is the perfect birding base camp. We can even set you up with picnic baskets geared to your adventure.

The Hotel Magnolia is located in the heart of downtown Foley and convenient to all loops on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail.

To check room availability, make a reservation, or to request a printed brochure, please call 251-943-5297.

For Magnolia Court Restaurant, please dial 251-970-5400.

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Organized into six distinct “loops,” the trail offers birding opportunities throughout the year that can fill an afternoon or a week. On the trail, you can add rare and migratory species to your “life list,” or help naturalists band hummingbirds.

Each of the loops offers a different menu of birding delights, and can easily consume a half day of birding, or more. And although they are laid out in sequential fashion, nothing says you have to stop at each and every spot along the way.  With a little advance planning, you can even tailor your birding adventure to the birds you are most interested in seeing or the unique opportunities available at any given time of year.

Every October, you can take part in the Alabama Coastal Birdfest.  According to their website, you can…

…Explore the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, experience great Southern hospitality, children’s activities, evening keynote lectures, guided field trips and great food.

The fourth Alabama Coastal BirdFest coincides with the annual fall migration of many birds from North America to Central and South America. Coastal Alabama is a critical stopover point during this migration. There is something for all birders—from beginners to experts. Every trip features a very special facet of the beautiful Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. Proceeds will be used to acquire habitat for birds in south Alabama.

The Alabama Ornithological Society (AOS) even offers rare bird alerts, so you can tap into the latest and best intelligence on which birds are in a given area. You can reach them at 205-987-2730. Or, for alerts focused on South Alabama and Northwest Florida, contact Francis M. Weston of the Audubon Society at 850-934-6974.

Of course, Hotel Magnolia makes the perfect headquarters for your next birding trip to Baldwin County. Located in Foley, at the very center of the birding opportunities, the Hotel is conveniently located to the various trails along the coast, the bay and inland.

For more information on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, just visit their Web site.

For an elegant hotel to stay in, call Hotel Magnolia at 251-943-5297.

And there to meet them are often the volunteers at the Fort Morgan Banding Station.  The banding station is the home to The Hummer/Bird Study Group, a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation and study of hummingbirds and other Neo-tropical migrants.

According to the study group:

We have documented fourteen species in the eastern United States; Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, Allen’s, Anna’s, Calliope, Buff-bellied, Broad-tailed, White-eared, Green Violet-ear, Magnificent, Green-breasted Mango and Broad-billed and Costa’s.

To be a part of this educational and uplifting environmental activity, or for more information visit the station’s Web site.

To check room availability, make a reservation, or to request a printed brochure, please call 251-943-5297.

For Magnolia Court Restaurant, please dial 251-970-5400.

{FIND OUT ABOUT our latest news and area attractions or the rich history of Hotel Magnolia.}